Seek God for the City ~ A Prayer Guide to Transform Chicago

Seek God for the City 2006

In drastic days, pray great things.

God is about to do the best things He's ever done in history. That's why we are seeking Him for whole cities.

Equip your people to step into a forty-day adventure of praying the desires of God with vivid, relevant prayers from the promises of scripture. Seek God for the City is a proven tool that unites and guides whole churches in persistent prayer for spiritual awakening throughout their communities. This 64-page booklet is designed to guide prayer through the forty days leading to Palm Sunday, March 1 through April 9, 2006.

We are able happy to offer a complimentary review copy to anyone in a recognized position of pastoral or prayer leadership. Call our office at 800-264-5214.

It's affordable. For as little as $1.20 each, the significant quantity discounts make it possible to equip many in your church and community. ($3 single copy price.)

===>Click headline for more information
or click here to place an order: http://www.waymakers.org/index.php?p=sgftc

A Children's Companion Version is available on line at:
http://www.waymakers.org/index.php?p=sgftc&pp=children

A Spanish translation is available on line at:
http://www.waymakers.org/index.php?p=sgftc&pp=spanish

These are both available in a PDF format designed to be printed and photocopied.

Before He acts, He wants to be asked.
Pray your way into something great!

Invite others to join in. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested.

Steve Hawthorne, Director, WayMakers
P O Box 203131, Austin, TX 78720
512-419-7729

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~ ~ ~> Join the Church Prayer Leader's Network @ http://www.PrayerLeader.com < ~ ~ ~

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Surrounding Our State with Prayer

The following information is to let you know about a prayer journey around the state of Illinois for 40 days from February 6 to March 17.

James Nesbit, our Southern Illinois mobilizer, with a team of several other intercessors will be traveling the outer perimeter of Illinois, praying, interceding and holding meetings at various stops along the way. “A team of prophetic craftsmen will embark on a 40 Day - 40 City, Circle of Fire, Prayer Journey around the border of Illinois. The journey will be Monday, February 6th through Friday, March 17th, 2006. They will hold nightly prayer meetings in 40 cities along the border. During the day they will wait upon the Lord and visit strategic sites as He leads. They are also working on Spiritual mapping in these areas.”

For more information...
James Nesbit, Prepare the Way Ministries International
#12 South Clinton, New Baden, IL 62265
314.256.9727

Thank you all for helping.
With Blessings, Pastor John Makan


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Impacting Communities - Leadership Institute

We are offering a Leadership Institute in Christian Community Development, May 15 – June 3, 2006.

The Institute is an exciting collaboration between North Park University’s Master of Arts in Community Development program and the following institutions: Wheaton College, Eastern College, North Park Theological Seminary, Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), Evangelical Covenant Church and Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE). You can receive graduate academic credit that will be accepted in any of these academic institutions.

The faculty consists of academically prepared and respected leaders in the fields of community development and urban ministry – Dr. Wayne Gordon, Dr. John Perkins, Dr. Robert Lupton, Dr. Helene Slessarev-Jamir, Dr. David Frenchak and Dr. Mary Nelson.

The courses are held on-site in Chicago neighborhoods and hosted by nationally known Christian community development organizations. The educational methodology for the Institute is an intentional integration of theory and practical experience. The courses are scheduled as five day intensives and offer graduate credit as well as non credit enrollment options.

For anyone wishing to have an intensive learning experience in a specific area of Christian community development - such as economic development, low income housing development, involvement in policy/politics from the grassroots or discovering wholistic strategies for the church to engage in community development – this is a remarkable educational opportunity.

===>Click headline for registration and detailed course information. . .

Thanks for any help that you can offer in advertising this event!!
Carol Ann McGibbon
Co-director, Master of Arts in Community Development
North Park University/SCUPE
773.244.5643


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Sabbath in England

Phil,

Ken Bugh of American Interim Pastors Inc. is in need of 2 U.S. pastors for March of 06 willing to take a 4-6 month sabbatical. Can you distribute this through your pastoral network? Thanks, Patti @ Moody Church


-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Bugh [mailto:Ken.Bugh@lifeway.com]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 4:26 PM

Concerning my England ministry. It is called American Interim Pastors Inc. (Click headline for access to website). There is plenty of information there even thought the site is somewhat dated.

The basic plan is for a pastor or layman who will serve in this position, to serve in England for a period of four to six months and serve in a British Baptist church.

The church normally pays for round trip tickets from the US for a pastor and his wife, provides a parsonage will bills paid and a fully insured automobile to drive but no salary. These churches have diminished in membership to such a point they no longer can sustain the salary of a full time minister. This is why God has called us to help.

We have assisted 8 different churches across England. Two of those churches now have full time British ministers.

We have an opportunity for two pastors in or around March 06 to serve for four to six months. One church is located in Hamsterly in Durham county, about an hour south of NewCastle and two hours south of Scotland. The other is in Stratford on Avon, home of Shakespeare. God is good.

Thanks Patti!!!
Blessings ... Ken Bugh
Manager, LifeWay Moody Campus Bookstore
Phone: 312-664-0799
Fax: 312-664-0259

Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

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Prayerful Vigil @ Water Tower on Sunday

-----Original Message-----
From: Diane R. Pietrzak (E-mail)
Subject: March for Life -- in Chicago on Sunday

Hi, all. I've recently learned that a March for Life is taking place in
downtown Chicago this Sunday, January 22, the 33rd anniversary of Roe v.
Wade. 46 million unborn babies have been aborted in America in the past 33
years.

So if you can't make it to DC this weekend for the BIG march (~200,000
people!), following are the details for the local version, as presented in
their flyer. It doesn't seem like this event has been terribly well
publicized, but it would be good to try to gather as many people as possible
to be there.

------
After the celebration of 12:30 Mass at Holy Name Cathedral (735 N. State
Street), a Pro-Life March will commence in front of the Cathedral down along
State Street to Chicago Ave. A prayerful vigil will begin at Michigan and
Chicago Ave, in front of Water Tower Place. We invite you to join us in a
peaceful protest against the killing of the innocent unborn victims of
abortion in our nation.

For more information please contact Mrs. Charlotte Isaacson (847-679-7431),
Rick Ryan (773-777-4224) or Emily Urriquia (773-218-6281).
------

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Presidential Prayer Sunday, February 19, 2006

Your church can get involved with hundreds of concerned churches across America as together we stand on the front lines of the spiritual battle for America. Click HERE to learn more.

Fire sweeps through landmark Chicago church

By Dan Blake, Tribune staff reporter
Published January 6, 2006, 5:15 PM CST

Firefighters this afternoon battled an extra-alarm fire that tore through a South Side church that achieved landmark status in the 1980s.

The cause of the blaze at the Pilgrim Baptist Church, 3301 S. Indiana Ave., appeared accidental, possibly caused by work being done on the roof, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Larry Langford said.

No injuries had been reported by late this afternoon.

The fire was reported around 3:07 p.m. and raised to a 4-11 alarm just before 3:30 p.m., according to Langford. A 4-11 alarm sends 16 engines, 10 trucks, the district chief, deputy commissioner, four battalion chiefs and about 145 firefighters to the scene.

"The fire spread very quickly and the roof has already been consumed," Langford said by telephone from the scene. "We're keeping everyone away from the building, (the fire) is way out of control."

Brick chimneys at the rear of church fell about 3:50 p.m., crashing onto power lines and shaking the ground as they collapsed. About two dozen people were in an alley east of Indiana Avenue and ran as the big columns started to fall. Neighbors said they saw construction workers on the roof of the church before the fire. They had been working there since about Christmas, they said.

The flames were so intense, cars parked on 33rd Street caught on fire, CLTV reported.

Langford said no rescues were made and the workers had evacuated the building prior to firefighters' arrival. Firefighters were continuing to battle the blaze as of 3:40 p.m., Langford said.

The building, a centerpiece of the historic African American community of Bronzeville, was designed by Chicago architect Louis Sullivan and built as a synagogue in 1890-91. Pilgrim Baptist moved into the structure in 1922.

The church is credited as the birthplace of gospel music in the 1930s, thanks to Thomas A. Dorsey, gospel songwriter and teacher.

Among the renowned artists who sang here were Mahalia Jackson, Sallie Martin, James Cleveland, and the Edwin Hawkins Singers, according to a Web site of the Landmarks Division, Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

In 1981, the building was designated a Chicago landmark.

Tribune staff reporter Andrew Wang contributed.
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

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Top 5 Worldwide Developments Transforming The Church

Five encouraging developments worldwide

Often the best news doesn't make it into the newspapers. At the start of 2006, Joel News International lists a simple top-5 of what we consider the most encouraging developments at this moment. Looking at what God is doing worldwide, we see:

1. an unprecedented growth of the prayer movement worldwide;
2. God's Spirit being poured out in many places, marked by conversion and miracles;
3. many new partnerships and networks are being formed on a city-, nation-and even continental level, linking prayer, saturation church planting and frontline missions;
4. more and more Christians, churches and ministries are engaging in a transformational process to bring godly change to their societies;
5. radically simple and innovative forms of church are springing up in many places, reaching the unreached.

Source: http://www.joelnews.org

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Martin Luther King Celebration

Contact: Nathaniel D. Jiles @ Nathaniel@nationwideministry.com




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Breaking Barriers in Chicago

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

For those who are receiving this announcement for the first time, welcome! The School of the Prophets is an ecumenical group of men and women from many backgrounds who have been meeting together since January 2000.

Our aim is to pursue the unity of believers that Jesus prayed for in John 17:20:
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

This Saturday Rev. Dr. Walter McCray will bring the teaching from God’s word. McCray is the author of several books, including the Black Presence in the bible which has sold over 100,000 copies. He is the pastor of Pembroke Community Reformed Church and has served in leadership with the National Black Evangelical Association for many years. Brother McCray and his wife Rev. Thelma live on the west side of Chicago where they own and operate a convenience store called Jubilee Market. As always we expect spirited and meaningful discussion to follow the worship and teaching time.

We will begin our time together at 7 a.m. with worship and prayer. Please pray with Brother McCray as he prepares to bring us a word from the Lord. We will allow plenty of time for discussion and questions.

If you can stay, breakfast will be served at around 8:30 a.m. for a cost of $5. Austin Corinthian Baptist Church is located at 823 S. Cicero Ave. which is just 2 blocks south of the Eisenhower on the east side of the street next to Marvin’s Soul Food Restaurant.

To the glory of God!
Bro. Bob Marsh
323 West Chicago Ave.
Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-290-2388
bob@marshdesign.biz


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New Schedule @ House of Prayer in Elgin

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Chicago: South Side - Homeless Choir

Lifelong singer Marge Nykaza is bringing music and hope into the lives of homeless, abused, and addicted women living in shelters on Chicago's South Side. Inspired by her pursuit of pastoral studies, Nykaza founded the project "Harmony, Hope and Healing," as a way to help disadvantaged women find the path to personal healing. The program takes Nykaza to various shelters around the city training choirs -- some of whom perform in public. Judy Valente talks with Nykaza and choir participants about how this experience is making a difference in their lives. "So many women have been silenced, so they don't know their authentic voice," Nykaza explains. "So they don't recognize the beauty within themselves ... If they can come out and be themselves in front of people and sing, that's good ... It's not about the performance itself. It's about preparing the way to the performance. It's in the everyday living."


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Uptown Community Impacted By Burgers & Baptists

Crimewatch: "Burgers and Baptists"
A few months ago there was an announcement here of Positive Loitering at the corner of Wilson and Sheridan at the Uptown Baptist Church. Yesterday, "Crimewatch" on Channel 5 included a segment about that evening and the backstory. Here's a transcript of the segment (all transcription errors and typos mine alone):

Success Story: "Burgers and Baptists"

Narrator: One represents the Golden Arches, the other represents the Pearly Gates. Together, they're working to bring a little piece of heaven to a busy North Side street corner.

Pastor Phil Miglioratti, Uptown Baptist Church: My hope is that, as people come to this corner of Wilson and Sheridan, that even long after the commercial is past, they'll be saying, "This is a great place, I'm Loving It."

Narrator: The Uptown Baptist Church anchors one side of the corner on Wilson and Sheridan; a McDonald's restaurant anchors the other. Now the Baptists and the burger business are in business, together, to keep this corner clean and safe. They've officially adopted the corner through the city's Adopt-A-Street program.

Cmdr. Gary Yamashiroya, 23rd District: This is an unusual thing because it's probably one of the few times that you have a private corporation, a for-profit organization, like McDonald's, and you have a not-for-profit, the Uptown Baptist Church, who are both agreeing to work together to keep this area clean, and I think that, with the Police Department, I think that makes a great partnership.

Narrator: 23rd District Police conducted a roll call on Sheridan and Wilson as part of the Adopt-A-Street ceremony. The ceremony was held on a Wednesday in keeping with a new church tradition to gather outside every Wednesday night during the summer months.

Pastor Miglioratti: So every Wednesday we get together. We began in June by doing prayer walks, where we would just walk around in twos and threes, praying for people quietly, praying for the neighborhood, asking God to bring blessings.

Narrator: In July and August, the church added a lemonade stand to the prayer program. Anyone who passed by was offered a free glass.

Carrie Schwetz, Uptown Baptist Church: We have Prayer Night, we have Lemonade Night. It says, this is a good place to come into. We're not just feeding the spirit and the soul. We want to also bring about a quality of life in the streets.

Darnice White, Uptown Baptist Church: There are a lot of new people who've moved into the area and we want them to know, as well as the people who've been here a long, long, long time, that we're here as a community with them together, to work together with them.

Pastor Miglioratti: So it's been great to be in the community, to meet the community, and -- we hope -- doing something of need and substance for people.

Narrator: Uptown Baptist Church leaders were looking for something concrete they could do to improve the community.

Irma Perres, CAPS Community Organizer: We started to talk about what we could do and we came up with doing an Adopt-A-Street, a roll call. And in the meantime, too, we spoke to McDonald's, and McDonald's wanted to be involved. So I suggested that they form a partnership.

Angelo Karavites, McDonald's owner: And I think if all of the residents, as well as the business people and the organizers, we all get together, we can make Uptown the best community in Chicago.

Narrator: Nearly two years ago, this corner was Ground Zero for a drug conspiracy case called Broken Arches. More than a dozen people were indicted. Police say several of them sold drugs near or even on McDonald's property.

Deputy Chief Daniel Dugan, Area 3 Patrol: It was one of the highlighted street corner conspiracies that we brought up last year at the CAPS Oversight meeting. And it's been a success for this area.

Cmdr. Yamashiroya: What resulted from that were a lot of positive things. We've met with the owner of McDonald's and he's been wonderful. Very cooperative. He wants to be a great community partner. He put cameras up on top of McDonald's to make sure, and his security staff has been trained ....

Deputy Chief Dugan: Corporate McDonald's has stepped up to the plate. They've honored every request that the Drug & Gang House Section has made as far as improvements to the facility, security....

Narrator: Meanwhile, CAPS workers and volunteers keep up with their efforts to make sure the drug dealers don't return. One way to do this is to recruit community and faith-based organizations to join in the effort. Uptown Baptist is a tremendous boost to the cause.

Irma Perres: Actually, they were not involved, and since we started this, they really jumped on it and they've been great. They really love being out there with the community and working with the Police and CAPS. They really just have had a good time with it.

Richard Thale, Court Advocacy Chair: It's been a tremendous change, just walking up and down the street. It's much, much safer. We don't see the same guys hanging out, the same people who were involved last time we talked here. It's made a huge difference.

Narrator: And residents hope to see even more of a difference, now that Uptown Baptist and McDonald's are coupled with CAPS.

Pastor Miglioratti: So we're trying to work together. We're really just starting. So we're hoping that this partnership can have some things we haven't even thought of yet.

Cmdr. Yamashiroya: With McDonald's, with Uptown Baptist Church, and the Police Department, we're all going to make sure that Wilson and Sheridan is going to be a safe place for families, for children, for parishioners, for customers, for everybody that either lives in or visits this community.

There were a lot of crowd and group shots illustrating the story, and it was great to see so many familiar faces, right there on my tv. In addition the people interviewed in the story, I also recognized Meg Gilman of CAPS, Sandra Reed, and several neighbors I met at Clean and Green last spring. Nice positive story about the neighborhood.

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Major Motion Pciture Screening in Chicago

January 8, 2006 will mark the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming and Ed McCully on Palm Beach. Days before this remembrance, those who've lived this story and those who took part in bringing it to film will join with ministry leaders in 8 major cities for the Special Pre-50th Anniversary Leadership Screening of the award-winning film 'End of The Spear".

Special guests from the production & from the story will attend a one-time event at 7pm on January 5th. Seating is limited to Ministry Leaders & Media and their guests, and tickets are required. Click on your city for complimentary ticket information.

Dallas – 7pm January 5, 2006
Denver – 7pm January 5, 2006
•Chicago – 7pm January 5, 2006
New York – 7pm January 5, 2006
Los Angeles – 7pm January 5, 2006
San Francisco – 7pm January 5, 2006
Orange County – 7pm January 5, 2006
Washington, D.C. – 7pm January 5, 2006

This special engagement is limited to the cities listed, and RSVPs will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis.

Bearing Fruit Communications
7101 NW Expressway, Suite 725
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73132

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Lavishing Prayer on a Chicagoland Congregation

SEW Ministries ~ Spiritually Encouraging Works ~ invites you to an Evening of Holy Fire

Every month SEW Ministries picks one area church and invites the region to join us in lavishing them with prayer for thirty days.

As of December 13th The trumpet has sounded! The call to pray for New Life Community Church has been sent out to the region. As a part of the call SEW Ministries invites you to pray daily-or as often as you can set aside-for New Life Community until January 13th.

After saturating them in prayer for the thirty day time period, we assemble on location at their church, joining together hand in hand, ushering in a night of Holy Fire.

Please join us for a night of worship and prayer at New Life Community Church, it's congregation, and the community it serves. Come for any length of time on Friday, January 13, 2006. From 7pm to Midnight, at: New Life Community Church 2958 N. Damen Ave Chicago Il, 60618.


Included below is a bio of the New Life Community and a list of their perceived prayer needs. We welcome and encourage you to please send us any scripture, or what God may be saying to that church in answer to your prayer for them. In song we will use your prayer answers on the evening of the 13th by singing them to New Life Community Church. Please send us your prayerful insights as you get them until Jan 12th at Hfprayerfeedback@sewministries.com

Thank you for your participation, Phil Livingston, SEW Ministries
For more information about SEW Ministries or prayer for the Chicagoland church Click the headline above to visit our website.

Bio: New Life Community Church

New Life Community Church, Lakeview, is one of eight satellite churches of New Life Community Church/Chicago.The church began in September of 2000 as a result of the former church that
occupied the building for many years, Galilee Baptist, giving us their
building because they were having trouble reaching the community. We began
the church with about 30 people and now have 2 English services totaling
around 350-400 people in attendance on Sunday mornings and 1 Spanish
service totaling 60 people. We have two Pastors that minister to the
English church and 1 pastor that ministers to the Spanish church. From the
beginning, we believed that this was a GOD ordained opportunity. Our
church has home or small groups that we encourage everyone to be involved
in for spiritual growth and community. Currently we have around 10
groups. A good majority of our congregation have not walked with the Lord
for that long.
We get a lot of people that come to our church, but don't stay. This
could be because of people being transferred out of Chicago due to their jobs.


The neighborhood we are located in is Lakeview. Lakeview is one of the
more wealthy neighborhoods in Chicago, perhaps second to Lincoln Park. In
the past 10 years, the neighborhood around the church has gone through
incredible gentrification. The majority of homes that line Damen Ave
(where we are located), have been torn down and new, 3 story brick condos
have gone up all selling for over $300.000 for 2 and 3 bedroom units. As a
result, the neighborhood has become mostly young urban professionals.
However, 3 blocks away is housing project for low income/welfare families,
mostly African-American. Lakeview has one of the largest gay/lesbian
populations in the city. Our church building is located a little over one mile from
most of the bars and hang-outs. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the occult
and witch-craft in Chicago is located in Lakeview, but I don't have the
facts on that.

Our goals and heart for the community.:

I'm not so sure if we have a real goal defined. However, there
have been attempts to get things started. One of the prayer request
is the Alpha ministry which we will be starting.

We have had block parties in the past, but they did not go
over so well. We also had several outreaches to the community this past
summer that did go well... a picnic at the Lathrop homes (the housing
project) where we went and had food for all, games for the children...we
just loved on them. Handed our water bottles at the gay pride parade. We
have a few people that are passionate about outreach and evangelism, I
guess they need prayer for more laborers and help.

Prayer needs:

● The purity of Sunday School teachers who teach kids every week
● Blessing upon "behind-the-scenes" workers of the church
(Maria, Neptali, Diana, Miriam. EJ, Stacy, etc.)
● Favor upon the Youth Group that is developing and meeting on Fridays
● That God would draw "fence" people to Himself
● Strengthen the unity between the members of the leadership team.
● Alpha Ministry
That God would equip and protect Dimitrios and Erin, the team leaders
That they would connect with the right people to form the core team
That Alpha would be effective in reaching unchurched/backslidden people
This Spring
That it would be a source of blessing to First Free, our partner in Alpha
● Worship Ministry
A rising spiritual temperature in the worship practices on Wednesday nights
A personal, deepening passion for God among the team members
Hungry worship leaders who are not afraid to lead people
● Leadership Team
Rising spiritual temperature among every member of the leadership team
Deep conviction regarding the importance of their spiritual and ministry example
Protection
● Learn dependence on God for the weaknesses and needs of the various ministries
● That God's people would not get caught in the American Dream, but in God's dream
● Passion for the worship team as they lead the congregation weekly
● Stability for the children's ministry: High turnover, burnout, understaffed, etc.
● Heart of service and teachability for professional types
● Home Groups
Increase in leaders and assistants
Increase in total church involvement in home groups
New types of affinity groups (support/recovery, service-orientation etc.)
● Children's Ministry
Each teacher and worker owning a deeper passion for the importance of their time
Teaching the children each Sunday
Increase in workers
Sense of team, enjoyment, purpose among children's staff
● Building
Wisdom regarding major renovation to front of church
Right time, right approach, spiritual/kingdom increase as a result
● Growth of leaders who desire to reach out into the community
● Guidance for college students who attend our services regularly
● Quality conferences or outside resources to take church into best practices
● A deeper hunger for the presence of GOD and faith that is lived out on a daily basis
● Repentance of materialism
● Outreach
Unsaved people in the church coming under conviction, responding to God
That Alpha would open a door to more creative outreach ministries
That every believer would respond to the prompting of God in sharing their
faith in their daily life
● Spiritual Atmosphere
Greater willingness to express brokenness and vulnerability during Sunday morning
Increasing sense of the presence of God when we meet
A Congregation more and more marked by spontaneous joy due to the increase of God's work in their daily life
Increase in faith!
Environment where leaders are raised and challenged constantly● Marriage/Family
Healthy growing marriages existing to serve others
Relationship healing
Live-in couples under conviction, responding to God and making things right
● Stronger spiritual community. There is a lack of this.
● A hunger for prayer and true worship. Prayer and worship that is Spirit-led and brought about as a result of understanding who God is and what HE has done and what HE desires to do through us.
● Repentance and deliverance over impurity
● A true understanding of what it means to be holy and to live as "strangers and aliens"
in this culture
● A stronger ministry of prayer, prayer gatherings, teaching people to process through
life's struggles through prayer
● Community
Birth of a ministry that will meet needs and care for the poor and broken
● Missions
Every missions team member in 2006 comes back with a greater sense of
consecration in their life
Called missionaries would discover their calling in this next season and move
move toward it
● Prayer
Prayer team for the 10:45 a.m. service
God's hand of favor on the gathering


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11 Congregations; 12 Hour Prayer for PADS of Elgin

Prayer for the homeless among us certainly knows no season
Daily Herald: Click headline for orgignial site


PADS of Elgin Inc. along with more than a dozen area churches is hosting a 12-hour community prayer event from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 6.

In its second year, the prayer event takes place at Messiah Lutheran Church, 500 Church Road, Elgin. The prayer event is followed by a community service at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregation Church, 256 E. Chicago St., Elgin.

During the prayer event, area churches host one hour of prayer at Messiah Lutheran Church. Participants from each church will pray for area homeless men, women and children and the challenges faced by the community’s poor. Prayer requests can be made through PADS of Elgin Inc. or through participating churches. Prayer request cards also are available during the event.

Last year, the 12-hour prayer event attracted more than 100 participants, following a snowstorm. Iced roads and heavy snow did not deter volunteers from commitments to pray for the needs of the Elgin community. Among the participants were homeless men and women, offering prayers for others less fortunate.

“This year’s event promises an even greater response,” said Marlene Daubert, parish ministry associate for Zion Lutheran Church and board member for PADS of Elgin Inc. “The homeless need our community support. Through the prayer event, we can powerfully give as individuals and as a community. Prayer for the homeless among us certainly knows no season but on Jan. 6, the day of Epiphany, we are reminded of Jesus’ poor and humble beginnings. On this day we celebrate that the light of Christ comes to all and we know that there is a special place in God’s heart for these men, women and children.”

Churches participating in the 12-hour prayer event include First Congregational Church, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of the Brethren, Epworth United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, Zion Lutheran Church, First United Methodist Church, Second Baptist Church and West Ridge Community Church.

PADS of Elgin Inc. is a nonprofit, community-based organization, which provides emergency, overnight shelter to homeless men, women and children within Elgin and its surrounding communities. PADS is a catalyst in fostering community and social service agency partnerships, which effectively and efficiently provide coordinated services for short- and intermediate-term customized care, targeting client growth, development and self-sufficiency.

PADS’ shelters are provided through a network of area churches. These churches provide facilities, free of charge, to accommodate the community’s homeless population.

PADS is supported through fundraising events, such as “Winter Harvest for the Homeless,” its annual dinner, dance and auction.

“Winter Harvest for the Homeless” will be held Jan. 21 in the Heritage Ballroom at The Centre, 100 Symphony Way, Elgin. Tickets are $60 per person or $540 per table of 10.

For more information, to make a tax-deductible contribution or to purchase tickets for Winter Harvest for the Homeless, call PADS at (847) 608-9744.

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Let's Take A Team to the Naitonal "CIR" ~ !!

Do you have a passion for seeing your city transformed by the power of the Gospel? CIR provides an opportunity to join with dozens of others of like mind.

Over one hundred cityreachers gathered last April in St. Louis for what proved to be a dynamic CIR. Our diverse and creative Design Team invites you to participate in CIR 2006 in Cedar Rapids, home to a sustained city-reaching movement of twenty years.

CIR Details and registr! ation
The National CIR is an annual learning community of all interested in serious city-reaching endeavors. "Pray for the city, because if it prospers, you too will prosper..." Jeremiah 29:7

The City Impact Roundtable (CIR) is a network of like-minded men and women, working in partnership with City Community Ministries of the Mission America Coalition, committed to bring kingdom leaders together in cities to engage in earnest prayer, collaborate evangelism and social justice. Cityreachers, representing varying streams of a growing paradigm of transformational change, want to see impact of God's kingdom on society that is both measurable and sustainable.

When?
From 1 PM Monday, April 3, to noon Wednesday, April 5

What's the Program?
Hearing the Word of the Lord. Francis Frangipane, one of the longtime spiritual fathers of Cedar Rapids, and well-known prolific author, will be this year's plenary speaker. Francis will bring us a creative word that is both prophetic and practical.

City Models. Based on extensive feedback from former CIRs, we will focus on our "main, plain" purpose: experienced practitioners unpack the core principles and best practices of city movements that have life, momentum and promise. As of today, we have five cities committed to present their models:

•Cedar Rapids
•Houston
•Tuscaloosa AL
•a regional model from El Paso TX, Las Cruces NM and Juarez MEXICO
•and Boston MA.

Extensive time will be given to hear these presentations and interact together about the strengths & weaknesses of these models. Presenters from these cities will be further available at two meals for "Table Talk" Q & A interaction. These presentations will involve a mix of pastors, men and women in marketplace ministries, emerging leaders, and social justice ministries.

Workshops currently on the pad:
** "What Veteran Cityreachers Wish Emerging City Leaders Knew"
** "Loving our Cities & Communities to Christ" (the "LC2C" strategy of the Mission America Coalition"
** "City AIDS Summits, Fall '06"
** "Issues Unique to the Mega-City" Movement
** "Social Justice Breakthroughs"
** "Global Day of Prayer & 90 Days of Blessing"

What Will the CIR Cost?
Early-Bird Registration (before February 1) $99
Regular Registration $125 before March 15
Late Registration $150 after March 15
Single Day registration $50 per individual

The registration includes a Monday evening banquet, Tuesday box lunch, and Tuesday dinner buffet. A free airport shuttle is also provided for arrivals and departures. We encourage you to take immediate initiative to book in accommodations for yourself and city team members at one of the following motels, at very reasonable rates.

(Please note: Registration does not include lodging.)

For accommodations, call
Corn Palace Hotel, 333-244-0909, $70 Single Occupancy, $80 Double
Iowa Hawkeye Inn, 222-555-7788, $80 single, $95 double.

For maximum benefit, we strongly encourage a city to bring at least three, and ideally 5-7 members of its leadership team.

So, friend, simply hit "REPLY" now to register your intent, and send in a deposit of $50 with the registration form that follows to

Attn: Carolyn O’Brien
Grace Church
9301 Eden Prairie Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55347

(Make check payable to Mission America Coalition)

If paying by credit card, fax registration form to 952-926-1885

You may direct questions to any of the following:
Tom White, Frontline Ministries, North American CIR Convener: tomwhite07@earthlink.net
Jarvis Ward, City/Community Ministries (MAC) jarvis@cityreaching.com
Phil Miglioratti "LC2C Strategy Team" (MAC) phil@nppn.org

________________________________
REGISTRATION FOR

The 2006 National Meeting of the City Impact Roundtable
April 3-5, 2006

2 Ways to Register:

Fax: 952-926-1885 (if paying by credit card)

Mail: Attn: Carolyn O’Brien,
Grace Church,
9301 Eden Prairie Road,
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
(if paying by check or credit card. Make check payable to Mission America Coalition)

Please fill out a separate registration form for each individual attending.

Individual registration:
-- Early-Bird Registration (before February 1) $99
-- Regular Registration $125 before March 15
-- Late Registration $150 after March 15
-- Single Day registration $50 per person

(Please note: This does not include lodging. Please see hotel information below.)

Title: ___Mr._______ Name: ___________________________________

Ministry Name: _______________________________________________

Mailing Address: _____________________________________________

City: ______________________ State: ______ Zip Code: _________

Phone: __________________Cell or other: ___________________

Email: _______________________________________________

____ I have enclosed my check payable to the Mission America Coalition
$________ (amount)

____ Please bill my credit card: ___ Visa ___ MasterCard ___ AmEx
$____________(amount)

Card Number _____________________________ Exp Date _____

Signature Authorization __________________________________

COST FOR HOTEL
Corn Palace Hotel, 333-244-0909, $70 Single Occupancy, $80 Double (+ tax)
Iowa Hawkeye Inn, 222-555-7788, $80 single, $95 double (+ tax)

Mention group name: Mission America City Impact Roundtable

info@cityreaching.com
* Phone: 952-224-3127 (9-noon Mon-Fri)
* www.cityreaching.com

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Gatekeepers Pastors Share Christmas Pulpit

By CATHLEEN FALSANI, Chiacgo Sun-Times Religion Reporter
www.SunTimes.com

Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington may be closed on Dec. 25, but the megachurch's pastor has decided to preach on Christmas morning anyway.

Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek, the largest predominantly white church in the Chicago area, will share preaching duties with the Rev. James Meeks in the pulpit of his Salem Baptist Church, the area's largest predominantly black congregation.

Late last week, at a meeting with a small group of other leading Chicago area ministers, Meeks invited Hybels to spend Christmas at Salem after Hybels talked about the controversy that has arisen (mostly in the media) over the decision by Willow and a number of other megachurches across the country not to hold services on Christmas Day, which this year falls on a Sunday.

"We were all making announcements and Bill said how Willow will be closed on Christmas Day. Then it was my turn to make an announcement and I said, 'Bill Hybels will be speaking at Salem on Christmas Day,' and everybody laughed," Meeks said by phone from an airport in Washington, D.C., where he was waiting for a flight back to Chicago. "Later I said, 'Bill, I'm really serious.'"

On Friday afternoon, Hybels, who was at O'Hare Airport waiting for a flight bound for Zambia in Africa, where he will spend this week at an AIDS clinic filming a pre-holiday sermon that will be beamed back to Willow next weekend -- they call it "Christmas on Location" -- e-mailed Meeks at the airport in Washington to say he'd be at Salem Christmas morning, with bells on, as it were.

"I talked with my wife and children about the idea and they loved it!" Hybels wrote in an e-mail to the Sun-Times a few minutes before his flight to Zambia departed. "So, this will be a very memorable season for our family!"


Hybels and Willow's other leaders believe it is better to focus the church's massive staff and volunteer resources on services the week before Christmas, rather than Christmas morning, when many families would rather be at home. It's a matter of being relevant and responsive to society, they say.

Their critics accuse the church of pandering to popular culture and cowing to the secular demands of the holiday.

"They're saying we canceled Christmas," said Cally Parkinson, spokeswoman for Willow, which will hold eight services in the week leading up to Dec. 25 -- including three on Christmas Eve. In all, they are expecting more than 50,000 people to attend, she said.

The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday, in 1994, Willow did have a service, but only 1,500 people came -- less than 10 percent of its normal attendance, she said.

Normal weekly attendance at the megachurch Hybels helped found 30 years ago is about 20,000. Salem draws more than 7,500 worshippers to its sanctuary in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood each week, according to Meeks.

For several years now, Meeks and Hybels have been getting to know each other as colleagues and friends. But they would like their congregations to know one another better as well, to build a bridge between the often segregated white and black evangelical Christian communities. Toward that end, in June, 50 church members -- half from Willow, half from Salem -- spent a week riding a bus through the Deep South visiting historical civil rights-era sites. They called it a "Justice Journey."
====>Click headline to read a report on the Justice Journey

This Christmas morning, as Meeks and Hybels share a pulpit for the first time, will be another step on that journey toward racial reconciliation in the evangelical church, Meeks said.

"To see us come together," Meeks said, "I think it speaks volumes."

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Fox Valley Mini-Prayer Summit

Hello Fox Valley Pastors and Marketplace leaders, Re: Jan 10th, 2006 Fox Valley Mini-Prayer Summit

The past three July’s we have had a one day Mini-Summit in the Valley North area at Fox Valley Church of Carpentersville. Many asked if we could plan one in the Winter too, so here it is.

Pastor Bob Whitt from Elgin, Pastor Pat McManus from Aurora and Donna and I will be facilitating the event. It will be held at Family and Faith Church in Aurora. There will be no Registration fee for the event. More details are coming later, I just wanted to get it on your calendar.

RSVP to Pat McManus pat@house-of-praise.net or Tony Danhelka tonydanhelka@sbcglobal.net

Have a blessed Christmas and New Year!

tony & donna danhelka

•The Mini-Summit Schedule:

8:30 Coffee, Juice and Donuts
9:00 Welcome and Large Group Prayer
10:30 Small group prayer (Men and Women separate)
11:30 Large group
12:00 Lunch (At Family & Faith or go out to local Restaurant)
1PM Large Group Prayer
2PM Group Discussion – What did we hear in the Spirit about Fox Valley? Led by Tony & team
3PM Depart

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From Your Prayer Summit Leadership Team ~ RSVP

Merry Christmas from . . .



We hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the preparations for Christmas and the advent season.

The Chicago Prayer Summit is at a crossroads. John Erickson, the leader of the Prayer Summit Leadership Team accepted the call to pastor a church in Lafayette, IN. With John and Debbie's move and the fact that the attendance at the summit has decreased over the past several years, some on the Prayer Summit Leadership Team are feeling the need to re-evaluate our mission.

Since the last Prayer Summit in April the team has met several times to seek the Lord and discuss the future of the Summit. At the latest meeting (on November 3, 2005) we made several proposals that we want you to know about and to respond to your response is CRUCIAL for our decision making purposes.

We want you to know about the following events and require your prayerful response, where indicated:

•A Christ Celebration with David Bryant
The Prayer Summit Leadership Team has sensed the call to assist Pastor Lutzer of Moody Church to bring David Bryant to Chicago on March 26th and 27th and maybe 28th. The schedule is in discussion but it looks like there will be a Pastor's reception on March 26th at 3 or 4 PM with David Bryant, followed by a Christ Celebration at 6:00 PM. A Christ Celebration is somewhat similar to the Concert of Prayer that David became known for, but with a difference in emphasis and style. Then on Monday there will be an all day teaching by David. He has become driven by an idea to be drawn back to Jesus Christ and to reform the way that we are looking at revival and the church. We as a team heard a report from Jody Mayhew, our summit facilitator, about what David has done in Portland and believe that his teaching will be important for Chicago as well. We hope you will pencil in these dates and save them for this important event. At this time we are planning on having no cost except for lunch on Monday and an offering to cover David's costs.

•Prayer Summit 2006
We have chosen to give up our location for a summit at Cedar Lake. Due to the fact that Cedar Lake needed a commitment from us this fall with a substantial cash penalty if we cancelled, we released the venue. Because of the low attendance the last couple years and the cost of Cedar Lake we felt that we should look for a new location that would give us a bit more flexibility in the scheduling/deposit for the summit and a bit more freedom about our decision timeline. We are working toward a summit on April 17, 18 and 19th. Jody Mayhew and her husband Dan will be our facilitators this year. We originally planned the summit for the following week (April 24-26) but needed to change the date for scheduling reasons. We are exploring the University of St Mary of the Lake in Mundelein as the host location.

As we proceed, a few changes will be necessary to the registration process.

We have decided to take off the titles and go with those God is sending rather than beating the bushes trying to get a certain group to come. While in the past our emphasis has been on pastors and para-church leaders, over time that rule has relaxed and a mixture of Pastors, Para-Church & Prayer Leaders and Intercessors have attended. So it will truly be a Prayer Summit for all of Chicagoland and we hope you will continue to come.

We need to make this summit contingent on advance registration and payment. The cost will be $175 and will cover meals and lodging, an additional $25 donation would help to fund scholarships for those that are unable to pay the full amount. We are working to find other sources for the expenses of bringing in facilitators. In order to have a summit we need you to register and pay no later than March 1, 2006, though we would like to know your intention now, if you know what you are inclined to do. If we do not have the minimum number to break even on costs by March 1st we will not have a traditional summit. We believe the break even point is 40-50 people at this time. As we get closer to the date we will know more.

•Help Wanted
We as a summit leadership Team are confronted with the need for additional leaders on our team. With the loss of John and Debbie Erickson we are missing not only members but giftings that need to be replaced. There is also a feeling that some of the members of the team are being called to other ministries and need to step aside. So we would respectfully request that you pray about joining us in leadership.
As we left the last meeting, we all had a great sense that the Prayer Summit has a role to play in Chicago and its revival. We are jealous for the ground we have gained and want to persevere to see God's best for this summit and Chicago. We hope you feel the same way.

Please prayerfully consider this letter and respond to our four requests.

Name:_______________________________

Will you commit to coming to the prayer summit April 17, 18 and 19?
YES [ ] NO [ ] Please "X" the appropriate box.

Will you consider attending all or part the David Bryant event in March?
YES [ ] NO [ ] Please "X" the appropriate box.

Are you interested in either an all male Senior Pastor only prayer summit or an all women's prayer summit? This would be separate from the planned April Summit.
YES [ ] NO [ ] Please "X" the appropriate box.

Are you interested in having a discussion about participating in the Prayer Summit Leadership Team?
YES [ ] NO [ ] Please "X" the appropriate box.

Your Comments?

We as a team have been blessed to serve the Lord through the prayer summit, and we pray it has been a blessing for you as well. Thank you for reading our heartfelt call.

Sincerely,
The Chicagoland Prayer Summit Leadership Team

PS. Please return this response form to
Adam Shields,
5202 S Dorchester #3,
Chicago, IL 60615
or email the responses to info@chicagoprayersummit.org


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