Prayer Letter

March 7, 2010

Dear Prayer Partner,

First a word of thanks!  If you were one of the host homes for our 70 International Students last weekend, or helped make some meals for them, or just gave them a friendly smile last Sunday morning – Thanks!  Once again, we had the privilege of bringing the world into the little FLC of SBC here in the small town of Sonora, and for many of them it was the first Christian church service they have ever attended!  The initial reports from many of our guests about the friendliness of their hosts and the meaning of their time at church were very encouraging.

This week, I want to tell you a story that, for me, illustrates the truth we considered last Sunday from Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord…He will make your paths straight.”

Several months ago my son-in-law, Matt, asked me if I would be interested in joining him on his return from his Persian Gulf deployment by participating in the Tiger Cruise – jumping on board ship with him in Hawaii and riding back for 7 days to their home port in San Diego.  It sounded like fun, and a unique experience, and I knew my participation would mean the world to Matt (he lost his own Dad when he was 13, so I was the next best thing!).  I told him I would love to do it!

Then a few weeks ago, they got the dates:  April 1-8!  Wouldn’t you know it?  Easter Sunday weekend!  My first reaction to Matt was, “I just can’t do that.  Easter is our biggest Sunday of the year.”  (Isn’t it great thinking you are indispensable?  Or was I just being responsible?) Either way, we shelved the idea…for about 36 hours…until I began to wonder if my ministry to Matt wasn’t maybe even more important than my ministry this Easter at SBC.  I have always believed, and SBC in the past has supported this commitment in some wonderful ways, that the priority of my ministry to my family is even greater than my ministry to our church family.

So, I shared my dilemma with the staff…and asked the Elders…and no one seemed to feel I would be missed!  (Well it wasn’t quite that blunt…but you get the idea!).  So, we planned the Easter service using other staff and lay people…and it looked great!

Then a week ago, Matt emailed that the dates have been moved a few days for the Tiger Cruise, and it will now be leaving Hawaii on April 6 – two days AFTER Easter!  So I get to be here for Easter, fly out that night to Hawaii, and hopefully enjoy a week sailing experience that I never imagined I would have…and encouraging one very special son-in-law along the way!

I wish it was always that obvious when God “makes our paths straight.”  It isn’t.  But thankfully it often is, as we experience the gracious hand of God working out His will and our best for our good and His glory.  Maybe this week, we can just pray a prayer of “Thanks” as we reflect on our gracious God and His involvement in our lives.

Thanks for praying,

Pastor Mark

P.S. Be sure to include a prayer today for our Women’s Conference tonight and Saturday…and (if you are a woman!) it’s not too late to sign up and participate-it promises to be a great time!

Prayer Letter

February 26, 2010

Dear Prayer Partner,

Wednesday night, I was excited to get a brief update from Kathryn Mullins who had just returned from two weeks with her daughter, Jessica, in Southeast Asia.  Jessica is serving with International Justice Mission as an intern for this year.  IJM fights human trafficking and sexual exploitation of young girls, one of the gravest injustices existing in our world, and one of the most heart-wrenching and challenging situations to try and confront.  As she shared about the work of IJM, I was moved by one of the things that moved her most:  every day the IJM work day begins with a 30 minute time of prayer together, and then another 30 minutes of personal devotion by each of the staff.  In addition, she said it was a frequent occurrence to see staff people in their offices praying and that prayer seemed to saturate every activity they engaged in.

I was reminded that the work we do is first and foremost a spiritual work – and warfare.  I was grateful that we, too, begin each day as a staff in prayer together.  I was glad that we, too, often pray in the ongoing work of doing the work of ministry.  We are blessed by many people who faithfully pray for the ministry of SBC – including some of you who get this little Friday reminder.  And I was challenged by how much we still need to grow in this area!  So, first, thanks for praying.  Secondly, let’s renew our commitment to this vital ministry activity.

Sunday in our Proverbs study, we will look at what are perhaps the two most familiar verses in this entire book…and probably in the “top ten” of the entire Bible!  Last week ,we heard about the value of having a life verse, and many have chosen these – Proverbs 3:5-6.  How can you get ready for Sunday?

• Memorize these two verses!  If you haven’t done it by Sunday, we will work on it together!

• Reflect on the meaning.  As I looked at them again “for the first time,” I was reminded of how each phrase actually develops a “conventional wisdom” interpretation that doesn’t really hit the mark.

• PRAY that we will all “grow in wisdom” by getting both smarter and better as we apply the truth of these verses.

This weekend provides us with a very special outreach opportunity.  Our church families will be providing host homes for around 80 International Students and staff from the Bay Area.  They will be attending our services on Sunday morning, so make sure you come with a welcoming spirit!  And above all, PRAY that they will experience the love of Christ through our fellowship, the truth of God through His Word, and that they will respond by “trusting the Lord with all your heart.”

Thanks for praying,

Pastor Mark

Prayer Letter

January 29, 2010

Dear Prayer Partner,

So much of what people think about when they think about SBC is what happens in the “limelight.”  But, so much of what really makes SBC what it is are things that hardly get any recognition and are largely “off the radar” and “away from the limelight.” So today, I thought I would mention a few items like that and invite your prayers for these ministries that are really the nuts and bolts of the ministry of SBC.

A few recent things…

• Last weekend, we had quite a few SBC folks in San Francisco: some participating in the Walk For Life along with 35,000 others proclaiming the value of life, and about 50 youth and adults working at City Impact (the SF Rescue Mission) converting the old Musician’s Union building into a school for 300+ Tenderloin children.

• Also, a thanks to the 268 people completing the REVEAL survey, which will help us develop better ministries for our spiritual growth, and to the people who have donated around $6,000 for relief efforts in Haiti through our Haiti Relief fund.

And happening right now…

• I just came back from the Woods Creek Thrift Store, a brand new beautiful outreach to our community both through great stuff at reasonable prices and with all profits being donated to needs in the community – especially those of seniors.  This is being done by two SBC ladies and their generous, hard work. (They would be happy to take your donations also!)

• Next week, our Creative Arts team will be spending a week together planning and preparing for several coming SBC message series – 14 dedicated people working often behind the scenes.

• Sunday, we launch a Rice Bowl project through our Children’s Ministries to raise money for an orphanage in Haiti where the people were safe, but the buildings were destroyed.

• Each Sunday evening, a group of 15 people are working on helping our church understand and respond to the growing crisis of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation.  They are planning a spring Sunday night educational and outreach series for our church family.

• Faith@Home is an outreach from Becky’s heart to encourage our parents to…well, practice their Faith@Home!  Sunday, she will be providing 2^nd and 3^rd grade parents the opportunity to personally present their children with a new Bible – and begin reading it together!

Thankfully, the list could go on…and on…and on…but maybe just a quick prayer of thanks would be appropriate, and a request for God’s continued blessing through the many ways our SBC family works “to introduce people to Jesus and together become more like Him.”

Thanks for praying!

Pastor Mark