‘United, lifted up and encouraged’

There is great encouragement and comfort in the knowledge that you are being lifted up to God in prayer. I hope you have experienced this in your life.

I’d like to share my experience of this encouragement during the LCANZ’s first churchwide Season of Prayer for church planting in 2019.

I have been involved in a missional community and church planting team for many years. Working in this space has its highs and lows, times of joy and discouragement. We want the wider church to be encouraged by the joys and to pray with us in challenging times, but sometimes it feels like we’re on the edge of the church, with most of the LCANZ unaware.

However, when the first churchwide Season of Prayer was held, it brought a focus to this missional work. The wider church had a chance to hear and be encouraged by the work of Local Mission, as well as joining in prayer for God to raise up and send out harvest workers into his fields.

And for me, there was something powerfully encouraging in knowing that Lutherans in congregations all across Australia and New Zealand were united in this prayer.

I pray that this year’s Season of Prayer can again bring mutual encouragement as we pray together for renewal, mission, evangelism, church planting and discipleship in the LCANZ.