The Right Person

Hi friends,

 

Innovation and education expert, Sir Ken Robinson, says, "Don't ask, 'How smart am I?'; ask, 'How am I smart?'"  I agree.  And let me tweak it: Don't ask, "Am I the right person?"; ask, "For whom am I the right person?"

 

You are all involved in ministry and pouring into the lives of others through small groups and group ministries in the church.  Thanks for your service.  I love serving with you.  Would you please help me out?  Would you please consider how you are the right person with the following issues?

 

1. Continue to monitor your miles prayed in our prayer walking endeavour.  (Faye, please add 4 miles for me!)  Small groups are praying together all over the place.  You are the right person to prayer-walk and pray for Passion Play.  Who is the right person for you to invite to get involved in this effort?  (Don't forget to send miles prayed to faye.cros@gmail.com.  1 mile prayed-walked= 1 mile; 20 minutes of prayer = 1 mile prayer-walked.)

 

2. I am exploring new intiatives in our discipleship ministry, including personal and marriage mentoring.  You are the right person to think about this with me and send me your ideas for new initiatives in discipleship at C-Road.

 

3. The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast, a one-day conference focusing on leadership, education, and innovation, is coming to Brockville (Friday, May 6) and we are hosting it at Centennial Road.  Over 200 people currently have tickets and we anticipate a great day of growing in leadership, innovation, and creativity.  Tickets are $40 and lunch is included.  You are the right person to attend.  You are the right person to extend an invitation.  You are the right person to spread the word.  For more information, visit www.centennialroad.com and click on the Leadercast icon or visit www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com.

 

Thanks, friends!  I love serving with you and seeing God grow your ministries.

 

Grace and peace,

 

Aaron

 

 

Passion Play and Million Mile Prayer Walk - Requests

Here are some prayer requests for those of you who are praying for the Passion Play this week.  Some of you may have already received these as I sent out earlier emails to those who contacted me individually.

 

Pastor Aaron would like to keep everyone informed whether or not their group or ministry is participating in the Million Mile Prayer Walk.  Therefore I will attempt to send a message at the beginning of next week so that you have the information before your group meets.  Please remember to contact Pastor Aaron or myself to let us know how many "miles" (20 minute segments) you have covered.

 

Thanks and blessings to each one of you as the weekend approaches.

 

Faye

 

Requests for Week of March 21, 2011

 

1. Please pray for the people leading different areas of the Passion Play, Tina, Jason and Paul.

 

2. Requests from Jason:  Please pray for the orchestra rehearsals which start this Wednesday (Mar, 23).  We're still looking for a few instrumentalists.  Pray that rehearsals would go well, for Jason as he directs and that the openings would be filled. Pray that all the logistical details will fall into place. Pray also for the choir as they continue to practise.
 
3. Requests from Tina:  "Health for all" Involved.  Pray for the families of the leaders taking on extra responsibilities. Pray for Marie Parslow as she also supports her mother who has cancer.

 

4. Requests from Faye:  Please pray that people would take the commitment to pray seriously and that we would develop a heart for the many people in our community who do not understand the Easter story as the heart of the gospel. 
 
Pray that we can all work together so that this will be an effective outreach.
  

 

Passion Play and Million Mile Prayer Walk

Dear Small  Group and Ministry Leaders,

 

As Pastor Aaron has already indicated, we are attempting to set up the Million Mile Prayer Walk in conjunction with our Passion Play prayer focus.  The Million Mile prayer walk is an intercessory prayer initiative that is directed to motivating believers to pray for revival within their families, friends and community. The  Passion Play is an outreach opportunity for Centennial Road to share the Easter story with members of our community; therefore, we are working on a two prong prayer thrust during this Lenten season, i.e. for both the production of " One Voice" and for our neighbours and city. 

 

To keep this initiative as simple and efficient as possible we are asking any of you who are small group leaders to share this information with your group and ask them to consider setting aside group time each week to pray within this focus. Specific prayer requests will be emailed to you so that you can pray intentionally. Two groups have already indicated that they will participate; one is committing 20 minutes per week, the other 10.  There is a minimum of reporting involved.   Each 20 minutes equals 1 mile so if there are 5 people praying for 20 minutes, then the resulting number of miles is 5.  People are encouraged to pray individually or with a partner/friend outside of your group as well - there is no limit to how this can evolve.  What I need is you or someone designated from your group to let me know by each weekend how many miles have been covered  faye.cros@gmail.com  - no names are necessary  - our goal is to have people pray..... I will compile these numbers and report to Aaron who will record and register our totals.

 

On a personal note, I would like to share why I am passionate about this initiative. Over the last several years, I have noted that fewer and fewer people outside a church setting, have an understanding of the significance of Easter.   God's love and his ability to transform people is the heart of the Easter message. It needs to be shared with our community and our culture. The guide for the MIllion Mile Prayer Walk states, "In tough times it seems harder to hope. Disappointments and hardships can shrivel our anticipation of God bringing about good things.... When God's people become confident in what God has spoken in Scripture, they begin to pray with hope."  My desire is that we would see the power and purpose of God unleashed in our communities. Prayer is a significant part of that process.

 

Please prayerfully consider your part and let me know how you or your group would like to participate.  We hope to have a corporate gathering at a closer date to Easter.

 

 

Blessings to each of you.

 

Faye

 

Don't Blame Katrina

Hello friends!

 

We've all come across someone whose life has had a defining moment that has, in their minds, at least, crippled them emotionally, spiritually, financially, or relationally.  Perhaps the person you know hasn't been crippled, but has never quite received the health, joy, peace, or freedom that you just know could otherwise be theirs. 

 

Sean Payton, coach of football's New Orleans Saints, found this mindset rampant in post-Katrina New Orleans.  He had been hired to coach a team that had almost no success in its 40 year existence at the time of his hire.  Payton arrived in spring 2006, just a few months after Hurricane Katrina had so damaged the area.  He found that much of the area was still not functioning and that some had developed an attitude that failure and disrepair was still blamed on Katrina.  So, he instituted a rule among the entire football team: Don't Blame Katrina.

 

Many of you will give personal and spiritual leadership to folks who have suffered personal Katrinas.  They may have occurred many years ago, but they still play a role in the life of your friend.  Perhaps you can't institute a "Don't Blame Katrina" rule, but you can listen with skilled ears.  Blame is a result of a person suffering chronic shame.  They desire to hide and not be known.  As you listen and get to know such people, you are beginning the process of undermining their Katrinas.  You communicate worth, value, and hope in your ministry and leadership.  And in so doing can begin to develop an atmosphere that helps people overcome Katrinas by God's Spirit.

 

Don't Blame Katrina.  I hereby, in this email, give each of you permission to call me on it if you hear me "blaming Katrina." 

 

Thanks for your ministry and leadership.  As always, feel free to be in contact with me with questions, suggestions, and prayer requests.  It's a joy to serve with you.

 

Grace and peace,

 

Aaron

Interns

Hi friends!

 

Would you please do me a favour?  We are looking for one more host home for a 10 week student, providing room and board.  We are also looking for a functioning vehicle for 6 months.  I realize this may not be a ready option for you.  So, I am asking that you would please distribute this request to your small group members and others in your networks.  One possibility is that you may be away for a few weeks in the summer and would like someone who could do some house-sitting for you.  If this is an option, as well, please let me know.

 

We have an opportunity to pour into future leaders and servants in local church ministry.  Pray about how you can be a part or who you know who might love to serve in this way.

 

Thanks,

 

Aaron