As we enter a new season in our building, we want to begin it simply in prayer.

A building is just a tool. The church itself is a living community of people following Jesus together. As that community, we want to take time to pray for the ways God will continue to use this space and his people to grow his kingdom.

Would you consider taking a single hour between 8:00 am on Saturday, October 12, and 8:00 am on Sunday, October 13, to pray?

We've provided a number of prayer points and creative ways to pray at the bottom of this page. You can use them or do something completely different, but our heart is that you intentionally set aside time to be with our God, listen for his voice, and ask for his blessing and guidance in the season ahead.

When you click the button below, you can claim a time slot. Below are resources to help guide you in your prayer time.

Please note, multiple people can sign up for the same slot. Pick the time that works best for you!

Spending a long time praying can seem like a lot. Here are some suggestions on how you can best prepare.

Set Up Your Environment:

• Eliminate distractions. Turn off your phone or leave it in another room. Pick a time that where you will be able to be uninterrupted.
• Grab your Bible and a notebook. Write down the pieces you want to pray through so you can have them with you.
• Some might find it helpful to light a candle. The simple flame can be a reminder of God's presence as you speak and listen to him.

Ways to Pray:

• Slowly pray through the different requests that we have below. As you pray around those thoughts, take time to pray for individual people who you know and how they'll be impacted.
• Pray through different scriptures. Read the text a few times. Ask God to help you hear his heart for our church in it. You can use scriptures like Matthew 28:16-20, John 15:1-17, or any other text you want.
• Spend time listening. Take a few deep breaths slowly and use a centering prayer to begin, something like "Jesus, here I am" or "Thank you for loving me." Repeat it a few times and then sit in silence. As your mind wanders, use the centering prayer to come back to just sitting in God's presence.
• Write out a prayer for what you want to see God do in our area. Written prayers are slower than verbal, so you can fully focus on the words you're praying.
• Listen to a worship song, but without doing anything else. Just sit and truly be present in the words being sung to our God.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for our kids

• Pray that each kid that steps into our kids ministry would feel incredibly loved, not just by the volunteers who are serving, but also from the God who made them.
• Pray that the lessons and songs that kids learn over their time with us would bear fruit in years to come.
• Pray that kids find that the community of God is one where they can find rest and peace.

Pray for our students

• Pray that our students can slow down and find life in a pace that is sustainable as they follow Jesus.
• Pray that each student finds strength in their faith through the community that they form here.
• Pray that the relationships the students form with the volunteers are ones that provide guidance and mentorship in their faith.
• Pray that the students learn how to practice spiritual rhythms in their lives now that help them in their faith their whole lives.

Pray for our community

• Pray for each life group, that the community found in them will be safe, abundant, encouraging, and supportive as the group follows Jesus together.
• Pray for each person who calls First Christian home, that they will discover ways in their lives around them to bring kingdom values and the hope of Jesus to their personal community.
• Pray for everyone who will use our facility in the decades to come, that it will be a place of safety, of joy, of comfort, and of hope for people as they grow in their faith.