In order for this event to be an expression of what God has for His Church in Canada, we know that we must be committed to pursue Him in prayer.  This page will keep you up to speed with all the prayer news and needs as the Congress comes together.  Contact us with any questions or suggestions.
Jake I. Pauls will serve as the Congress Prayer Coordinator.

• Jake Pauls - Update #5

  re: PRAYER Jake Pauls – Update #5 The congress is fast approaching. We have been praying for and will continue to pray for God’s direction and guides in all planning aspects. See Update #4 for more details. So what’s left to pray for? Earlier this week I sat down with my lunch bucket and paused to express my thanks with the simplest of prayers: “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let this food to us be blessed!” As I opened my lunch bucket, I had this simple, yet profound thought, that this was my prayer for the Congress: “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest  and let this gathering to us be blessed!” This morning in our worship we sang: “Jesus, be the centre be my source, be my light, Jesus.” Yes, Jesus, we invite you to take centre stage.

• Jake Pauls - Update #4

  The vision for the Church Planting Congress has been birthed. The time and place is set. And now comes the detailed planning and implementation of the vision. A call to prayer for the details is in order.
  • Design Team: They need a steady injection of creative energy to address, to process the many details that need clarity. Discussions – emails – phone calls – on site reviews – unexpected changes – workshops - schedules … Such are the tasks of the design team. Perhaps Galatians 6:9 applies: “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” (The Message)
  • Volunteers: A key to having the Design Teams prayer’s answered is a host of willing volunteers. Fifty gifted volunteers are needed for a whole array of tasks – registration, ushers, food services, etc. Pray that the needed gifted volunteers will come forth to partner with the Design Team.
  • Venue: Calvary Temple, in downtown Winnipeg, is the designated site for the congress. Pray that this space may be used in the best possible way. Pray for a good and strong rapport between Church Staff and Design team.
  • Plenary Speakers: Perhaps the heart of the Congress rests with the Plenary Speakers, who are: David Fitch, Skye Jethani, Christine Pohl, and Gary Nelson. Each of them come to this Congress with their unique history, experience, view point, spiritual and social awareness. Pray for each of these persons, that the Holy Spirit will both direct them in their preparation and anoint them in their sharing. A key prayer that has come to me is that their message may be synchronized, not in the sense of being the same, but foundationally complimentary.  And that we the listeners will respond: “That’s it! That’s God’s word for us in this time!”
  • Workshop Leaders: If the speakers present vision … the workshop leaders offer the implementation, the hands on doing of church planting. How wonderful to have opportunity for interactive dialogue with persons who have been on the road before us. We need faith stories and models to learn, to be encouraged, and then to listen to the Holy Spirit on our specific application. Pray for the workshop leaders!
  • Worship Team: A centre building block for church planting is worship. In fact, to worship the Lord our God is our calling. Hence, worship needs to be centre stage at the congress. Pray for Kara Mandryk, her team and others who will be leading us into worship.
  • Participants: Pray that those may come, who have a specific need for this event, given the call on their lives. May it not be just another event, but an event that moves them forward in their calling.
  • National Team for Church Plant Canada: The National Team continues to envision the future direction and goals for Church Plant Canada. Pray that God’s future proposes and strategies for this organization may be clearly discerned.

• Jake Pauls - Update #3

  THE NEWS! “This is the evening news!!” We see it everyday.
  
  Two months ago, while watching the news, I heard myself groan a prayerful
  response to the news. “Oh Lord, be every so gracious to those folks!”
  (who had just lost their home and some family members in a fire). As I
  pondered my response, I realized that I often responded spontaneously in
  such fashion. This prompted me to begin to be more intentional in “praying
  the news”. This has enabled me to enter more deeply into the daily news
  events, and entertain how the Lord of heaven and earth would want to
  extend heaven on earth: comfort for those who experience loss; healing for
  those who have suffered deep hurt; repentance for those who have hurt
  others; construction, where there is destruction; etc.
  
  This has become a meaningful interaction with the local and global events
  of humanity. Several reflections: Praying the news is a way of entering
  into the agony of humanity and identify with it. At the same time I have
  become more aware of my limit to embrace the brokenness of our world.
  My heart is too small to enter into the depth of pain experienced by
  so many others. And more than ever, I realize the need for a Saviour,
  someone who can totally enter into our anguish. I am grateful that God is
  God.
  
  Church planting: let’s pray that our congregational witness and the Church
  Planting Congress itself, may impact the “news”.
  
  Pray for:
  * The Holy Spirit’s guidance to the Design Team
  * The Worship Team, the Workshop Leaders, the Keynote Presenters
  * Healthy Church planting conceptions and strong birthings
  * “The News”, that the love and kindness of God be extended to everyone

• Jake Pauls - Update #2

  “We Come” is the title of one of Jim Croegaert’s songs.  The refrain goes:

  “In the mighty name of God

  In the saving name of Jesus

  In the strong name of the Spirit

  We come

  We cry

  We watch

  We wait

  We look

  We long

  For you”

  This refrain captures for me a significant aspect and experience of prayer. Prayer involves so much more then several well crafted words. Prayer involves every part of our mind, spirit and body. Our prayers often move into lament, an anguish, for which we can’t find words, only groans.

  “How long, oh Lord? How much more!? O God, where are you in my circumstance? I’m waiting, … enduring, … trusting, … faithing, …, hoping,  … please come!”

  In the natural conception is to be accompanied with deep joy and harmony, but then birth itself is preceded with waiting and accompanied with deep groans. It occurs to me that Church planting parallels that. There are Church planting conceptions taking place among small groupings, filled of joy and harmony. And although a new DNA has been set in motion, the groans of birth are yet to come. Will the Church plant survive the womb growth and birth canal, or will it be aborted?

  This leads me to wonder if there are Church planting conceptions taking place today, which will be ready for birthing in November? After all, that is nine months. Although Church planting gestation periods may vary, God is always in the conception – birthing processing. And we are invited to be part of that, as Mary was, when the Angel came to invite her to be part of Jesus birth, the foundation of the whole Church.

  If the goal of the Church Planting Congress is to encourage and support Church planting efforts, then I suggest with pray for healthy conceptions and strong birthings.

   

  Pray for:

  -The Holy Spirit’s guidance to the Design Team.

  -The Worship Team, the Workshop Leaders, the Keynote Presenters.

  -Healthy Church planting conceptions and strong birthings.

• Jake Pauls - Update #1

  Recently, I've been reflecting on an early Church Planter. We know him as Paul, an unlikely candidate, given his track record. If I had been hiring a church planter, would I have even interviewed him, let alone endorsed his sending? So who did send him? And how did he acquire his missional understanding and strategy? What might he share with us at the Congress, should he be invited to be a keynote speaker? I wonder if he would understand our post-Christian culture … given that he began church planting in a pre-Christian culture? Pre and post Christian cultures … I wonder what aspects might be the same, and what might be different?

  And what fueled Paul's eagerness, his determination, his fearless, even recklessness to see every situation as opportunity to talk about Jesus. No caution, it seems, to be politically correct and avoid opposition, let alone arrest. Instead, he managed to get the Federal Government to pay for an ascorted trip to Rome, to speak to the head of state about the truth of Jesus.

  Why am I pondering the life of Paul? I am thinking of the resource persons who are beginning to prepare to share with us, the worship teams, the workshop leaders, the keynote presenters. Might it be fitting for us to pray for them, that they may capture something of Paul's vision, his enthusiasm, his heart, his dramatic unexpected Jesus encounter? This is my suggestion, that we pray for those who will share their hearts with us. And what we prayer, the Lord will honour. And what we pray for others, will also impact and change us.

  Pray for:

  The Holy Spirit's guidance to the Design Team.

  The Worship Team, the Workshop Leaders, the Keynote Presenters.

• Introduction from Jake I. Pauls, Congress Prayer Coordinator

  
  I find myself pondering the first church plant. Yes, it happened several years ago, in fact, over two thousand. Jesus had just given the disciples an assignment, namely to disciple the whole world (Matt. 28). Not a small assignment. The re:CALL Congress is within that commission. I suggest we begin as they were directed to do. “Don’t do a thing,” Jesus said, “until I impart the Holy Spirit to you.” When that happened, there was no stopping the church plant. I suggest we pray that the Holy Spirit revisit everyone who is and will be part of this Congress.

  Furthermore, I understand the desired result for the re:CALL Congress is to establish demonstration plots of God’s grace and love. That being the case, we can assume that God’s opposition will attempt to scuttle the plans, interfering in the planning in whatever way possible. I suggest we pray a canopy of protection over the planning group, granting them creativity and unity, grace and love, and a touch of joy and anticipation in the planning.

  I have agreed to offer some focus to the prayers for this Congress. I invite and welcome you to join me.