Prayer Requests

Pray for the start-up of Global Life Church on Sunday, February 1 - Pray for the organizing team to keep ther excitement going as we start, pray for finances for some start-up items and pray for our efforts to publicize the church at the start of the semester.
We are having a New Year's Eve Party on Wednesday, December 31 from 8- Midnight. We'll be making gingerbread houses to decorate with candy, playing table games and watching a movie before celebrating the coming year at midnight. Pray for good conversations with the students who come.
Saturday, December 20 we had our Christmas Party which was a packed house. The Miner's did a rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy", everyone got a photo op with Santa, we had lots of snacks, made angel ornaments, played table games and said good-bye to some friends returning home at the end of the month.
Pray for a church in Wisconsin that is considering financial support of our ministry. A committee will meet on January 13 and decide. Pray that we God will speak to these folks if God wants them to support International Friends.
Friday, December 19 we'll have our annual Christmas banquet, hear some dulcimer music provided by the McFarlands, and Craig will give a message on the "Three Visiting Scholars from the East". Pray for folks to understand the gospel as its presented and ponder these things in their hearts.
Our "Happy Birthday Party for Jesus" for kids ages 5-12 went great. Fourteen children from 6 countries heard a Christmas story, played games, made an angel craft and sang happy birthday to Jesus and had some cake. Pray that kids would rember Jesus during the Christmas period.
Friday, December 12 and Saturday December 13 we will be showing the movie "The Nativity Story" which depicts the events surrounding the birth of Jesus through the eyes of Mary and Joseph. Pray for good attendance (finals start Saturday) and for understanding of spiritual things regarding the birth of Jesus. Thanks!
Please pray for God's protection and great wisdom in our international church plant in February 2009.
Praise God for the 80 internationals who attended our Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Thanks to all those who donated food!
Praise God! A donor paid the rent of the International Friends Center for this month ($1400.) Pray that God would bless this special donor.
Praise God for a great Hayride/Cook-out experience at the Thomas farm, About 90 international students, scholars and their families attended. We had a great time and everyone enjoyed the break away from campus. Thanks to the Thomas' for all their work and for the Grace Bible Church folks who joined us.
We had standing room only at our first Friday Night Fellowship (about 50+). Pray that many will return and for the group to become a regular group of 40+. Our Saturday night group is down to about 25-30. We had several families graduate and transfer and will need to build up our Satuday Night Fellowship. Pray for wisdom as we find ways to connect to international families. Praise God for plenty of small group leaders this semester for both nights!
We had over 100 newly arrived internationals attend our annual Household Give Away this past Saturday. Many expressed gratititude for this event. Thanks to all who donated, helped set it up and were there to help the day of the Give Away!
God has answered - we've seen 20 internationals pray to receive Christ in this academic year! In the 2008-2009 year we are asking God to give us 25 new international brothers and sisters
Pray for the impossible - more space, more committed leaders, more small groups to meet a variety of needs (teen group on Saturdays, single women, married couples, children's ministry, singles, etc.)
Praise God we have found several others who are willing to serve on a Child Evangelism Fellowship board to start a Columbia branch of Child Evangelism Fellowship. Pray for donors to this new ministry and for efforts to start numerous Good News Clubs in the coming year.