Monday night some of the people from Westwind met together for our Concert of Prayer for Missions. Our group was small but mighty. I mean let’s face it, we’re always mighty when we pray because of the God to whom we pray.

We prayed in thanksgiving for what God has done for us. We prayed for unity and for the financial resources to pour into the task of missions. We prayed for the laborers who call Westwind their church home. And our hearts were broken when we prayed by name for the unsaved we know.

You can still join us in this task — it’s not too late. That’s because the work of praying for the spread of the gospel is ongoing. Below are some suggestions from the Westwind Missions Team as to how you can pray for the spread of the gospel.

How You Can Pray for Missions

Pray for the laborers (here are a few) who call Westwind their church home
     - Matt and Trista Deaver, Ben and Meredith Cadwell (ministering to internationals in Des Moines)
     – Eric Kress (ministering to Waukee through directing the efforts of the Waukee YMCA)
     – Amy Miller (Westwind’s missionary headed to Brazil this summer)
     – Kevin and Pat Mayer (helping CrossWorld missionaries)

Pray for boldness and joy to share, with co-workers, neighbors, and friends God’s promise of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
Col 1:28-29 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Pray for discipline to be reading and meditating on God’s word daily.
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.   But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.   He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Pray for strength to pursue a broken relationship so bitterness does not grow.
Matthew 5:22-24 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother^b will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca^c’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Pray to seek out an accountability partner so you can be effective in prayer and God’s word.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Pray to experience God’s presence in your life and evidence of His work in you.
John 15:4-8 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  

Pray for freedom from chronic sin that compromises your relationship with Christ and your witness.
Galatians 5:1  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Pray that you could encourage someone else daily and turn from a self-centered focus in life.
Philippians 2:1-4 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Pray to be used in the mission field locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally.
Acts 13:47-48  For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you  may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”  When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Pray to be faithful in instructing your children in God’s word and His ways.
Deuteronomy 6:4-11 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  

Westwind Church will be sending a group to a Navajo reservation in the 4 corners of Arizona from April 3 to 9, 2011.  The group will be focused on building relationships and encouraging Navajo youth and staff at Immanuel Mission, a K-12 Christian school and church.  Approximately 75 students attend Immanuel Mission for a quality Christian education.  Students on the reservation face a lot of challenges.  Some of them include a high rate of alcoholism and drug usage, lack of opportunity, and lack of meaningful relationships, especially with people outside of the reservation due to its remote and desolate location.  The mission is entirely operated by volunteers and missionaries. 

Another goal of the trip will be to encourage, refresh, and support the staff who are giving their time to show the love of Christ to kids and families on the mission.  Immanuel Mission is entirely funded by donations.  Please pray about how you can support the trip.

The cost is $500 per person. Scholarships may be available. (See Kevin Mayer for information about possible financial assistance.) Please RSVP by March 6th. $250 will be due on the 6th with the balance due prior to leaving.

For more information on the trip: See Eric Kress in the cafeteria after church on February 6, 13, and 20 for more information.  A more formal meeting will be held on February 27 after church.  You can also call him at 249-5731 or e-mail to eric.kress@msn.com

For more information on Immanuel Mission:  See Eric or go to http://immanuelmission.org

Westwind Church’s Missional Living Week from Westwind Church on Vimeo.

The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest
to send out workers into His harvest.
– Jesus Christ

Westwind takes seriously the charge to “go and make disciples” and to help us all focus on this we take a week each February to highlight opportunities for the people of Westwind to make an impact on the world around them. In 2011, our Missional Living Week is February 20-27.

Why highlight living missionally  just one week of the year? Because it’s easy to forget. So we take time to ask people to:

Pray  –  Give  –  Go

So for a week we want to focus on ministries in which Westwind is playing a part, so you know how you can be more involved. If we as a church are not intentional about missions, it doesn’t happen.

Schedule for the Week

Sunday, 2/20 — Speaker Brian Hogan (author, former missionary to Mongolia, cross-cultural church planter) and prayers for the nations

Monday, 2/21 — Concert of Prayer for Missions, 6:30 p.m. at the church offices

Wednesday, 2/21 — “Understanding the Culture of Poverty”; 6:30 p.m. at the Waukee YMCA

Sunday, 2/27 — Speaker Mark Arant (pastor at Veritas church plant in Iowa City) and prayers for our city

Sunday, 3/6 — Collection of pledges for Westwind’s Missions Fund

Throughout the year, Westwind’s missions fund makes contributions to the Waukee Food Pantry, a local area ministry helping families by providing non-perishable food and personal items to meet short term needs. The Christmas season is a time of year when such needs are felt even more keenly by those in tough financial circumstances.

The Food Pantry has told us, “We still need quite a bit to fill our boxes for Christmas”. Would you make a donation of food or personal care items in order to help share the love of the Savior whose birth we celebrate? Details on what items are needed and how you can contribute them can be found here. Donations will need to be made by December 19th.