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8 FEATURE:
VISIONARY PRAYER
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IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH PASTOR JIM GOVATOS
FEATURE: AN ADVENTURE IN VISIONARY PRAYER page 11
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FAMILY MATTERS: QUIET TIME
THOUGHTS FROM UNDER THE HAT: ON THE PATH TO TRINITY
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MAYOR CHARLENE GLANCY: PRAYING FOR OUR CITY page 7
ON A MISSION: SERVING BEYOND OUR WALLS
Prayer stories WHERE HAVE YOU SEEN GOD ANSWER A PRAYER IN YOUR LIFE? “I had an experience that was quite unique. During some really bad weather on the Gearing, a navy destroyer, in the Mediterranean Sea, when I had not been able to sleep for several nights because I was either on watch or in my bunk holding on to the frame, I prayed that God would give me a break and calm the sea long enough for me to get a few hours rest. I think I must have repeated the prayer several times and then decided to say (think) the words to the Navy Hymn, “Eternal Father Strong To Save”....... suddenly, the ship took a hard roll one way and then the other. I was rolled against the bulkhead and something flew off the top of my bookshelf (I slept on the top bunk) and hit me in the rear end. It was immediately calm and I went to sleep and slept all night. When I woke up in the morning, I found that the book that hit me was my Bible.” from Vic Fredda Just this weekend! All I did was Text Pastor Jim and Andy to ask for Prayer for my good friend SUE UNDERWOOD. She had surgery and is still in the hospital. BUT, thanks to all the Prayers she is getting better every day! Thanks to my Church family and........ THANK YOU GOD from Shirley Stamper
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MARCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS
I have a wonderful Praise report and I KNOW it was directly related to these times of fervent prayer. My brother's son, Shaun is 34 and has been suffering from panic attacks and Agorophobia for a very long time. It has been getting progressively worse and he rarely leaves the house and hasn't gotten in a car since my mother's funeral 10 yrs ago when the family came to FL. On Sunday morning we put Shaun's name on our list of people to lift up in prayer and took his name to the altar. Also on Sunday evening we cried out to God for Shaun's healing. Shaun's only brother is getting married in April and everyone would really like him to be there. So today (well yesterday-Mon) I called my sister to see how Shaun was doing. She said-"You won't believe it" Sunday afternoon, my sister rode over to my brother's house and he and my sister took Shaun out in the courtyard and walked around with him for a while. Then they went to the car and just sat in the car for about 1/2 hr talking. My sister then asked Shaun if she could just put the car in reverse, back up and pull forward. He said “Why don't we ride around the block!” This is a MIRACLE and today, Shaun was outside when my sister pulled up, got in the car and said "Let's do this!" and they went about 6 blocks and came back. Then they took a walk up to the main road, near the stores and walked back. He wouldn't go into the stores, but this is truly amazing. It was PRAYER, Sunday night and Sunday evening and my sister has been praying and my brother! I just had to tell you because Shaun showed no symptoms of panic, was very calm ad was motivated to just TRY! We have been trying for years to do this. He wouldn't go to the DR's, wouldn't get in the car and I know my brother and sister-in-law had given up hope. But because of the wedding they called a specialist who said they would come to the home to do an eval but they might have to call an ambulance and take him to treatment since he would not go willingly. My brother said he couldn't subject Shaun to that, but Paul hasn't even attempted to get him help for a long time. So this was God's timing. My brother took a step and called for help. We all began praying and God intervened!!!! So THANK YOU for having this special study on prayer. Thank you for reminding us that God wants to give us so much if we bring our needs to him! God is GREAT and Aloma is a House of Prayer! With much love, Judy and Jim Bogan
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In The Right Direction This Thing Called Prayer Recent surveys indicate that somewhere between 60 and 90% of Americans pray on a regular basis. Other studies indicate that the average Christian prays between 3 and 7 minutes a day. So, it would seem that people have a nodding acquaintance with God in prayer, but not a very deep one. Imagine trying to get by on 3-7 minutes of conversation per day with the people you really love! (Some people try this, but that is a different story altogether, worthy of its own article).
JIM GOVATOS SENIOR PASTOR, ALOMA UMC "Our prayers lay the track down which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails." Watchman Nee, 20th Century Spiritual Leader.
Praying is simply talking to God. Most often, we think of prayer as asking Him for something like health or safety or success. The English word “pray” comes from a word that means to beg. However, the Greek word it translates can mean all sorts of talking. It can include praising, thanking, confessing, anything we might do with a person to build a strong relationship. Imagine how much stronger our relationship with God could be if we just spent more time talking with Him! I think most people struggle with this thing called prayer for a variety of reasons: we don’t know what to say, we’re not sure He hears us, we don’t know what to ask for, we’ve sometimes asked and not gotten what we expected. Relax! We’re in good company! Even Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). Around Aloma UMC, we’re devoting some of February and all of March to growing in our understanding and practice of prayer. Our Sunday worship services will focus on prayer and we have a number of small groups devoted to helping people grow in prayer. I believe this will help us as individuals and as the people of God.
childhood hunger and family disintegration. I am deeply grateful for how our church and other churches in the community have stepped up to help alleviate some of these problems. But what we can humanly do is only part of the answer. In my years as a pastor, I’ve become absolutely convinced that there are some things that only God can do, and He does them mostly in response to prayer. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, once said, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.” He certainly saw God do things. He saw God change numerous lives, build schools for the poor, raise up an entire movement that many people believe saved England from revolution, and began to abolish the slave trade. Wesley’s part in all this was to pray; God’s part was to provide. Sometimes people ask, “If God knows everything, including what we need or want, why do we need to pray?” I’ve been thinking about this one recently. I guess God could do things automatically for the human race, but that would take us out of the equation. From the beginning of creation, God has viewed people as partners in His work. Certainly He is the senior partner, but He includes us, nonetheless. Some of the work He lets us do by our own ingenuity, but some is accomplished only through a tight partnership with Him, where we are communicating with Him and each other on a regular basis. That is how Jesus conducted His ministry. Even though He was the Son of God, He kept the connection with God strong through frequent and regular prayer. If Jesus needed this, we need it even more! (Continued on page 15).
Our world today faces many problems, like
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Family Matters: Quiet Time its side into the bedroom. Its role changed once again, and it became my prayer chair. I looked forward to being in that chair every morning for my quiet time with God. When I decided to further my education, my chair returned to double-duty. By morning, it was a prayer chair. By evening and weekend, it was a study chair. When I was called to serve another church in another city, I realized that my chair would probably not survive another move. It was understandably pretty ragged after 3 moves and 15 years of service, but I was sad nonetheless. Through all the changes over the years, my chair had never let me down. Initially, I had enjoyed relaxing in it. I felt close to God in it during its role as a prayer chair; and I remained focused on my studies in it during its role as a study chair. Without realizing it at the time, though, my chair had served another purpose. It had been a teacher.
MERRY KENDALL DIRECTOR OF FAMILY MINISTRIES, ALOMA UMC
For many years, I had my chair. You know the one. It fits your body like a glove, and it comes to be known as your chair. My chair joined our family in Rochester, NY and was originally in my living room for the sole purpose of relaxation. I watched TV in it, did crossword puzzles in it, and read my Bible and lots of other books in it.
While it had served as a prayer chair, my young daughter learned that she was welcome to climb into that chair and cuddle with me as long as she was quiet. As she grew into a young lady, she knew that she was welcome to come into the room while I was in my chair as long as she was quiet. By watching me in that chair, she learned about having a quiet time with God.
What about you? Do your children know that you Its purpose changed in Florida, though, when I began have a designated meeting time and place with God? my Biblical studies. What had once been used From their observations of you, what are they exclusively for relaxation was now being used for learning about prayer? prayer and study. I nearly lived in that chair. My mornings in it began with prayer, and the better part of the rest of my days were spent reading, studying, researching, and writing in it. The table by its side Each month Family Ministries hosts a had stacks of Bibles, devotionals, journals, and special “Family Dinner” in Aloma UMC’s Fellowship Hall. commentaries. Pens, pencils, erasers, and highlightThis is a great opportunity to meet our Family and ers were there, too. hopefully decide to become part of the Aloma UMC Family! After graduation, I was called to serve a church in another city. In that city, I had a very spacious master bedroom; and so I moved my chair and the table by
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Please see the events calendar beginning on page 13 to learn more about this opportunity.
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Special Feature: As an elected official, I now see a city from a completely new perspective. Prior to being elected, I simply saw the need for leadership to be progressive in development and redevelopment to enhance a reputation that would secure and/or improve property values and create an attractive and safe environment for our community. But wow – was I in for a surprise!
BY MAYOR CHARLENE GLANCY MAYOR OF CASSELBERRY
3 ½ years later my work continues at a depth that I could never have imagined. As I mentioned to my new and dear friend, Pastor Andy, sometimes I feel as if I am drowning! And, then I realize it is just where God intends for me to be. Sometimes the reward of my work can be exhilarating and heart-warming, but it can also be frustrating and sometimes frightening. Not keeping the pace and disappointing anyone is my greatest fear. But then, Joel Hunter, my pastor at Northland, teaches me the only one I need to be pleasing is God! So, prayerfully… what does a community need? First and foremost, my prayers were for personal guidance, wisdom and grace. I was now a leader and spokesperson for an entire community and I had little experience from which to draw. This one was completely in God’s hands and I knew that without Him I was sunk. When one considers all of the elements of a community – residents
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and neighborhoods, businesses, civic groups, churches, schools; and government services such as parks and recreation, utilities, streets and sidewalks, police, fire and EMS services, community and business development, street lighting, et al - , well, the sky is the limit for your prayers! For a community to be strong and vibrant, healthy and secure, all components need to work in harmony. What has happened here in our Casselberry community has happened only because of prayerful efforts from people like you! We have been able to come together to support the needs of the people in the most amazing way. We have been blessed, and blessings come from prayer. Partnering with our faith based community has connected folks from all walks of life to a centralized focus… taking care of the needy and supporting each other. Praying for a community is to pray that God will awaken His people to notice what is going on around them and then seek to serve those in need. Praying for a city is praying that God is present in every way. Thanks for praying for our city and for me – please continue to do so!
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On a Mission: The year was 2006. A team from Aloma had just arrived in Zambia, Africa, to work with missionaries Delbert and Sandy Groves. The team was filled with excitement! We had been planning, praying and saving money for 2 years to make this trip. As the team drove from the airport in Ndola to the New Life Center in Kitwe, it was hard to take in all the sights and sounds of Africa. Excitement also grew with all the anticipated experiences that lay ahead in the weeks to come. Reflecting upon those experiences continues to bring joy and feelings of amazement to me. In particular, the incredible story of the tiny African bush village of Mutenda comes to mind. Our first Sunday worship service in Zambia took place after a 2 ½ hour drive along bumpy dusty roads. You can’t call Mutenda a town. There is really nothing there except scattered termite mud brick homes. However, when we drove up to the church area, a large number of children and adults seemed to come from nowhere. There was no church building. The flimsy brush and stick lean-to being used as their church had blown down the week before. But the resourceful church members made a clearing under some trees, brought out a big piece of carpet from a home and placed it on the ground for us to sit on. A table appeared to be
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used as the altar and we were ready for “church” under the trees. What happened within the next 2+ hours was truly the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I said 2+ hours. African church is not something to be rushed. Time didn’t seem to matter to any of us. Even when we couldn’t understand what was being said or sung, we all felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Later, when the team talked about the Mutenda church service, we shared how much we were inspired by the experience and how much we wished Mutenda would be able to get a church building. So, for the next 3 years several of us prayed faithfully that God would provide a way for this poor remote congregation to get a sturdy church structure. God is so awesome! Not only did He provide the means for Mutenda to get a church building, He also allowed a team from Aloma to help construct it!!! Our prayers were answered far beyond our expectations. Funding for the church was provided by the African United Methodist Church, the New Life Center in Zambia and Aloma Missions. It was incredible! Mutenda was getting a building with a steel frame and metal roof AND four of the original team members were able to go back to Africa to help put up the framework. The feeling among the team on the Sunday we had the first official service and dedicated the new building was beyond words. My heart continues to be overjoyed when I hear how Mutenda is using this structure as a way to share Jesus with the community. In just 15 month from now another Aloma team will travel to Africa. We will again work with this little church in the northern bush country of Zambia. We will again have new experiences and opportunities for prayer and intercession on behalf of the people we meet. We will again have the opportunity to share the love and message of Jesus to people desperate for hope. They need our prayers! It is time to unify as a body of believers in Christ and pray for the nations around the world and at home. Please pray for the formation of the next Aloma team going to Zambia in June 2013. Please pray for the people of Mutenda, Kitwe, Chingola, and Chimwemwe and the missionaries and pastors who serve them.
CATHY HATCHER ALOMA UMC MISSIONS CHAIRPERSON RACCOCARS@EARTHLINK.NET
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On a Mission: BY DELBERT GROVES NEW LIFE ZAMBIA
I’m reminded of an occasion about ten years ago when a dear pastor and friend (Royd) encouraged me to help someone who needed a PET Zambia Handicap bike. This person’s name was Abraham and he lived about 90km away in a small farming village called Chilongo. Royd said, “Abraham’s two older brothers had recently died and that he had been was physically unable to walk since he was a young boy”. God kept Abraham on my heart for weeks. Talking to me everyday…”Go help Abraham, go help Abraham”. It was getting annoying. It was January and the rains had already come and I was thinking I’d go after the rains. But no…God kept saying, “Go help Abraham”. So off one day Royd and I went, with a PET bike, to help this person I didn’t know. After driving for hours and getting stuck in the African mud a number of times, we found Abraham’s village and hut. We were tired, wet and dirty, but invited in by his mother. We started up a conversation. Abraham didn’t say a word. I think it was the first time he ever seen a white man up close.
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I started to talk with Abraham, just trying to minister to him. He was sitting on a grass mat next to his mother with a blanket around him. I was saying all the right stuff, trying to be very pastoral… “Abraham, God loves you and I love you”, but after a bit he asked this question, "If God loves me, why would God take my brothers and leave me? I can't even help my old mother in the garden?” He was very, very depressed. It was one of those unexpected moments and one of the saddest situations I have ever been in. To be honest, it left me speechless. All I could hear was the Lord saying, “Help Abraham, pray for him… RIGHT NOW”. So I obeyed and prayed. That prayer was short and sweet and to the point. I prayed, “Lord, you have had this dear man on my heart for weeks and you brought us out here on this wet, muddy day. It’s time you do something. Lord, break this spirit of depression and do something to bring back purpose and hope into Abraham’s life…. In Jesus’ name, Amen”. I got up and went outside to get the PET off the vehicle. However, before Royd and I could even get it down, Abraham’s mother called out “come quickly…. Miracle, miracle!”. As I went back into the hut, there was Abraham standing on his feet! His mother said, “I was getting him dressed to bring him outside”. As she started to lift him up to put on his pants, he just stood up on his own! "It’s a miracle", his mother said. “This is the first time in twenty-eight years he had stood on his feet!” I love watching God work!! His mother and others who came running to see just started singing and dancing and praising God! Abraham died in 2009, but before he did his testimony of what God did in his life led many others to Christ Jesus! He loved telling his story! I’ve learned from Abraham, and many other experiences, that prayer is not just asking God for something. Prayer is a wonderful privilege of talking to God and a true act of faith. Learning and believing - when we pray, things happen at an eternal level.…”He who promised is faithful”…Heb.10:23 Obeyed and prayed… Tell Jesus everything. For information on Delbert Groves and his work in Zambia please visit www.NewLifeZambia.com
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Feature: An adventure in visionary prayer AN INTERVIEW WITH YWAM ORLANDO DIRECTOR, MICHAEL BERG
After many false starts and halted dreams, Michael Berg had a persistent question in his mind about the calling that God had placed on him to begin a new Youth Ministry with a Mission base in Orlando. That insecure question was answered from the tender whisper of a prayerful and prophetic grandmotherly lady on the Island of Kona, YWAM’s (Youth With a Mission) International Headquarters. Quietly, Michael was assured that even if he didn’t have the charisma he felt he needed, it didn’t matter because “God will draw the people” to the work that was being birthed in his heart. With this permission from God, so began a project that now, over fifteen years later, is sending hundreds of young people around the world to boldly serve and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. YWAM’s Orlando adventure is one that would not be out of place in the stories found in the Acts of the Apostles as God has miraculously revealed, raised up, and provided for an army of world changers. Because of our friendship with Aloma Member and former YWAM director, Walden Owen, Pastors Jim and Andy were able to sit down with Michael to hear firsthand about the extraordinary things that God has been doing as He raises up a generation of world changers – including how an “out of reach” property that was being sold at $18million was to become YWAM’s Orlando base for just 1/6 of this cost! Mike’s story was so inspiring that Jim and Andy nearly forgot that the primary purpose of their meeting was to write this article! As the conversation ensued, there was one key theme that dominated every emotion, every challenge and ever decision – Michael, and the people of YWAM, have a tender, bold and audacious ability to pray. Listed below are some of the key principles that Jim and Andy learned through their conversation – principles that must become a part of our personal lives and our corporate prayer culture if we want to see the kingdom of God expand through us at Aloma.
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Principles of Visionary Prayer Dream Big! It was Michael’s desire for God to birth something in and through him bigger than he could ever have possibly done on his own. His plans for YWAM Orlando were bigger than he felt that he had the charisma or leadership capacity to accomplish. As Michael and his team were praying about the kind of facility that they needed to build in Florida, realistically they thought that they could stretch to take on a 50 acre site; God gave them a 200 acre piece of property on which to raise up leaders. It makes sense that if we want to be involved in a work of God, the work that we give ourselves to must be bigger than we can accomplish on our own. What dream do you have for yourself? What dream do you have for your Church? Is it so big that you have to become dependent on God for it? Internal peace can be scary! We know… it sounds like an oxymoron! But there is a lot of peace in knowing that God has called you to something, but just because you know God is calling you to something doesn’t always take away the fear of doing it. Michael had no doubt that God had said “go,” but there still remained many uncertain questions about what “go” meant. Throughout the gospels, the call to God’s people is often “go” and then he’ll reveal where he’s taking you, rather than, “This is where you are going, now go”. This makes it an adventure of faith and trust – and in such adventures the peace of God can become a little scary. But, despite the uncertainty – go anyway! Pray constantly and creatively. For months at a time Michael and his team established some 24/7 prayer efforts. Members of the YWAM team scheduled themselves to be collectively praying around the clock for the will of God to be revealed and the favor of God to be released. This prayer time looked like assertive prayer walks over potential property, specially praying through challenges ahead, fasting from things to petition God and living lives of confession before each other and before God. The YWAM team realized that nothing could or should get in the way of the plans and purposes of God and they were committed to fight every obstacle in prayer. When Michael first looked over the property that would eventually become the YWAM home, it would have been easy to be disheartened. The property had a contract on it for $18million – way beyond YWAM’s modest means. However, as they took it to prayer, God made a way where there seemed to be no way! Make the focus on what God is doing in you, rather than through you. In talking with Michael, we discovered that what God was doing in the YWAM community was equally, if not more important, than what he was doing in the property that He provided for them. The project started out with the task at hand (Find a new HQ) but as it progressed it became more about what God was doing in the hearts and lives of the Orlando YWAMers. New levels of prayer
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really formed in the group, flesh and sin was dealt with, unity was enhanced, a deeper intimacy with Jesus was birthed as a new level of holiness and cleaner relationships were attained. In fact, such was the passion around the project that the physical space, after huge prayerful and emotional investment, became somewhat of an idol. Lots of people became upset with God as roadblocks made it seem like the property wasn’t going to come through. But, even in these difficult times on the journey, God was teaching and shaping his people. They were learning, as all of us must, that we need to stay in a place of humility and that we must remain desperately dependent on Jesus throughout. Surrender what you want the most. Throughout YWAM Orlando’s project, there were many times when it just seemed like there were no ways forward. Money couldn’t be raised, contracts couldn’t be negotiated, codes couldn’t be met and at each turn, through prayer, God continued to invite Michael and his team to “hold things loosely.” So much so that if the dream were to die, they would be OK with that. Many times, Michael stated, “God told us to put the project on the back burner, or even let it die. So we did… with an understanding that God could turn up the fire or resurrect the deal if he so chose”. Only God can give us the desires of our heart, but we must remember that the gifts He gives are His to give. Our role is to not grab the gifts before they are fully given. (Continued on page 15.) For more information on YWAM Orlando please visit the website www.ywamorlando.com. About YWAM Who is YWAM? We are aged between 1 and 100. We live in over 180 nations and we like to work with friends in multi-cultural teams, celebrating the diversity of our different experiences, languages, and perspectives. We come from many different Christian traditions and we love to get together and worship God using our different expressions. We are all committed to growing in our understanding of who Jesus is and how He wants us to love and serve the people of the world. We are very enthusiastic about new ideas. We travel a lot. We are moved by people in need, and we do something about it. We don’t mind roughing it. We believe that God wants to have a living relationship with every one of us and we want to explore that deeply. We’re not in it for the money. We have discovered that faith in Jesus will take you to places you never dreamed of, to do things you never imagined, in ways you would never believe. We are Youth With A Mission.
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Thoughts from under the hat: “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”: On the path to Trinity For almost a year now, I have found myself reading about and doing devotionals on the subject of prayer. But not just any prayers, mind you, but early Celtic Prayers (like the one I provided above written in 1250 A.D.) There are many forms of Celtic Prayer but the one that has stuck with me is Trinity Prayer.
BY JEFF MILLER YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT DIRECTOR, ALOMA UMC “I will extol Thee, the Trinity in the mysterious One, Who is One and Three, a Unity of one energy, Of the same essence and attributes, one God to be praised. I will praise Thee, great Father, whose mighty works are great; To praise Thee is just; to praise Thee is incumbent on me. The produce of poetry is the right of Eloi. Hail, glorious Christ! Father, and Son, and Spirit! Lord, God, Adonai!” - “I Will Extol Thee” from The Black Book of Carmarthen XI
You may be saying “but Jeff, we’re not Catholic!” That is what I thought about Praying to the Trinity in the beginning. In the book The Path of Celtic Prayer by Calvin Miller, I learned that the Celts prayed to the Trinity out of respect. “[Saint] Patrick, it is said, once picked up a shamrock, and noticing that it was a single leaf with three distinct bracts, endowed the Celts with a strong trinitarianism they were never able to shake”...“His triune majesty should always remind us that he is greater than we are, but his regal ownership of our lives should never be allowed to crush us into silence.” The book continues on with the many reasons for and ways to pray, but what does this mean for us today? In a lesson I gave to the youth group recently, I related prayer to ordering a pizza. When you order a pizza, you go down a check-list of things you want; “Dear God, I need forgiveness, patience, grace, and some pepperoni. That’ll do it!” Then I made the joke “Do we consider Jesus to be our Delivery Guy?” In honesty, yes I think we do. God is the Baker, Jesus is the Delivery Guy, and the Holy Spirit is Customer Service (lol).
Finally, we think of the Holy Spirit when? In my opinion, only when we get that warm fuzzy feeling during worship; we never pray to the Spirit. God, Jesus, the Spirit; the Godhead is Three in One. I know the Trinity is a hard concept to grasp because it is not in our human nature. However, we should honor all of God by praying to all of Him. I have a challenge for all of us, myself included; I challenge you to pray a Trinity Prayer in the morning, every morning if possible. Below I provided a templet to help get you off on the right foot. You can either fill in the blanks once and pray that same prayer everyday or leave it empty and pray whatever is on your heart that day.
Holy God, I awake in the name of the Father who:______________________________. I arise in the name of the Son who:______________________________. I rise to greet the dawn in the name of the Spirit who:______________________________. I praise the threefold Trinity as God Who is one in three, A single power in unity.
When we pray, why do we only pray to God or Jesus? Calvin Miller suggests we think of God when there are major problems going on (i.e. Hurricanes, Earthquakes, etc.) Then, we think of Jesus for more everyday personal problems that we don’t want to bother God with (i.e. sickness, money problems, etc.)
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A prayer for her... BY ERIC TWACHTMAN ALOMA UMC MEMBER
So I went to a seminar about how to live as a Christian youth when I was in high school. Among other things (quite a few other things, actually, since the seminar was 5 days long), the speaker told us to pray for our dates. The idea being that every date could be the one with whom we would spend our lives, so we as youth should spend time asking God to prepare that person. This is how I began praying for Barb – years before I met her. I think I understood what the speaker was saying. I do remember nodding my head a lot, at least. Deep in my heart, though, I’m pretty sure I was thinking that what I really needed was A date – any date – that I could pray for in the first place. Not that I was a social wallflower. My parents had sent me to Cotillion so I could learn all the social graces. These social graces turned out to be dressing up in a suit, walking confidently over to a young woman, bowing slightly and saying, “May I have the pleasure of this dance?” After she graciously accepted, we would then go out on the dance floor to waltz. There were other social graces, but they involved which fork to use and when to write thank-you notes, not dating tips. You can see how prayer could be a big help here. These procedures worked well at the Cotillion dance, where the young women were taught the same things and played along. The system showed signs of weakness at school dances where the dress code was somewhat more relaxed, and asking a girl to dance looked more like slumping over to where the girls congregated, motioning with your head toward the dance floor and hoping for some sign of acceptance. Dancing was much less akin to waltzing than to standing in each other’s proximity and moving back and forth, more or less in time with the music. Once the music stopped, each person would then move back to the respective congregating areas and repeat the process at the start of the next song. (You slumped instead of walked, by the way, because good posture marked you as a bit of a geek. As did suits and ties. As did waltzes. As did pretty much everything Cotillion stood for.) By the time I got to college, the rules changed yet again – for there was no dancing allowed at Asbury College. There went all my hard-won Cotillion training. At this juncture I was indeed moved to pray, mostly, of course, out of a sense of need - because I thought it would be cool to date every now and again. Also, though I began to recognize that the guy in the seminar had been right, God really did have someone for me. It would be my job to align myself with what God had in mind. So I began to pray for ‘whoever’ until she actually showed up. Thus it was that I prayed for Barb before I had even met her. Not that I’ve given it up. It worked so well before I met her, why stop now?
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A prayer for him... BY BARBARA TWACHTMAN ALOMA UMC MEMBER
Ever since I became a Christian at the age of 13, I prayed for the guy who would become my Prince Charming. Tall...dark...handsome. I even had a little saying tucked away in a locket I wore. It went like this. 6 foot 2...eyes of blue...nice and sweet...hairy feet...I don't care! I knew God was going to place someone in my life and that he would be a Christian and love God with as much passion as I did. The first time I remember seeing Eric Twachtman was at Asbury College. He was wearing knickers and wooden shoes. I might have seen him around at other times, but he didn't really make an impression. But this time the impression was made. Boy, did that guy need prayer. All my girl friends thought he was weird and a little bit strange and so we all decided that prayer was probably the only thing that might help him. The next time I remember seeing Eric was when we went to a freshman get together and the weather was cold and I had, of course, forgotten to wear a jacket. This nice guy offered me his coat so that I would be warmer. But wait...this was the knickers and wooden shoes guy. Hmm! He seems sort of nice, let's see where this goes. Maybe I should pray about this. I didn't pray specifically for Eric. I prayed that if God wanted me to be in a relationship with someone, I was ready, but if not, I was content to just be in a love relationship with my Savior. And I decided on Friday nights when everyone was on a date, I would just hang out in my room and read my Bible, pray and have my own "date" with God. It was the next year that my new roomate just happened to have a sister who just happened to be engaged to a guy at school who just happened to be the roommate of the guy in the wooden shoes. (Looking back I know that wasn't happenstance, it was answers to my prayers.) And so we met formally and started eating at the same table with a bunch of friends and...well, you know the rest of the story. (For those who don't, I married the guy who wears wooden shoes). After that, my prayers for Eric changed to prayers for job decisions, prayers for strength as he went to school and got his Master's degree while we had a baby. That was a stressful time for him. When Eric changed careers and God led us in a totally different direction, I prayed a lot for God to guide Eric and give him clarity of vision for his life's vocation. As I continue to grow in Christ, I pray for Eric a lot about so many different things nowadays and sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder where I would be and what kinds of prayers I would be praying if I hadn't prayed way back in college for that crazy guy wearing the knickers and wooden shoes.
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March Events SPECIAL EVENTS Faith in Action Day Sunday, March 11th 11:30 am to 3:30 pm Fellowship Hall Join us as we stretch our faith by talking to “unmet friends” in our community! The purpose of this event is to both introduce the community to Aloma UMC and to our upcoming Spring Fling event. Family Dinner Wednesday, March 28th 5:45 pm Fellowship Hall Join us for this monthly gathering as we fellowship, eat, and have a great time with one another! This month we are celebrating Easter with a traditional Easter feast complete with ham, twice baked potatoes, and baby carrots in butter sauce. RSVP online by Monday, March 26th. Spring Fling Saturday, March 31st 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm Join us for this community event to celebrate Spring! There will be a free spaghetti dinner, Easter egg hunt (begins at 4:15 pm, please bring a personal basket), games for all ages, and live music. This will be a great opportunity to welcome some of your neigbors that will be invited during Faith in Action Day. Women’s Spring Retreat Friday, April 20th to Sunday, April 22nd UM Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg This year’s women’s retreat is around the corner. It will be an enjoyable weekend full of praise, worship, inspiration, fun, and more. You don’t have to be a member of Aloma to attend, so bring your friends, sisters, and mothers. Amy Brady will be this year’s
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To register for a special event, please visit www.AlomaZone.org
guest speaker. Learn more about her by visiting www.AmyBrady.com. Prices are as follows: $160 (single room) and $115 (double, each person). Registration deadline is April 1st. Registration forms can be found in the information racks located in the lobby. Aloma Youth: St. Patrick’s Day Party Saturday, March 17th 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Youth Room Come and enjoy games and food as we discover St. Patrick’s Day in a whole new way! This is a great opportunity to meet young people just like you. Don’t forget to wear green! Aloma Youth Lock-in Friday, March 23rd 8:00 pm to 8:00 am Youth Room Spring Break is almost here and what better way to celebrate it than to have a lock-in! Pizza, games, music, and more! This is a good time to fellowship together and to just have fun. Please bring $10 to help cover the cost for food, drinks, and a surprise.
CHILDREN & YOUTH Sunday School Classes:
* B.I.G House Sunday School 4-year-olds through 3rd Grade * Garage Sunday School 4th through 6th Grade * Youth Sunday School 7th through 12th Grade *For Sunday School classes, children, tweens, and youth join their families in the sanctuary at 10:30 for the opening of worship and are dismissed to their age-appropriate groups.
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March Events CHILDREN & YOUTH Wednesday Night Bible Study (6:15 pm to 7:30 pm):
Located in Room 25
*VIP Kids 4-year-olds through 3rd Grade
Men’s Bible Study Every Tuesday morning from 6:00 am to 9:00 am Located in the Church Office Building.
* The Kool Crew 4th through 6th Grade * Youth Group 7th through 12th Grade For more information, please contact Merry Kendall at merryk@alomazone.org.
ADULTS
Men’s Prayer Meeting Every Saturday from 7:30 am to 9:00 am Located in Room 30 Friendship Class Every Sunday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am Located in Room 24 Insight for Living Every Sunday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am Located in Fellowship Hall Seekers Sunday School Class Every Sunday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am Located in Room 25
*For information on how to join a small group, please contact Pastor Andy at andys@alomazone.org. Christian Quilters Every 2nd and 4th Monday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Located in Room 32
SENIORS Senior Exercise Every Tuesday 9:15 am to 10:00 am Located in Room 24
Senior Bible Study Every Tuesday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Located in Room 32
SPECIAL NEEDS Family Prayer & Support Group Wednesday, March 21st 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm Located in Room 31
Couples and Spares Sunday School Class Every Sunday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am Located in Room 32 Life in Jesus Bible Study Every Sunday from 9:00 am to 10:00 am Would you like to contribute to a future issue of ADVANCE? Let us know by sending your name and contact information to communications@alomazone.org.
ADVANCE / MARCH 2012
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BY KAREN CHRISTIE My journey began on October 26, 2010 and it has been no ordinary journey. It began as the result of a Bible study that I co-led in the fall of 2010. Leading the study helped me realize the value of reading and studying God’s Word on a daily basis. So I determined I would do something that I had been meaning to do for many years; read through the Bible in a year. So here I am, one year, 66 books, 2066 pages and 6 journals later, I have finished reading the entire Bible. But what began as an exercise in discipline and a personal challenge to meet a goal, turned into a journey that would lead me to a place of ever increasing love for God. The more I read, the more I learned about God’s love for me and all of His creation. Lessons I learned from reading the Bible 1. God knows me better than I know myself. Time and time again, God used the scriptures to point out to me areas of my life where I needed refining. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 2. There are really only two things we need to remember: Love God and Love Others. If we do these two things, everything else will fall into place. (Mark 12:29-31) 3. My life is not my own. God created me for His purposes. He has blessed me with a family, a home, a steady income, my health, etc. But, if he should require all of that from me today, how can I possibly be angry at Him. It is not mine. I am simply managing it for God. (Job 2:10) 4. I can face my giants with confidence. Through prayer and a relationship with Jesus Christ, I can go into battle against my foes with confidence, armed with the love of God. All I need to do is put my trust in the Lord. (1Samuel 17:45) These are just a few of the lessons I learned over the past year by reading through the Bible. My life has been enriched in so many ways by spending time with God and reading His word. The lessons were sometimes painful, but to know God is to love Him, so I persevered. There is no better way to know the heart of God than to spend time with Him.
An adventure in visionary prayer
(Continued from page 10). Develop a Holy Discontent.
As God moved the project forward, what Michael describes as a “Holy discontent” began to develop. The group became increasingly intolerant with a passive status quo and developed a desire to not just read the stories of scripture, but to see God to write new stories through them. The collective journey of faith came with an increasing desperation to experience – “a culture of revival in a furiously flowing river of God.” What is there in the world around you that creates in you a “Holy Discontent” that things aren’t the way they should be and need be, by the power of God, to be changed? Victory is the Start, not the end. On the last Saturday of October 2009, pieces finally fell into place as years of prayer came to a head in a three hour meeting with the reluctant-to-sellowners of the property. Once again, God intervened as he whispered the questions, and the answers that the current owners wanted to know. A day before Thanksgiving in 2009, YWAM
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leaders were made aware that their bid had been accepted and that God had given them a gift they did not think they would get. But this wasn’t the end of a journey, just the beginning. Challenges needed to be faced, money needed to be raised, permits still had to be found and to this day the work continues with many obstacles ahead. There is still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done… but Michael and his team will continue to journey in the same way that they began it – in prayer! Because of their continued prayer efforts, miracles have continued to be birthed. Prophetic encouragement has come at the right time; money has arrived in the mail just hours before bills have had to be paid and people have clearly received direction from God about their impact on the word.
This Thing Called Prayer (Continued from page 4) Jesus knew there was strength in numbers, as well. He promised: “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.” Matthew 18:19. Maybe Jesus thought the miracle was getting two believers to agree on anything, maybe He thought it was getting them to ask before acting. Whatever was in His mind, He knew that somehow when people got together in believing prayer, the power of God would be
unleashed. As I look out over the landscape of our world and encounter a lot of brokenness in people of all ages, I am convinced that God’s people have a unique role to play in the healing of our world. Yes, we are to give to good causes. Yes, we are to work hard on projects that help suffering people. But we are also called to pray and ask God what He will do. We’ll be amazed at the answers!
The promise of scripture is that God has “exceedingly and abundantly” more for us as His people and as His church than we can hope for or imagine. As we strive to become a house of prayer, let’s keep these Bible principals in place and stand together to see God work a miracle in and through us!
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