God is expanding His Kingdom in New England through Friendship Baptist Church in Litchfield, CT. Thank Him for giving the church a vision to bring new life to dwindling churches through formal revitalization efforts. Praise Him for providing Friendship Baptist with finances and believers willing to serve. Pray that God will guide church leadership as they work through logistics, and ask Him to grow and renew His Church in New England.
Outreach Cookout in Cape Cod
Grace Harbor Church is located in Cape Cod. Praise God that throughout the winter and spring, the church has grown in spiritual depth. Pray for people who are interested in joining the church and are currently participating in membership classes. Lift up an evangelistic outreach cookout planned for Sunday (Aug. 12). Pray that many friends, co-workers and neighbors of church members, as well as people from the housing complex next door to the church meeting spot, will attend. Ask God to provide many opportunities for Gospel conversations and to use this event to draw people to Himself.
Opportunities & Challenges
Praise God for how He has been working in Beacon Community Church, located in Belmont, MA, over the summer. Two people were baptized on Father’s Day, and the church hosted their first Beacon Family Blast on June 28 and 29. Sixty-six kids attended – half of whom are not connected to a local church! Pray that God will continue to use the teaching and conversation from this event to draw people closer to Himself. Also lift up a woman who is preparing to be baptized in Walden Pond on Saturday (Aug. 11) and is facing some family opposition. Pray that God will strengthen and encourage her as she prepares to share her faith story.
Spiritual Breakthroughs in MA
Praise God that several people who have been attending South Coast Church in Dartmouth, MA, have been taking significant strides in their spiritual journey. Within one week, two women who have been attending for more than a year, made professions of faith and requested to be baptized and join the church. Thank God that he has also been knitting members hearts together as they have been reaching out and meeting one another’s needs. Pray that God will continue to unite the church in genuine devotion to Christ and love for one another.
New Assistant, New Location
New King Church is a church plant in Burlington, VT. Praise God that several women have come to Christ in recent months and that the church recently baptized three new believers! Pray that more men would be saved and desire to grow in their faith. Ask for God’s blessing on Aaron, who has been disciple by Pastor Ben for the last year and is raising support to join the church staff as a pastoral assistant. Lift up the church’s need for a new location by the end of August, as the parochial school gym they have been renting has requested that they make other arrangements.
Indian Congregation in Boston
Indian Community Church was started two years ago in Waltham, MA, to reach Asian Indians in the Boston area. In spite of the challenges of Asian Indians moving frequently, God has been bringing new people to visit the church and hear the Gospel each week. Praise God for two men who accepted Christ and have decided to leave their jobs as engineers and go to seminary. Thank Him for two more people who have stepped up to lead worship and help with childcare. Pray that God will help ICC grow in size and in spiritual maturity, and that as people leave, they will become powerful witnesses in other parts of the United States or back in India.
Challenges with Church Building
Haven Baptist Church in New Bedford, MA, has long-standing issues with their building, including severe mold that makes it difficult for the congregation to meet. Pray for wisdom and guidance about where they can meet and how to handle the financial aspect. Ask God to grant them spiritual growth and a opportunities for evangelism in spite of the challenges they face as a church.
Growing Church in VT
Concord Community Church in Concord, VT, may be a small church with a small budget, but Go continues to meet their needs. Praise God for several volunteers from North Carolina who came to Vermont to help paint the church and build a classroom/nursery. Pray that God will provide for the church's need for more space as they grow. Ask that if it's God's will, they would be able to purchase the adjacent vacant property for an amount they could afford. Lift up the church family and ask God to help them grow in their knowledge and love of Christ. Pray that summer outreach and evangelism opportunities will lead to many people accepting Jesus' gift of salvation.
Difficult Community in CT
Calvary Chapel Naugatuck in Naugatuck, CT, is seven years old. Praise God that despite other churches closing around them, God has helped Calvary Chapel grow in size, in finances and in health. Pray that as the church grows, God will help them to remain united in Christ. Ask God to raise up more leaders in the church and help them make prayerful, patient and wise decisions as they shepherd the congregation and reach out to a community that has a deficit of jobs and significant drug problems. Lift up Pastor Jered and pray that God will continue to provide for his family as he leaves his full-time bi-vocational job and transitions into more time serving the church.
Church & Coffee
God has been moving in powerful ways through Church at the Well in East Boston. Their nonprofit business, The Well Coffee House, has been breaking down barriers for the Gospel and is expanding from one coffee house to four in less than a year. In addition, the church recently signed a lease for a new meeting space. Pray that God will guide the leadership team as they develop the logistical structure for these expansions and raise funds for the new space. Above all, pray that Jesus will be glorified at Church at the Well.
God at Work in MA
Each month new believers are coming to faith and being baptized at Twin City Baptist Church in Lunenburg, MA. Praise God for how He is working! Pray for the people who attended Summerfest, a large community outreach event the church hosted last month. Ask God to continue draw people to Himself and to the church through hearing the Gospel proclaimed there. Also pray for wisdom and God's help as church leadership determines what to do about water damage to the worship facility.
Relationship with Local School
Just five years after launch, God has blessed The Church on Seven Hills with a permanent building in Worcester, MA, through a merge with former Burncoat Baptist Church last year. Among the many benefits of having a building, the church has been able to reach out to a nearby elementary school by allowing the school to use the building for school assemblies several times a year. This has opened the door for COSH to build a great relationship with the school and even to send home invitations with the students for church outreach events. Praise God for this connection, and pray for the relationship and influence to grow. Also lift up Vacation Bible School, which COSH is hosting this week. Pray that many children from the school and community will come to have fun while learning about the love of Christ.
The Gift of a Church
God has opened the doors for MeetingHouse Church in Middleboro, MA, to expand in an unexpected way. A dwindling congregation in Mansfield, MA, contacted the church and expressed interest in donating their debt-free church building for a new church plant or campus. Even better, these believers want to be part of the new church to help reach Mansfield, a large and growing town with no Gospel-centered church. Pray that God will give the leaders of MeetingHouse wisdom about how to make the most of this exciting opportunity. Ask Him to put together a core team of believers to help the new church/campus get its start. Pray for Jesus to be glorified in Mansfield.
Children's Club in CT
Praise God for the growing Awana club at Stamford Baptist Church in Stamford, CT. This year almost 150 people, including about 80 children, attended the closing ceremony. Pray that these children would hide God's word in their hearts and that Truth would transform their lives. Also lift up the pastoral search team as they search for a full-time pastor, and ask God to give the church favor with the insurance company and contractors as they work to get their building repaired after major water damage in January.
Summer Activities in Maine
This week Cross Church in Portland, ME, is holding Vacation Bible School. Pray that the church would reach new families ad that people would come to know Jesus. Ask God to bless upcoming activities, including beach baptisms and small groups. Pray that people will grow in their faith and relationships with others this summer.
Serving the City
Redemption Hill Church in Medford, MA, has developed a good relationship with their local community. Each summer they serve in the city in a week-long effort which includes revitalizing parks, hosting a free movie night and working with local volunteers. Praise God for all of the people who helped make "Serve Medford Week" a possibility last month. Pray that God will use the connections made during the week to bring many people to saving faith in Christ.
New Apartments Near Church
A large apartment complex is currently being built on the same block as Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven, CT. Pray for good relationships and opportunities to share the Gospel with developers, construction workers and those who will move into the complex when it's finished. Praise God for the people He has led to join the church and become baptized in recent weeks.
Haitian Church in MA
Located in Randolph, MA, Beraca Evangelical Baptist Church is a Haitian congregation. Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower those serving the church in leadership roles and to help the church grow in size and spiritual maturity. Ask God to provide for the church financially. Lift up Pastor Garry's family and pray for his health.
Replacing the Outhouse
Hubbardton Liberty Church in Castleton, VT, is located in a building with no modern bathroom. They've been working hard in recent months to replace their outhouse with an addition that includes flush toilets, a kitchen, and a children's ministry area. Working in partnership with a North Carolina church, they've drilled a well and installed two septic tanks. Pray that God would help them raise funds to complete the project this summer.
Special Needs Ministry
God is growing Discovery Church in E. Weymouth, MA. In fact, the church is outgrowing their current building. Pray for God to provide a new space that will have room to continue reaching and adding people to the congregation. Lift up the church's ministry for children with special needs, which has been a blessing to the community and brought new families to church. Ask God to help the word spread about this ministry so that many other families will come to know Christ's love. Also pray for new volunteer leaders to replace leaders who are moving in the summer, and ask God to provide the finances to add a second paid leader to the staff.