From GCM Board President Ron Greiner:
Hello friends and partners,
The staff and board of Ghana Christian Mission have always prayed about the work in Ghana, of course. However, as 2019 begins, we are convicted, perhaps more than ever, to be in the presence of God and seek what pleases Him--what He wants for GCM as an organization and for each of us who participate in that work.
Last summer, the GHO Team (Global Health Organization) preparing for their trip to Ghana used Mark Batterson's book, Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge. As he says in the introduction, there is nothing "magical" about forty days, but there is something Biblical about it. We have been encouraged and challenged and we are compelled to share this with you and ask you to join with us in the continued journey of seeking God.
We want to be clear that this letter and request is not written out of any sense of desperation, nor does it have some deeper meaning. Many of these thoughts and urges began a few years ago as some of us read Greg Pruett's (from Pioneer Bible Translators) book called Extreme Prayer. Early in the book, Greg asks, "What do I mean by extreme prayer? I mean intentionally praying the kinds of prayers that tap into all of Jesus' open-ended promises about prayer in a way that achieves maximum Kingdom impact."
Ghana Christian Mission resonates so much with that idea. We want to have the maximum Kingdom impact. That will not be possible with human power, but will be completely within God's power, as we seek Him! We have learned, and been challenged, that God does not want us to pray about our strategy--He wants prayer to BE the Strategy!
Many of you know that we have been praying about a Development Director to work in the U.S. developing partners and relationships. Simultaneously, in Ghana, work is ongoing to begin developing funds within the country. The board in Ghana is working to help Enoch with long range vision casting and succession planning. All the while Kingdom work continues, and lives are being touched and changed. We really need God and we really need to follow His leading closely--as he reveals that to us.
We are proposing three corporate events (so to speak) to give you opportunities to covenant with us to pray and seek God's leading for GCM.
1. On January 30 (Wednesday) from 7 to 8 p.m., any who can will gather at Plainfield CC (Plainfield, IN) to pray as a group. We will provide some guidance, but essentially, we believe God honors a people who come together in agreement to pray. [Update on 1/29/19: Due to extremely cold temperatures tomorrow, our host site (Plainfield Christian Church) will be closed Wednesday, January 30, and has cancelled all activities. Instead, please see this 2019 GCM prayer guide and pray along with us from the warmth of your home.]
2. On February 21 (Wednesday) from 7 to 8 p.m., we will gather at Sherwood Oaks CC (Bloomington, IN) to pray as a group. The format will be the same as January, but the location may be more convenient for some living south. [Of course, there are many of you who live too far for either so...]
3. Then on Thursday, February 28 (just a week before the next Board meeting in Ghana), we propose a 24-Hour Prayer Vigil, so you can sign up to cover our efforts in prayer for one hour, wherever you may be.
PLEASE join with us to seek and hear from our God. Remember, as Mark Batterson tells us, "Prayer isn't about outlining our agenda to God; it's about getting into God's presence and getting God's agenda for us."