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Growing a Praying Church
So you want to raise up more prayer in your church. Growing a praying church is not easy. While God may be placing a burden in your heart, don't go it alone. Since Satan hates praying churches, it is a difficult task! You will quickly get discouraged if you don't have others to come around you to help.
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If you are a pastor, you need to pick a layperson to be a prayer coordinator who will work with you. If you are a lay person, maybe God is burdening you to be your pastor's prayer leader, or to be a member of a prayer team. The prayer leader will be the pastor's "feet person." He or she will oversee a prayer team made up of a cross section of church members. This prayer team should meet to develop a prayer strategy. Here are some simple ideas to get you started. Beyond these ideas, there are two resources that we highly recommend to assist you in making your church a praying church.
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1. Join the Church Prayer Leaders Network
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This network, which is overseen by C&MA prayer leader, Jonathan Graf, is an endless resource of help and encouragement. It has three types of membership:
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Full Individual ($40 annual fee). You receive:
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• Access to password protected Web site: www.prayerleader.com
• A monthly email newsletter loaded with encouragement and ideas
• Discounts of 20–50 percent off prayer resources
• 20 percent discount to CPLN sponsored conferences
• A subscription to Pray! magazine
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Church Membership ($100 annual fee). You receive:
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• Three Full Individual memberships
• The ability to add up to 10 full Individual memberships at $25 each
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Partial Individual ($30 annual fee). You receive:
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• All the benefits of a fulliIndividual membership (except a subscription to Pray!)
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Go to www.prayerleader.com for more information on this network.
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2. Read The Prayer-Saturated Church by Cheryl Sacks
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The Prayer-Saturated Church (NavPress 2004) by Cheryl Sacks. Retail $20
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This book is an absolute necessity for anyone who is working to raise up prayer in the local church. Every prayer team member and pastoral staff member needs a copy. Among its chapters are:
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• The Role of the Church Prayer Coordinator
• The Pastor/Prayer Leader Relationship
• Building Your Prayer Action Team
• Assessing Your Church's Needs
• Taking Your Church to the Next Level
• Designing a House of Prayer Strategy
• Leading Corporate Prayer Gatherings
• Praying Outside the Walls of Your Church
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3. Practical Helps
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As you consider your starting points, your team, and your church's strategy, here are a few articles that may give you some practical help:
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• Who Should Be My Prayer Leader?
• How to Pick a Prayer Team
• Your Strategy's Starting Point