Recruiting prayer partners

Our church plant in Laveen (village of Phoenix, Arizona) is progressing well. And we're now getting to the point where we're starting to develop a more public presence. So, I'm sensing the need to bolster the ranks of our MasterPiece Church prayer partner team.

We only ask one thing of the partners -- read the weekly email that we send out to our local constituency and at least once pray over what you read.

If you feel led to become a partner please send me an email.

This new church start is a little unconventional and not cook-booked. We are not on Covenant appropriations (in light of the slow economy and the rapid growth of other new churches needing funding) but we are developing this group with local funding and with help from a few outside sources. At this point it is okay and God continues to provide for all our needs.

There are about 20 people (including kids) who meet two Sunday nights a month. We have about 20 additional people who are interested but haven't made it through the door, yet. It is a wonderful mix of people from lots of different backgrounds.

We're not trying to be cutting edge or come up with some new creative model for doing church. We are not aiming to become large but we're not trying to remain tiny.

We're hoping to switch to weekly Sunday morning gatherings (that seems to be the most culturally appropriate format for this area) in the fall -- maybe on 10-10-10. But we're playing it all by ear and are not trying to set speed records.

This coming Sunday we're going to have a table at a local community festival -- the Laveen Pit BBQ. We'll be meeting people, handing out info about the church, and selling chocolate bars to raise money for Haitian relief.

The Laveen area (along with a community in the East Valley of Phoenix, and several similar communities within Las Vegas) constitutes ground-zero of the foreclosure crisis. So there is a lot of uncertainty -- people coming and going, new renters, people who want to go but can't, empty houses, empty strip centers -- emotional chaos. In other words, it's a good place for a new church and we're pleased that God has called us.

Perhaps God is calling you to pray for us.