30 days of prayer...
we begin each year with a time known as "30 days of prayer". there is something exciting about the possibilities when you think about an entire congregation unifying their hearts and minds each day, seeking the face of the Lord together. in order to put us on the same page, a devotional guide has been assembled, walking us though our church covenant. you can receive the guide in a number of ways... visit thirtydaysofprayer.com, sign up for the daily email, or you can purchase a hardback copy for $10 on sunday night.
sign up for the daily email here
here is a more detailed explanation of the history behind this meaningful time:
in the fall of 1999, God began to stir the hearts of those involved in the Parkview Baptist Church college ministry, sparking many conversations, debates, and a general sense of excitement. the buzz centered around several students sensing that God was going to morph this group of people into a church. fortunately some of those involved recognized that there was a lot of talking going on but not a lot of prayer. so the leaders decided to use the break between semesters as a concentrated time of prayer and seeking the Lord's will, a period of about 30 days. the concept was simple... pray, read, study, seek, ask, and don't talk to each other about any of it for a month. then, once the 30 days was over, everyone would get together and see if God aligned the hearts and minds of those participating. in many ways, the ring community church came alive at that meeting in january of 2000, even though the official launch wasn't until 2006. those 30 days were transformational for those involved, and this time of prayer became part of how each year begins at the ring.
this devotional walks through the ring community church covenant, and paints a picture of what we believe God has called us to as a church. the covenant is broken into five sections: a foundational introduction, our commitments to the Lord, our commitments to one another, our commitments to the church, and a Christ-centered conclusion. it is our desire to walk out these commitments, and this will only happen as we abide in Christ and rely on Him to empower our efforts and faith. hopefully this devotional will be a blessing to you, and that God will use it to grow and transform us as we live life together.
