SPACE May 2005 Prayer Update

Church leaders invest too much time answering this question: how do we keep new followers from falling away from the church? Church leaders should instead ask: how do we develop people who MUST? Having a sense of "must-ness" is not about social conformity [i.e. reinforcing acceptable patterns of going to worship services, giving money to the church, attending a small group, etc]. "Must-ness" comes from an internal motivation inspired by a Jesus like understanding of God's activity in the world.
He calls his followers of both the first and twenty-first centuries to give their lives with him to something greater than themselves. When any person hears Jesus' call and recognizes the intrinsic beauty of what Jesus is doing, he will run with red-hot passion and join swords with anyone and everyone who hears as he does.
- Alex McManus

Hi SPACE prayer team,
Thanks so much for thinking about SPACE (Students Prepared to Act for Christ's Empire), the missions and service arm of GCC's youth ministry.

As you know, we are endeavoring to plan and execute multiple missional experiences in the next few months. Your praying partnership is fundamental as we seek to cultivate, grow and provide fertile and rich spiritual environments.

Please pray for these as you remember:
* May 13-15 : A weekend for the graduating Seniors focused on mission, culture and the future at a surprise location. Titled "The Black Hole Experience," I know it will be transformative for catalyzing some of these students into being Christ-followers that must.
* Decision : We need to finalize this week on a decision for a mission trip for our core leader students.
* Logistics : Pray for final plans involving an entry level experience for high schoolers which involves three full missional days in Washington DC spaced out over the summer.
* Logistics : Pray for our final plans for a middle school weekend serving with a missions technical service organization in the middle of July. This weekend will
also include exposing our students to world religions.

Join us in celebrating:
* Praise for LB, AB and FZ, three emerging college leaders, that are helping on the lead teams for some of our trips this summer.
* Praise for good progress for a trip for current 11th graders going to Trinidad to serve and encourage a GCC missionary and his family there.
* Praise for a potential opportunity for me to spend a few days working with a youth pastor in Phoenix on a community outreach project with his students.

Thanks once again for your partnership with us in this endeavor. I gladly raise and join my sword with yours.

Picture below: One of the leaders written about above, giving a talk about Jesus at one of our local shopping centers, from February 2004.