Prayer at the General Assembly
As in the past, prayer will be a primary focus of the upcoming Church of God International General Assembly (GA18) slated for July 30 – August 3, 2018 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Church of God International Prayer Coordinator Doug Small has announced several aspects of the prayer focus at GA18. Small is coordinating the events.
“One of the main emphases of this initiative is to invite Assembly delegates to join in prayer with others from across the country and the world,” Small indicated. The prayer events will be located in Room 204, just a few steps away from the main entrance to the business and worship venue at the OCCC West Concourse.
Among the highlights Small listed the following:
• Interactive Prayer Room Experience. Open 9am-7pm, Tuesday-Friday with various prayer activities
• Facebook Live – time of prayer every hour on the hour
• Special interviews with international and regional leaders.
• Watchmen – sign-up for a three-hour shift, and become a part of the watch throughout the day. Watching the world in prayer.
• Serve at Prayer Stations in the convention center.
Small also emphasized the importance of bringing prayer groups to pray for a day at the General Assembly:
• Pray with a missional focus.
• Pray for the nations (video-directed prayer, a tour of the world daily)
• Pray for prayer needs that stream into the prayer room.
• Pray for social/culture needs (banner praying).
• Pray for unreached people groups.
• Small group praying.
• Virtual prayer walk.
• Pray through the tabernacle.
• Pray for a global spiritual awakening.
• Pray with and for Church of God missionaries.
A second aspect of the prayer emphasis at GA18 takes place on Monday, July 30, also in Room 204 starting at 9:00 a.m, entitled the Praying Church Movement Event.
“Bring prayer to the heart of all you do in your local church congregation, Small continued. “The goal of The Praying Church Movement is to identify pastors and congregations that want to raise the standard of prayer and steward their prayer effort more effectively. We need a healthier theology of prayer and creative prayer approaches and practices.” Second Assistant General Overseer J. David Stephens will begin the training experience. A collage of ideas and resources will be presented by Small. Presentation of ideas will be laced into moments of prayer and attendees will receive complimentary prayer resources with their donation for the training.
From 1:30p.m.-.4:00 p.m. on July 30, there will be a School of Prayer Associate Presenter Certification Training workshop. State Prayer Leaders and team members, local church prayer leaders are invited to attend this afternoon session that introduces prayer coordinators to becoming a certified School of Prayer Associate Presenter in their state or region. Doug Small will conduct the training focused on the resources in the School, ‘Prayer – the Heart of it All.’
Once certified, presenters will utilize resource kits produced by Project Pray, complete with PowerPoint, videos, books and workbooks, and leader’s guides – and offer seminars in local congregations.
A modest registration fee will be collected onsite for the materials and the training. To learn more, please visit projectpray.org.
