“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you” (Philippians 1:3-4)

Little Church and Lakewoodgrace, I have the privilege to pray for you every Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is a privilege to go through the prayer requests we receive and to lift up prayers for God to continue doing his amazing work through the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace.

If you would like to be prayed for, call us in the office or email to let us know how we can pray for you. You also have the opportunity to fill out the communication cards on Sundays.

Here is the thing about prayer: Prayer is a powerful ministry that every single person can engage in. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, how physically able or not you are, how wealthy or not you are, how educated or not you are, everyone can pray. There is nothing to stop us from praying. Every single one of us has the capacity and the privilege to pray and lift up one another.

The moment you start praying, the God of the universe stops all things to pay attention to your prayers and your requests!!!

Just think about that!!!

What an awesome privilege.

“I need some things to do during these days of social isolation.” Ever find yourself saying that?

Here is something to add to our daily arsenal for the ministry of Jesus Christ. Make a list of people you will pray for and pray for them every day of this week.

Don’t try to pray for 100 people a day. Start with 3. Every day, pray for 3 different people.

Don’t know what to pray for?

• Pray for God’s presence and peace in their lives during this uncertain times.
• Pray that God is using this season to grow and mature their faith.
• Pray that God uses them to be a blessing to the people around them.

If everyone reading this put this to practice, can you imagine the kind of church God can raise up in the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace?!?!

Friends of the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace, “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you.”

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“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers“ (Ephesians 1:16)

I miss seeing you. I miss being with you.

While we haven’t been gathering in a particular physical place, there are many things The Little Church on the Prairie and Lakewoodgrace hasn’t stopped doing:

• We haven’t stopped worshiping. We continue to worship together every Sunday
• We haven’t stopped meeting in small groups. There are small groups meeting throughout the week
• We haven’t stopped impacting the lives of others through our giving and serving. The ministry of compassion continues.
• We haven’t stopped praying. We continue to pray for one another, our city, and our country
• We haven’t stopped our children’s ministry. Every week, our children and their families are getting instruction and crafts to work on
• We haven’t stopped our youth ministry. They continue to meet by Zoom
• We haven’t stopped our planning and preparing for future ministry. Our committees continue to function. Our session is always looking for better ways to serve our church. Our staff continues to meet weekly to ask how we can equip our members to grow and mature as disciples during this season

Nothing about the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace and her mission has stopped. One day, we will be able to gather again in the sanctuary and Harrison Prep. And that will be a great day. I’m going to hug everyone! But just because we haven’t been able to gather in the sanctuary or a Harrison Prep doesn’t mean the Little Church or Lakewoodgrace ever shut down. Ministry continues.

That’s the reason why “I do not cease to give thank for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Keep up the great work Little Church!!! Keep up the great work Lakewoodgrace!!!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

I have been calling three people a day since the pandemic. I have had the opportunity to speak with almost everyone from the Little Church.

Recently, I am noticing a distinct pattern from some: this pandemic, the social distancing, not being able to worship in person, not being able to meet with friends is taking an emotional toll.

If you’re a handful of the extreme introverts, this is a fantastic season for you. And there are some people living alone who are doing well. But for the majority of our folks who are living alone, this is taxing. This is painful. This is long. And there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel…none that we can see yet.

• Imagine having had no meaningful human physical contact for two and half months. No hugs. No hand shakes. No pat in the back. No contact.
• Imagine having no face to face conversations.

I am asking you, the church, to be the church. Go through the directory, close your eyes and picture a typical Sunday morning and ask God to call to mind someone you ought to be reaching out to today. God comforts us so that we can comfort those who are hurting around us. To be the church has more to do with how we honor God by loving the people around us than it does with gathering in any building.

I am asking you, the church, to be the church. Be there for someone who needs a human contact today. And you just may discover that you needed the call as much as the other person needed to hear from you today.

“Blessed be the God…who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.”