Hello Village Church Family and Friends,
I pray this letter finds you well, resting and trusting in the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The elders at The Village Church have felt led to call us, as a church, to a specific season of prayer, from April 1-30, 2023. Whether you are a covenant member or a regular attender, if you call The Village home, or if you are just a Christian from anywhere and found yourself reading this, we invite you to join in prayer over the next 30 days.
This season of prayer will not be for or church only, but also for the collective church of the Living God here in Byron–all those united through faith in and reconciled by Jesus Christ to God our Father.
First, before lifting others to the Lord, let us each come before God in humility, confessing sin (1 John 1:9), looking to him for help (Hebrews 4:16) that we may be holy (1 Peter 1:15). May the words of David, in Psalm 139:23-24, guide us in aligning our hearts and minds with the Lord’s: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
For the churches in Byron, including The Village. Ephesians 6:18 calls us to “keep alert with all perseverance, making [earnest prayer] for all the saints.” We live in a small community, one that is blessed with three churches within the village limits, and all three churches are asking questions about the future. In this season, let us pray:
For faithful and true gospel-witness, preaching and teaching within our churches and on our streets. May we not be distracted from the work the Lord has called us to by the unknown future.
For wisdom and unity within the churches. That the best decisions for each church would bring unity and not division to God’s people. That direction followed would be to the praise of God’s glory and grace.
For The Village, specifically. We are laboring to glorify God through obedience to our King, who calls us to love God with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We continue to do this through proclaiming the gospel, baptizing believers, and teaching Christians to obey all that Christ has taught. To that end, let us pray:
For the Lord’s sight to the needs of our community, both spiritual and physical. As we have opportunity, may we do good (Galatians 6:10) that men may see it and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).
For summer kids ministry. This year we are trying something different than one, week-long VBS. Partnering with Byron Baptist Church, we will invite the children of Byron to six weeks of VBS, on Wednesday nights, from June 14 to July 26. Pray for the planning, that God would supply workers, and that the gospel truth would reach young hearts and minds and their homes.
For Mark and Franciska Richardson, who are raising support for full-time missionary work in Belize. They will be in Belize for two weeks in May, delivering Bibles and resources not readily available there. Pray for their safe travel and health. Moreover, pray for their boldness with the gospel and their effective care for Christians there.
There is a lot to pray for! We welcome you to join us in worship on Sundays at 10am or in prayer on Wednesday night at 6:30pm. Let us unite in prayer over the next 30 days and ask God to move for the glory of his name and the advance of the gospel in our community.
On behalf of the Elders,
Grace & Peace,
John White
(You can reach the Village Elders at any time by email at info@thevillagemi.com)