There are many prayer needs as we lead into this church plant. Truly we are at the very beginning, but the ball must roll quickly in order to make our goal launch date of January 10, 2010. Here is a prayer page that we will be posting things you can pray about as it pertains to the process and we will comment the prayer requests with the answers to prayer…and there will be many I am sure!!

1. Wisdom and Understanding

We not only need the wisdom to lead a church plant, but the understanding to utilize that wisdom to its full potential.  This call upon our lives has been in the making for years, but is just now taking on knowledge, and it is a strong learning curve.

We will be proceeding studiously, but trusting on impartation from those who have run the same road we are on to a very strong degree.

2. Clarity of Vision

We want to lift Jesus higher!  Truly raise up a church whose focus is the lost and seeing them experience life and that to overflow.   Putting all that is in our DNA into words takes some craftiness.  From naming the church, to choosing the right website, to logo, to a purpose statement and clear values that all can comprehend, there is a lot to craft…and will need much divine guidance there.

We want the church to be the church, not just gather.  We value excellence, worship, discipleship, and a modern culturally connected tone.  We also know that we don’t want transfer growth, but to grow from those who are far from Jesus!  A church that has a transferable DNA…that can purposefully scatter to the ends of the earth with the fruit of its life in Christ.

3. Core Team

We are trusting that Jesus has already been stirring the hearts of His people to draw them toward a Church Plant and even Bonney Lake.   We must now connect to these people, and begin to gather them to dream about the future, building up our faith in what Jesus is up to here in this growing city.

The wisdom of whom we approach, and the openness to those who approach us.  Allowing them to pursue the elements of our future that will most fulfill their God given abilities.

4. Finances

There are two main things here!

A.    Raise enough monthly support that we can replace our income from NFC, in order to bring on an associate student ministries pastor by fall to take some of the day to day load of my responsibilities there.

B.    Raise $1,000 for every person we would like to launch with on day one of the church plant.  We feel that it is vital for our future and momentum to launch big.  Our target launch number, that we are praying for is 250.

5. Facility

We need a place that can allow us to launch a church with 250 people in attendance and house the ministries for children and any other dreams we sense the Spirit leading us into.  In Bonney Lake it does not seem to be the easiest thing to find a facility of this size let alone one that is available or affordable.  God will provide…if our vision is a 2 million dollar vision when it is all said and done, then the financial miracles will be even bigger than we currently expect.

I believe we will only see miracles that will be as big as our dreams…so we better dream big!

6. Relationships

The only way we will grow a church is to know the community.  Not just what is happening in the community, but the people within it.  We are starting a prayer list of people we meet in the community.  Every time our core team meets for planning we will pray over these people by name.  By the time the church launches we will have prayed for some in our community more than 30 hours a piece.  Isn’t that a powerful thought?  I can’t wait to see them walk through the door and find out they have been thought of so deeply…it will result in transformation for sure!

7. Leadership for student ministries at nfc

There are some very real realities for the student ministries of nfc and also the other areas in which I oversee at nfc, namely…I need to replace myself fully through other leaders who step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

We need one or more middle school Sunday school teachers, a college pastor and support leaders who want to pour into the college age young people in the auburn region, and we need to hand off all the design elements I work on every week.  I will not allow the areas of my oversight lose any energy or vision during this transitional time for us.  We must see the lost of this whole region find Jesus, not just the city of Bonney Lake.

That is it for starters.  Can’t wait to see what God does.  He is amazing at providing and we are going to step back and watch Him do His thing…and elevate His praise every moment of the way!