The Watchman Prayer Guide NOVEMBER 2018 Welcome to The Watchman, a place where staff members can share their prayer needs and ministry news. May it remind us of Paul s advice to, Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Eph. 6:18 HCSB Steve Holt Transitional Pastor October was a busy month in the Holt household. Donna made a trip to Haiti to help with a ministry she has been involved with for several years and I traveled across the state speaking at churches and associational annual meetings. Jordan, our oldest son, fell on the job, fracturing his right arm and dislocating his shoulder. He had surgery on October 26 and is staying with us while he recovers. Ethan, our youngest, got engaged on October 21. He and his fiancée, Kristin, are planning a December wedding. That means lots of activity and wedding planning around our house. Finally, Andrew and his wife Sarah continue to prepare for the arrival of our first grandchild in February. So, as you pray for me and the rest of my family, please ask the Father for: Life/Work balance for me. I need to stay focused on the Lord and be sensitive to His leadership in all areas of my life. Donna has quite a bit on her plate as well. Helping Jordan recover from his fall, planning a wedding, anticipating a granddaughter s arrival, and keeping up with her job as well. Pray for Jordan s healing. Ask the Lord to make Himself know to Ethan and Kristin in the midst their wedding planning. Pray for Sarah and our granddaughter s health as we get ready to welcome her arrival. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement over the last few months. I appreciate them more than you can know. Pastor Steve
2 Adam Davis Associate Pastor As always, thank you for your continued prayers for me, my family, and our church! I could not imagine what life would be like without your interceding prayers! Continue to pray for our Bible study leaders and Equip teachers. These people work very hard in preparation each week. Pray that these teachers will have godly wisdom, clarity, energy, and focus in their time of preparation and actual teaching time. Please pray for our transition team as we continue to work hard. We are seeking God s face and direction for our church. Personal Requests Continue to pray for our family as a whole. The current time constraints of both work, home, and life have proven to be very difficult on all of us. They are weighing very heavily on us. Please be faithful in praying for us! Adam Kelly Jackson Preschool Minister Dear Watchman, As we enter this month of Thanksgiving, I am thanking God for your prayers you offer up so consistently on behalf of your preschool ministry. Please be in prayer for the few more open spots we have on Sundays for the need of investors. We have been managing but can function better if we get these spots filled. We have our Weekday Thanksgiving Feast in a few weeks. We will have families of our preschoolers here. Pray for the time we have to interact with them on Nov 20. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray, Kelly
3 Fellow Watchman, Please pray the following for Belle Aire (source: The Gospel Coalition): 1. That we would love those with whom we have nothing in common but the gospel. 2. That a culture of discipling would form in which making disciples is viewed as an ordinary part of the Christian life. 3. That a hunger for studying the Gospel would form among members so that they can guide and guard one another in it. 4. That transparent, meaningful relationships would become normal. 5. That the preaching of God's Word would be biblically careful and Holy Spirit imbued. 6. That the church's songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise. 7. That the church's prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility. 8. That the church would grow in being distinct from the world in love and holiness, even as it engages outsiders. 9. That members would share the Gospel this week and see more conversions. 10. That giving would be faithful, as well as joyful, consistent, and sacrificial. Also, continue to pray for the budget preparation process--that we would be guided by the Holy Spirit, embrace God's priorities, and trust in His provision. David
4 Good morning, God is Good, all the time, God is Good! I'm thankful for God's continued watch care over my family. We've seen some tough moments in the last few weeks but God always hears us when we cry out to Him! Sometimes, the answer is wait, sometimes no, but many times it's an affirmative YES! The adult choir is currently working on a program of Christmas music to be shared with the church on December 9th. It's an inspiring time of worship that will bring us all to the altar and our spirits will be refreshed once again as we hear the old, old story! Pray for us as we prepare. The seniors will take a day trip to Miss Mary Bobo's on Thursday, November 8. We will have lunch and then shop around the town of Lynchburg. Pray for safe travels as we go. The senior adult Christmas party will be held on December 7 at 6:00 pm. Some of you, who are eligible to be in our group, have never attended one of our Friday night fellowships. Won't you consider joining us on this evening? Church, please pray that I will lead our seniors in a way that's pleasing to the Lord! Please continue to pray for my family. We are like all of you. We always have needs arise and the body of Christ can intercede for each other at all times. Pray for Donita, my daughters Christy and Brooke, our son Jeremy, our son-in-law Jason, our grandsons, Hayden, Mason, Jaxon, Boone, and Brody! Lots of boys in our crew! Donita and I love this church and each of you! We are truly blessed to be a part of this church! Love in Christ, Terry
5 Dear Watchman, Derek Ervin Children s Minister It has been an awesome October for both the children s and outreach ministry. Families got to start off the month on fall break, spend some time together to rest and relax, and that carried over to the end of the month with our Family Fall Retreat. We had many kids and parents come to Lanes and Trains to hang out together and then come to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board s Kids Missions event called JAM. Finally, we had a great turnout for Trunk or Treat. We had about 50,000 pieces of candy and as many as 4,000 people on our campus. As we begin November, let s all pray that we can continue to push forward with the goal of the ministry, to walk alongside parents as they raise their children to, "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Ministry Requests Pray for this month to be one that is fruitful through the normalcy of routine. We don t have the big events going on, but that doesn t mean nothing important is happening. Our Sunday School and Wednesday night classes are still rolling, and I would love for you to be praying for transformation to happen through those classes. Pray for our kids from the Hope Center as we continue our relationship with them. Pray for the gospel to continue to change their hearts. Also, pray for our leaders who pour into them, week in and week out. Pray that we can use the next couple of months to think about what God would have us focus on in the children s ministry in 2019. Personal Requests Pray for Allie and me as we parent, and for Liam as he continues to grow. Pray for wisdom for me as I seek guidance in handling a situation with my brother. Thank you all, Derek "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4:11
6 YOUTH MINISTRY Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for this ministry. Here are some ways you can pray during the month of November: The Elevate youth (Middle School) will be going to fall retreat on November 10-11. Please pray that the youth's hearts will be ready to hear, receive, and apply what they learn through the teaching of God's word. Pray for the leaders as they minister to these students. Pray also for safety. We are working hard on planning and budgeting for 2019. A lot of details need to be worked out. Pray for wisdom, clarity of mind, and insight for what will be beneficial in helping our students become more like Christ. Pray for our Wednesday night Bible study and worship time. Pray that our youth will have joyful hearts in lifting up their worship to God. Also, pray the students have receptive hearts in the teaching of God's word. You can also pray for our youth small groups as they meet throughout November. Pray for strong relationships to be developed. Our youth choir will be singing and our youth band will be leading worship on Nov. 18. Pray God uses them to stir the hearts of our people in worship to God that morning! Pray for them in their preparation. Discover Belle Aire s hidden treasure... the Media Library Come check out our great collection of fiction, nonfiction, and DVDs. Located in front lobby across from the Church Office. Open Sunday mornings about 15 minutes before and after service. Open Wednesdays 6:00-7:45. Need something special? Let us know. Karen Moser karen.moser@mtsu.edu Karen King kingb2214@att.net Belle Aire Baptist Church 1307 N. Rutherford Blvd. - Murfreesboro, TN 37130 www.belleaire.org 615-890-6977