December 27th, 2023
5 Prayers for CPC in 2024
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” –Ephesians 3:20-21
At the end of 2022, I wrote an article entitled “5 Prayers for CPC in 2023.” Those prayers were: that CPC would impact our community, influence our children, increase our giving, enlarge our staff, and envision our future. I believe that all five of those prayers have been answered. We impacted our community in meaningful and lasting ways through VBS and our Fall Fest. We influenced our children and enlarged our staff by hiring Adam Kowalczyk as our Youth Director. Our giving has increased substantially and we are now in Phase 1 of our new building project. On top of all those wonderful things, we received 13 new members into our church family!
Here are my three prayers for 2024:
1) Become Measurably Evangelistic: In the American South, most church growth happens via transfer. A family was going to First Denominational Church of Daphne – but now they go to Second Undenominational Church of Daphne. There’s nothing wrong with transfer growth, especially when the family that transfers benefits spiritually from the change. However, God has called us to more than transfer growth. He has called us to reach our unchurched friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members with the gospel. In the EPC, evangelism is measured by the number of adult baptisms performed in a given year. Why? Because when an adult comes to faith for the first time, they are baptized. By God’s grace, we have had one adult baptism at CPC each of the last two years. I pray that 2024 will be different. I pray that each one of us will take God’s call to share the gospel personally – and that we will have 5 adult baptisms at CPC in 2024.
2) Lean Into Children’s Ministry: God has blessed CPC with so many children that we are expanding our facilities in order to minister to them. Children are our primary mission field, and my prayer for 2024 is that we send an abundance of workers and resources into that field. May God bless us with a rich harvest next year.
3) Deepen Our Community: If you attend church every time the doors are open, you are here for about 4 hours each week. Across those 4 hours, you have a total of perhaps 45 minutes to talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s not enough time to get to know someone deeply. My prayer for 2024 is that the members of CPC will engage with one another more outside of church: more lunches, more coffee, more time around a fire and in each other’s homes. We were made for community with one another – and 45 minutes per week is not enough.
What are your prayers for CPC in 2024? Will you join me in praying for our church in the coming year?
Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” –Ephesians 3:20-21
At the end of 2022, I wrote an article entitled “5 Prayers for CPC in 2023.” Those prayers were: that CPC would impact our community, influence our children, increase our giving, enlarge our staff, and envision our future. I believe that all five of those prayers have been answered. We impacted our community in meaningful and lasting ways through VBS and our Fall Fest. We influenced our children and enlarged our staff by hiring Adam Kowalczyk as our Youth Director. Our giving has increased substantially and we are now in Phase 1 of our new building project. On top of all those wonderful things, we received 13 new members into our church family!
Here are my three prayers for 2024:
1) Become Measurably Evangelistic: In the American South, most church growth happens via transfer. A family was going to First Denominational Church of Daphne – but now they go to Second Undenominational Church of Daphne. There’s nothing wrong with transfer growth, especially when the family that transfers benefits spiritually from the change. However, God has called us to more than transfer growth. He has called us to reach our unchurched friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members with the gospel. In the EPC, evangelism is measured by the number of adult baptisms performed in a given year. Why? Because when an adult comes to faith for the first time, they are baptized. By God’s grace, we have had one adult baptism at CPC each of the last two years. I pray that 2024 will be different. I pray that each one of us will take God’s call to share the gospel personally – and that we will have 5 adult baptisms at CPC in 2024.
2) Lean Into Children’s Ministry: God has blessed CPC with so many children that we are expanding our facilities in order to minister to them. Children are our primary mission field, and my prayer for 2024 is that we send an abundance of workers and resources into that field. May God bless us with a rich harvest next year.
3) Deepen Our Community: If you attend church every time the doors are open, you are here for about 4 hours each week. Across those 4 hours, you have a total of perhaps 45 minutes to talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s not enough time to get to know someone deeply. My prayer for 2024 is that the members of CPC will engage with one another more outside of church: more lunches, more coffee, more time around a fire and in each other’s homes. We were made for community with one another – and 45 minutes per week is not enough.
What are your prayers for CPC in 2024? Will you join me in praying for our church in the coming year?
Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster
Posted in From The Pastor\\\'s Desk
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