Prayer Challenge – Day 8

Posted on November 9, 2014November 8, 2014 by Andy Wood

God’s Big Vision: his vision for your life

Death by lions is certainly not a pleasant thought. But Daniel didn’t allow the threat of lions to deter him from his vision. Don’t get me wrong – the lions were real and Daniel didn’t ignore this reality. In fact, he prayed with desperation to be delivered from them (6:11). But even in this intense situation, he prayed in the direction of Jerusalem – a land that encapsulated his long-term hope and God’s promise. He didn’t let his circumstances dictate his calling in life.

It’s easy to be side-tracked by the “lions” in our lives. However, we must take them seriously and at the same time hold true to the long-range, big picture that God is calling each one of us to live into.

Today, ask God to help you name your lions, deliver you from them and keep you eyes fixed on that distant land of Jerusalem (whatever that is for you). You may want to use some of the following movements to fuel your prayer:

From arrogance & murmuring towards humility & contentment.
From greed & self-advancement towards generosity and compassion.
From personal gain towards unselfishness.
From personal strength / ability towards reliance on God’s provision.
From addiction towards freedom.

“[Daniel] went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.” 6:10

Prayer Challenge – Day 7

Posted on November 8, 2014October 31, 2014 by Andy Wood

God’s Big Vision: his vision for your life

What do you love? What dreams do you have that may be from God? Some of us are afraid to have vision for our life. Some of us have had the dreams beaten out of us. But this doesn’t change the fact that God has exciting plans for each of his kids.

Could it be that some of your desires are from God? The Psalmist sang that if you take delight in the Lord, he would give you the desires of your heart (37). We have a Father who really wants the best for us – not just what’s good for us (think Buckley’s cough syrup). It’s our job to take delight in him (he already delights in us).

Today, ask the Lord to show you which of your desires are actually his desires.

“He’s always given me what I’ve desired, or rather, He’s made me desire what He wanted to give me.” St. Therese de Lisieux

Prayer Challenge – Day 6

Posted on November 7, 2014October 31, 2014 by Andy Wood

God’s Big Vision: his vision for your life

Most of us overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can accomplish over a lifetime. God has vision for each of us. He has plans and dreams for us. Daniel prayed three times a day with his windows opened toward Jerusalem. He prayed facing his long-term dream of one day returning to his homeland.

What is God’s vision for you? What does he have for you to accomplish? What does he see when he looks through the windows of your life? Today, begin a conversation with God about these questions.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain

Prayer Challenge – Day 5

Posted on November 6, 2014October 31, 2014 by Andy Wood

God’s Big Vision for You: his vision for you today

If God were to speak one word to you today, one phrase or thought, what would it be? God sees you as you are now, but also as you will one day be. He sees the future you just as clearly as he sees you today.

Ask God to give you a word, a thought or a picture for today that speaks of who he’s calling you to be.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Cor 13

Prayer Challenge – Day 4

Posted on November 5, 2014October 31, 2014 by Andy Wood

God’s Big Vision for You: his presence with you today

So many of us rush through our days without any thought or awareness of God’s presence with us. But the reality is that he is always with us. Perhaps God’s greatest wish for you today is simply that you are aware of his desire to be with you. That, today, you would simply be awake to his presence.

Ask God to show how he is with you in the regular, mundane activities of your day.

“Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.” Rev 21

Prayer Challenge – Day 3

Posted on November 4, 2014October 31, 2014 by Andy Wood

A Big Vision of God: how big is your God?

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed “who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” when three brave Hebrew men refused to bow and worship him. They were thrown into a fiery furnace for their disobedience to the king (and for their obedience to God). When the king saw the three Hebrew men walking unharmed in the flames along with one other “person” walking with them, he changed his tune and exclaimed, “there is no other god who is able to deliver this way!”

When we see that God is bigger than our circumstances, it changes how we see our present situations. He may not take our problems away, but he will be with us, just like he was with those in the furnace.

Ask God to reveal his presence with you in a special way today.

Prayer Challenge – Day 2

Posted on November 3, 2014November 3, 2014 by Andy Wood

A Big Vision of God: big God, big prayers

When we have a stunted image of God, we tend to pray small prayers. When we have an expanded vision of God, we tend to pray bigger prayers. We know Daniel had a big vision of God by the kind of prayers he prayed. He prayed some high-stakes prayers a number of times – think about him praying for interpretation to the king’s dreams, or pleading for deliverance from the den of lions. How might God want to expand your vision of him?

The Challenge:

Today, ask him to show you something about himself that you don’t already know. This evening, remember to reflect on, and write down what happened.

Prayer Challenge – Day 1 (an introduction)

Posted on November 2, 2014November 24, 2014 by Andy Wood

The vision is to see everyone in WCV walk in a daily awareness and anticipation of God’s presence, and to see that awareness and reality spill out to those around them. We’ll start with a 30-day challenge: Pray 3 times a day for 30 days.

When we set aside time, seek God’s heart, and get a sense of his vision for our lives, our communities and our neighbourhoods, big things can happen. That’s what happened for Daniel. His prayer life set the stage for some life-saving miracles.

For us, there may not be physical lions waiting to devour us, but the call to pray is no less urgent today than it was in Daniel’s time and our lions can be just as deadly. We believe God will do amazing things among us as we devote ourselves to him in this way, together. When his children turn their hearts and attention towards him, he will respond (it’s a promise).

There are three movements of prayer that we’re inviting you to consider during these 30 days.

3 Times a Day – MORNING, DAYTIME & EVENING

Morning:

The morning is full of promise for the day ahead. It’s about looking forward into the future. In the morning ask God what his vision is for you today. What would he like to say to you, show you, and invite you to participate in? Throughout the prayer challenge, we will offer suggestions about what to pray for or think about. But feel free to set it up in a way that works for you.

“I pray that the eyes of my heart be enlightened to know the hope of my calling.” Ephesians 1:19

Daytime:

The day is all about the present and living out the vision you received in the morning. This is when we put flesh to our prayers – the “walking it out” part of prayer. Throughout your day, look for signs of what God spoke in the morning, and/or answers to your morning’s prayers. You may want to be very practical and set an alarm at a particular time during the day to pray. There may also be some kind of action that you’ll need to engage in or there may be some kind of prayer that you’ll need to pray. Whatever it is, make it specific.

“The eyes of the Lord move back and forth across the earth, searching for those whose hearts are truly his, so that he may strongly support them.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

Evening:

The evening is about reflection. After it’s all said and done, look back in gratitude. Thank God for, not only his presence with you today, but for what he showed you, what he spoke to you, how he revealed himself to you. Maybe you have a sense of completion, perhaps something is birthing in you that will take years to come to fruition. Whatever the case, you’re a day closer now. Keep faithful, keep at it, be thankful, write it down – and rest.

“Whatever was true, fitting, extraordinary, pure, beautiful, won my respect” Philippians 4

“Write it down on tablets.”

This is what God told Habakkuk to do with his prayers. Something happens when we put our prayers and prayerful thoughts into writing. Consider keeping some kind of journal for these 30 days. We all need a record to refer to. Most of our memories are short, especially when it comes to prayer. So, whether you’re inclined towards pen & paper, painting a picture, a magazine collage, some other kind of creative (or non-creative) reflection, or an actual tablet, make sure you do something. You won’t be disappointed. For today, let’s simply ask God to reveal himself to us over the course of this 30-Day Prayer Challenge!

For today, let’s simply ask God to reveal himself to us over the course of this 30-Day Prayer Challenge!

Stay tuned for corporate times of prayer and worship…

New Elders – an invitation

Posted on September 21, 2014October 28, 2014 by Andy Wood

We are in the process of prayerfully discerning the expansion of our Elder team. Stephen and Gloria Fligg have been serving on the elder team for a number of years and have recently discerned that their time in this role is at an end. They are excited about serving in other areas in the Vineyard. We’d like to thank them for the insight, wisdom, care and love they’ve so generously given to the whole community as they have diligently served in the capacity of elders. While they’ll be missed on the team, we’re excited about everything God has for them in the future at the Vineyard!

In the Vineyard, Elders function as overseers who tend to the spiritual health and vision of the community. The Elder team, while not always elders in age, are seasoned leaders and followers of Jesus. There are two kinds of elders in Winnipeg Centre Vineyard – Pastoral Elders and Lay Elders. The Lay Elders (Ben & Debra Kelly and Paul & Sherry Ansloos) keep the big picture in mind and prayerfully seek God for direction and counsel regarding all macro matters relating to church-life. The Pastoral Elders (Riegers, Woods, Rademakers & Labuns) also embrace this role with the added responsibility of implementing the daily tasks associated with the macro. While all the current elders are married couples, this is not a requirement for prospective elders, nor is it even preferable.

Lay Elders meet monthly and commit to a 3-year term.

There are four steps in the process of adding new elders to our current team. There are also a number of considerations and requirements for elders.

The New Elder Process is:

Nomination and Discernment (Sept 21 – Oct 27). During this time the community and the elder team nominate those they think are currently functioning as elders (even if they don’t have the position). Prayerfully ask, “who do I naturally look to for counsel, support, care, etc?” Chances are, those are the people who are already functioning as elders. At the same time, the pastors and elders are prayerfully discerning if people qualify and are a good fit for the current team and season of life the church is in (see below for requirements and considerations).
Proposal & Mutual Consideration (Oct 28 – Nov 24). The staff will contact potential new elders and invite them to prayerfully consider. This is a period in which we see if this “seems good to us and the Holy Spirit”.
Prospective Elder Period (Nov 25 – March). This is a three-month period during which prospective elders come to monthly elder meetings and are in communication with staff. At the end of this period it’s determined if it’s a fit. If it is:
Membership Vote (in March). Those who are formal members of WCV (in the Outer Circle or an equivalent) are able to vote on the prospective new elders. If the new elder is ratified, this begins their 3-year term. Bear in mind that this is a vote, not on who should become elders, but on whether those who’ve been identified via the above process are the right decision for the Vineyard at this time.

Requirements for Elders are:

Biblical requirements for Eldership (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1)
Walking out and dialoguing with our 15 Core Practices. Of particular note are: Devotion to Jesus (elders should be devoted to their walk with God), Circles of Sharing (a hallmark of eldership is hospitality) and Generosity (elders should be tithing to the local church).
A good fit with the current team and the season the Vineyard is in. While there are many people who generally qualify as elders, the staff and current elders must prayerfully discern who is the best fit for right now. What skills and gift mix will best suit the team already? This is not a popularity contest – it is a serious process to discern who God has prepared and gifted to serve the whole community at this time.

The nomination period is now closed. Please continue to pray for wisdom and direction as we build our leadership team.

Here is our current Elder team (click on the pictures to see names):