prayer needs

i can't seem to focus on getting things done today because my mind is distracted by a rather heavy prayer concern on the hearts of Light church leadership lately. it seems there have been some new students groups forming on MICA's campus under the banner of "Christianity" that are presenting a skewed message of the gospel. it has begun to create some serious confusion and frustration for some of the students that are members of our church and is creating tension and mistrust between friends whose close friends are getting swept into these groups and then challenging the faith of others. it's no surprise this is happening in the same season that our church has been gearing up to establish more of a presence on MICA's campus in hopes of building the Christian community and providing a stronger sense of fellowship there. certainly spiritual warfare will amp up as believers step up their commitment to the Great Commission.

Please please be praying for MICA's campus, for our students out of the Light church - that their faith would have a firm foundation and that the Spirit would give wisdom and real insight into what is truth and what is false. Pray also for those students becoming so committed to these other groups. Their degree of devotion and passion in regards to these groups is admirable yet to be quite frank, rather new and sudden. Something about the ministries of these churches is absolutely captivating these students, but its leaving those of us who love them feeling uncomfortable and wary of what exactly they're committing themselves to.

With that, our Gracelife network is encountering a number of battles ranging from not having enough space for an influx of new church visitors, to not having space to meet at all, and a variety of other struggles between ministry burn-out and funding issues. The glorious thing is, God is absolutely in control. This network of churches is a family committed to our Savior and surrendered to His plan and I am confident that He which began a good work will be faithful to complete it.

John and I are in the midst of writing our own support letters as our NAMB funding will end abruptly at the end of this year. It is a whole new world for both of us since we have been fully funded in our ministry roles for the last two years. For sure, our first year or so of marriage is going to be an adventure and a growing experience as we trust God to make a way and provide for us to continue giving our lives away in the very specific calling He's placed on us both.

this Sunday night is our annual Baltimore Baptist Association meeting, so please also be praying for that time with our pastors. we will be announcing some big changes for the association and recognizing the evangelistic efforts of our churches over the past year. my time with Embrace is wrapping up and with the end of the year slow-down there isn't much going on around the office, but my prayer is that our churches have learned and grown and benefited from these last two years as a strategic focus city. this city is broken and there is SO much work left to do, but our churches desperately need your prayers to continue pressing on in the ministry God has given them.

please keep praying for Baltimore. for the presence of darkness to be dispelled by the Body of Christ and for God to be glorified in every corner of this city. in that prayer, please pray for the refreshing of His servants. it truly can be a battlefield and some of our church leaders have undergone intense spiritual attack in recent months, they need to know the Body is praying. thanks all.

love - m