50 Days of Prayer – Week 3
A few of us decided to kick off our 50 days of prayer by fasting. Everyone views fasting differently. Some see it as impossible while others can do it with ease due to the practice they have put into it. There are different ways to fast. Some people do strict water only fasts, others try juice fasts while others make a specific sacrifice like coffee, chocolate or a form of technology. The point is to allow the fasting to have an effect on our spiritual lives.
Whenever we go through a new experience we like to evaluate if it was a meaning and worthwhile practice. But what if we don’t see the effect? We don’t always know the effects of our efforts right away. I am thinking about the act of walking daily or eliminating sugar in your coffee. These small acts aren’t noticeable at first but have a large impact over time. Another example would be; I don’t notice when my children are growing because I am with them every day. But as I chart their growth on a wall I notice they are still growing. This is true of our fasting and prayer as well. Fasting is strange in the way as we cannot always see any effects other than suffering through hunger or self-denial. Sometimes we won’t notice a thing but we can trust that God is noticing. Jesus tells us this when he speaks on fasting in Matthew 6:16-18;
16 “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Let me conclude with asking have you ever tried fasting? This week as part of our 50 Days, would you consider adding this discipline to your life? I recommend starting small, such as fasting one meal or eliminating a specific food or beverage. If giving up food isn’t possible, consider fasting something other then food. People have been doing Facebook fasts, hobby fasts, even something like skipping watching a favourite show and using that time to pray. Whatever you do, the Lord is watching and He is listening over these 50 Days of Prayer.
This Week’s Prayer Focus:
Try fasting this week.
Prayer Events Happening This Week:
Wednesday, March 20th – 6:30 pm – FUEL: The Adult discussion on Listening to God
Sunday, March 24th -10:00 am – Pre-Service Prayer
Sunday, March 24th – 6:00 pm – Listening Prayer Meeting
Whenever we go through a new experience we like to evaluate if it was a meaning and worthwhile practice. But what if we don’t see the effect? We don’t always know the effects of our efforts right away. I am thinking about the act of walking daily or eliminating sugar in your coffee. These small acts aren’t noticeable at first but have a large impact over time. Another example would be; I don’t notice when my children are growing because I am with them every day. But as I chart their growth on a wall I notice they are still growing. This is true of our fasting and prayer as well. Fasting is strange in the way as we cannot always see any effects other than suffering through hunger or self-denial. Sometimes we won’t notice a thing but we can trust that God is noticing. Jesus tells us this when he speaks on fasting in Matthew 6:16-18;
16 “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Let me conclude with asking have you ever tried fasting? This week as part of our 50 Days, would you consider adding this discipline to your life? I recommend starting small, such as fasting one meal or eliminating a specific food or beverage. If giving up food isn’t possible, consider fasting something other then food. People have been doing Facebook fasts, hobby fasts, even something like skipping watching a favourite show and using that time to pray. Whatever you do, the Lord is watching and He is listening over these 50 Days of Prayer.
This Week’s Prayer Focus:
Try fasting this week.
Prayer Events Happening This Week:
Wednesday, March 20th – 6:30 pm – FUEL: The Adult discussion on Listening to God
Sunday, March 24th -10:00 am – Pre-Service Prayer
Sunday, March 24th – 6:00 pm – Listening Prayer Meeting
50 Days of Prayer – Week 2
Yesterday I was listening to an interview with a writer. He started submitting to a fantasy magazine when he was 14. His submission and the next ten he sent were all rejected. At 17, his eleventh submission was published. It was the start of his career in writing. What he said next in the interview really stood out to me. If the first attempt had succeeded and the next story he wrote had been rejected he would probably have given up on writing. He believes that having to keep trying and improving made the difference. The early rejections keep him motivated to continue, which not only improved his skill as a writer, he grew as a person.
Perseverance helped develop his character and focused his dreams. Paul says something similar in Romans, “…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3b-4). We’re into the second week of our 50 Days of Prayer. The initial excitement and motivation have worn off. We continue with prayer daily, not because we always feel like it, we continue because we know it matters. We trust that God is faithful even when we aren’t seeing instant answers. We know that God is listening and answering and the act of prayer is growing and developing us and our relationship with God. And we believe that God is on the move.
This Week’s Prayer Focus:
God, is there something in which I specifically need to remain persistent? Or is there something I used to do or pray about that you want me to continue?
Prayer Events Happening This Week:
March 17 -10:00 am – Pre-Service Prayer
Sunday, March 17 – 6:00 pm -Listening Prayer Meeting
50 Days of Prayer – Week 1
Welcome to the first week of our 50 Days of Prayer. Our fifty-day journey will take us to Easter weekend. During this time, as a community, we are focusing on being intentional in both our personal and communal prayers. We are being obedient to Paul’s words in Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Three words stand out to me in this verse:
Devote: the word means to give all to a cause or to concentrate on a specific pursuit. Over these days we are making a conscious commitment to pray every day. For those of us who already pray regularly we are elevating our commitment, this could be extending our prayer time, trying new prayer tools, or adding elements of fasting to our routine.
Watchful: the command to be watching is a calling to be spiritually alert. Over these 50 days, we will be watchful for opportunities God provides and watchful against dangers such and temptations.
Thankful: And in all of this we will be thankful for what God has done and will do.
This Week’s Prayer Focus:
God, what do you want to say to us?
Prayer Events Happening This Week:
Tuesday, March 5 -10:30am -Prayer Video on Intercession
Tuesday, March 5 -11:00am -Prayer Meeting
Wednesday, March 6 -6:30pm -FUEL: The adult discussion on Listening to God
Sunday, March 10 -10:00am -Pre-Service Prayer
Sunday, March 10 -6:00pm -Listening Prayer Meeting
Devote: the word means to give all to a cause or to concentrate on a specific pursuit. Over these days we are making a conscious commitment to pray every day. For those of us who already pray regularly we are elevating our commitment, this could be extending our prayer time, trying new prayer tools, or adding elements of fasting to our routine.
Watchful: the command to be watching is a calling to be spiritually alert. Over these 50 days, we will be watchful for opportunities God provides and watchful against dangers such and temptations.
Thankful: And in all of this we will be thankful for what God has done and will do.
This Week’s Prayer Focus:
God, what do you want to say to us?
Prayer Events Happening This Week:
Tuesday, March 5 -10:30am -Prayer Video on Intercession
Tuesday, March 5 -11:00am -Prayer Meeting
Wednesday, March 6 -6:30pm -FUEL: The adult discussion on Listening to God
Sunday, March 10 -10:00am -Pre-Service Prayer
Sunday, March 10 -6:00pm -Listening Prayer Meeting
July 2018 Newsletter
Check out our July edition of the newsletter here: https://www.ngccfm.ca/hp_wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018-07-July-Newsletter-Final.pdf
This edition of the newsletter features an article from Pastor Thomas, crazy Canadian trivia as well as what is going on this summer at Church.
Have a great summer!
May 2018 News Letter
Check out the May Newsletter. The Newsletter contains articles from our pastors as well as information about upcoming events. Happy reading!
Youth Survey
Calling all youth ages 12-19! We are planning to hire a part time youth pastor starting in July 2016. To help guide our choices we need your help. Please complete the survey at https://form.jotform.com/ngccfm/ngccfm-youth-survey-april-2016. It’s a secure form and your answers will only be seen by the pastoral staff. Thanks for your help!
What’s With The Free?
Early Free Methodists were concerned about a number of issues in their historical setting that still have relevance today. Formed in the early days of the American Civil War, these supporters of the anti-slaverymovement believed in equality for all, regardless of racial background. They wanted a church “free” for all to attend.
Our Canadian Story – A Brief History of Free Methodism in Canada
In the 1700s, John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, lived and taught the message of hope in Jesus Christ. He viewed both his congregation and the whole world as his parish. The lives of hundreds of thousands in England were transformed by the life-giving power of faith in Jesus Christ. Slavery was abolished. Hospitals were founded. Child labour reform was enacted and schools were established. Wesley’s message proved that God could turn self-centered people into self-sacrificing servants.
Who We Are
The Free Methodist Church is a movement of Christian congregations all across our country that are committed to sharing the good news of faith in Jesus Christ and encouraging believers into a life of ongoing transformation that impacts our families, our communities and our nation.