September Promoting Healthy Churches through; loving relationships, praying, developing leadership, biblical stewardship and harvesting.

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1 NC-COGOP Pastors Connection NewsLetter September 2016 Promoting Healthy Churches through; loving relationships, praying, developing leadership, biblical stewardship and harvesting. Healthy Churches - Unified in Prayer Acts 4:31, And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together! How do you create an environment that releases the biotic potential of the local church? It will take a Passionate Spirituality; drawing close to the father, touching heavens divine resources, so that God s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. If a church will be healthy it will be because of its vital relationship with Christ - the church builder. The early church lived committed lives and practiced their faith with joyful enthusiasm. The Bible says that they fellowshipped in breaking bread and praying (vital relationship)! Even in the face of Biotic: An estimate of the maximum capacity of living things to survive and reproduce, under optimal environmental conditions. trouble they prayed to OUR Father ; investigating God s possibilities in prayer. But not to a father far removed, distant or who only inhabits the heavens. No, they prayed to: God, ADONAI: Lord YAHWEH-ELOHIM: LORD God EL ELYON: Most High EL SHADDAI: God Almighty EL ROI: God of Seeing YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: The Lord Is There EL-GIBHOR: Mighty God YAHWEH-ROHI: The Lord Our Shepherd JEHOVAH: LORD EL, ELOAH: God, Mighty ELOHIM: God Creator, Mighty and Strong YAHWEH-JIREH: The Lord Will Provide YAHWEH-SHALOM: The Lord Our Peace EL-OLAM: Everlasting God YAHWEH-NISSI: The Lord Our Banner YAHWEH-SABAOTH: The Lord of Hosts They prayed to God, who is seated on circle of the earth and the thrones of the hearts of believers. They hallowed His holy righteous, mighty, great, transcendent, fathomless, unexplainable, INCOMPREHENSIBLE name; and asked for His will to be done in the earth as it is in heaven. In the face of difficulties and trial they remained focused and resolute, because they practiced a Passionate Spirituality. Spiritual passion is expressed in: As the deer pant so panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee oh Lord. And, When you said seek my face, I said, thy face will I seek. Spiritual passion is, one thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord and enquire in his Temple ; for in the time of trouble he shall hide me! Spiritual passion is: Contagious and creates enthusiasm. Is not simply performing one s duty; no it is a spirituality that is pregnant with desire to be with God and to be found in His will! Spiritual passion is not just having the right doctrine, or moral code. It is having a BENT - DETERMINATION towards God! It responds to the storms of life with courage and expectation. Has no time clock, it awakes late in the midnight hour for fellowship with God. It doesn t wait for the convenient time, Spiritual passion doesn t do all of the talking, it listens and says, Speak Lord thy servant hears! This type of passion comes from drawing close to God. This type of praying will change the atmosphere in our hearts, homes, churches, and in our trouble seasons. It will shake the places where people of God UNITIFY (Acts 4:31, Ps 133) and prepare us to receive the commanded blessing of the Lord. Spiritual Passion releases God s potential in our environment. Scripture says, they had fellowship with God in Christ, and United in prayer daily, they practiced Passionate Spirituality, Drawing close to Jesus every chance they had! Click the link and allow the words of this song minister to you. Draw Me Close To You!

2 A Call for UNIFIED PRAYER Dear Pastor: I am requesting your participants with the Cry Out America grass roots prayer initiative. I am encouraging all of our congregations to engage in prayer on 9/11, to gather in all of our churches, communities, counties and in cities throughout North Carolina to express to God a deep desire for awakening in all 3,143 counties and in cities throughout the United States of America. Hear the prayer call: On Sunday September 11, 2016, three significant events will intersect: 1) The 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack in which 2,996 lives were lost and more than 6,000 injured 2) The Cry Out America Prayer Initiative and, 3) Our regularly scheduled Sunday services. I want to encourage every North Carolina Church of God of Prophecy pastor to dedicate 11 minutes during the morning worship service on Sunday, 9/11 to pray for your community and our nation. You may even consider setting aside the entire morning service as a solemn assembly or a sacred prayer gathering. Together, let s stand in the gap for all of America! Pray that all churches will be salt and light in our communities. For God s intervention and peace to come to the streets of the United States of America. Pray for the salvation of those that don t know the Lord. Cry out America has provided local churches a Prayer Service Leaders Guide (including video links from prominent Christian leaders) along with other free Preach2Engage resources. Please take a few moments to visit the Awakening America website to access and download brochures (available in Spanish), promotional videos, social media posts, etc. Contact the Awakening America Marketing and Media Coordinator Gil Balch via at gbalch@awakeningamerica.us or call (423) for any assistance you may need in accessing these resources. Finally, to help promote this Cry Out America prayer event, you may show the COA promotional video. But whatever you do North Carolina; Let s Cry Out! I ve also included the following recourse; A Prayer for Revival prayer guide. You can incorporate these prayers into your worship service. ************************************************* Revival Prayer Guide 2 Chronicles 7:14: Father God, we pray for a Great Visitation & Outpouring across America: We pray for the convicting power of the Spirit of God to sweep across our nation from the Church House, to the White House, and throughout every city and town in our land. We pray for the Glory of God and Your Spirit to be poured out like rain in our Churches, in our nation, and throughout the earth. We pray You will awaken this nation! 2. We pray for the Five-fold Ministry (the Pulpits): Change must begin with the Spiritual leaders in our land. We pray for a Great Awakening and cleansing across the pulpits and ministries of America. We pray for a genuine heart of Repentance and Brokenness on behalf of our churches and our nation. 3. We pray for Purity, Humility, Faith, and Unity. We pray for Love and Peace instead of Hate and Division. We pray for a Spirit of Reconciliation and Healing to sweep across this nation. Help us Oh Lord to Love one another as You Love us! 4. We pray for the Church (the Pews): We pray that churches all across America would become Houses of Prayer, making prayer a high priority. We pray for genuine repentance, and a great cleansing and purifying throughout, to prepare the glorious Church to rise up and be salt and light, impacting America and the nations. 5. We pray for this Nation (the Multitudes): We pray for our nation s leaders and that America would fall to her knees under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit from the East Coast to the West Coast. We pray she would humble herself before God in genuine Repentance and Prayer, and that her eyes would be opened to see how great her sin, how great God's love is, and how desperate her need is for Christ and His ways.

3 6. We pray for the soul of our nation, for the prodigals to come home and for the lost multitudes racing towards eternity to come to Christ. We pray for a great Reformation across the nation, in our Churches and throughout depths and fabric of America; for Godly and Biblical foundations to be restored, in our Pastors & Spiritual Leaders, in Government & Government Leaders, in Education, in Entertainment, in Business, in Sports, in our Families, and every area of our culture along with righteousness, honor, truth and the fear of the Lord. 7. Oh Father, send revival to this nation; help us your people to humble ourselves and pray and seek Your Face and turn from any way that is wicked or displeasing unto You. For if we do You will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. Let this be especially true with me and my family and my dear church family. 8. Oh Father God we pray that Your will be done in these upcoming elections. We pray that leaders will be elected according to Your will. You know all hearts and those who will do their best to follow Your Word. We also pray that we will not allow politics to divide us, but that we would be agents of peace and reconciliation. We ask these things in the Name of Jesus, Your Son. Amen Let s Pray Together. ******************************************************************************************** Pastor, YOU are NEVER ALONE! When Ministry Knocks you Down, How to Get Back Up "If you re a pastor, a missionary, or serve in a church, you can t avoid discouragement, disappointment, and hurt from ministry. The Bible even uses the not-so-complimentary metaphor sheep to describe those we serve. And sheep get dirty and smelly and often kick and bite. Sometimes those sheep in the church do the same to their shepherds. So when you get kicked, forgotten, disrespected, ignored, mistreated, gossiped about, or misunderstood, how do you move forward?" Read this article by Charles Stone outlining some specific steps to help you. September, 2016 Birthdays: Randall Snead David Bullard Anthony Stewart Pete Smith Ralph Parker Bill Vines Greg Runner Shannon Brewer Carswell Leonard Larry Daye Harold Ferguson Adam Beddingfield Jim Dickerson Thomas Davis Richard McInnis 2017 North America Pastors Conference I am excited to announce that we will be having a North America Pastors Conference, September 27-29, 2017 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Mark your calendars NOW, and hold the date. The targeted audience will be; overseers & companions, pastors & companions; and pastors will be encouraged to invite three to five key leaders from their congregations. More information is forthcoming. Make plans now to meet me in Chattanooga TN. Pastor - You are Celebrated, Loved and Appreciated! ******************************************************************************************** Upcoming Calendar Events Core Value Addressed: September Sister 2 Sister Ladies Retreat Love October 2, 16, 23 General Overseer Visit NC-COGOP LIVE Prayer Simulcast October Omega Generation Youth Conference Harvest/ Leader Development November 12 Mandatory Pastors Meeting, Special Guests: North American Presbyter, Bishop Tim Coalter, Steven Lentz, Esquire Leadership Development

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5 ****************************************************************************************************** Attention: ALL State Appointed & Interim Pastors Save the Date North Carolina Church of God of Prophecy PASTORS MEETING November 12, 2016 Time: 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Location: TBA Refreshments & Lunch will be provided Special Guest: Bishop Tim Coalter, North American Presbyter Steven Lentz. Esquire: Incorporation Updates, Legal Review, Annual Update Legal Matters Policy Review: o o NCCOGOP Child Protection Policy (Annual Review) Social Media Policy & Procedure Camping Board Report Special Features: Communion & Feet Washing Prayer Team And more Dress code: Business Casual, Blazers & Ties are welcomed ******************************************************************************************************