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