In this first week of the new year, we have some amazing testimonies!
It has been exciting to see over 40 new subscribers to our YouTube Channel over the past several weeks. We thank God for enlarging the scope of our ministry influence as we enter this new year!
The first week of our 21-Days of Fasting and Prayer is off to a roaring start!
We are grateful to over 90 people who have joined us on the Bible App to read the Devotional, Scriptures, and share their insights and prayers with one another in the ‘Talk It Over’ feature. I know many others of you are receiving the daily emails with the prayer points and I thank you for joining us in that manner too. Whichever way you choose to fast and pray is between you and God, we only ask that you participate in some fashion and join us in asking God to open our eyes to Him, His ways, and His power. Be sure to sign-up for these emails or join us on the Bible App.
An all-time record number of people joined us on our Prayer Conference Calls.
Monday night we had 80 people, Tuesday over 70, and Wednesday night’s Pastor’s Chat saw over 100 folks join us on our Livestream and Conference Call! We want to thank you all for your support and participation in hearing the Spirit’s call to begin this year in prayer. If you have not yet joined, we encourage you to jump in now and join this movement of seeking first the kingdom of God and setting the course for the new year.
Pick up the Connect Challenge by calling/texting one different person every day.
I have personally been blessed by my phone conversations, whether it was to wish someone a happy birthday, to rejoice with someone who has experienced the Lord’s healing touch as they have fully recovered from a severe bout of Covid-19, or another person who is still recovering from surgery. You reap what you sow, because in turn you will be blessed to hear their story and you can pray with them. This is so easy that everyone can do it. Just wake up in the morning and pray, asking the Lord who you should reach out to that day. He will impress someone upon your heart who needs the blessing of hearing from you. Even keep a journal of the people you have connected with as a record of God’s blessing. Someone shared their testimony with me about how they called over 40 people during the month of December to connect with people and wish them a Merry Christmas! That is absolutely amazing! Let’s make this a team effort! If we all do this, it will be an exponential blessing that will cause an explosion of encouragement in all our lives!
A by-product of fasting is that it produces a physical cleansing of toxins and impurities in our bodies. More importantly, we need a spiritual cleansing. So we look forward to your presence with us online this Sunday as we participate in Communion together. Prepare your elements and your heart as we come to the cross of Christ again for a fresh cleansing in this new year!
Every blessing,
Pastor Barry Risto
Lead Pastor