How you can use these prayer points?

We have 8 areas for prayer, each with a blurb giving you an update on Church on the Green (COTG) and then a list of prayer points. Some areas also have a scripture or two to meditate on and aid your time of prayer.

1. Conveniently there are 8 headings, and 8 days of dedicated prayer for COTG. Perhaps you could pray for 1 area each day?
2. In your house group or with a friend pick an area or two to focus your prayers on.
3. Each prayer station at Priory Street along with visual aids will use these to provide you prayer points – please make use of the available times Priory Street is open during the week to come and pray.

Thank you so much for taking the time this week to pray for us up at Church on the Green – your prayers are deeply appreciated by us all – and please do send us feedback on your times of prayer. 

Accommodation/Building

Scripture to meditate on:

• Psalm 127:1
• Matthew 7:7-8

When Church on the Green was first planted in November 2014 we met on Sunday mornings in the Rudloe Community Centre on Leyland’s road. Then, back in July 2017 that community centre was closed by the Council and we had to move into the smaller MOD-owned community centre on Portal Avenue, where we continue to meet today.

Our accommodation has served us very well, however during the past 5 years we’ve been greatly blessed with numerical growth, especially with children, and we are now operating right at the capacity limit that the MOD community centre offers. In effect the church plant in Rudloe has become ‘pot-bound’ and needs re-potting!

We find ourselves at a significant turning point as we consider our next 5 years ahead, and with the backing of the CBC leadership we believe that this is a top priority as we pray for the church to reach Rudloe with the Gospel and grow in both numbers & spiritual maturity.

We don’t know where God is leading us regarding our building, but we do know God answers our prayers (Matt 7:7-8) and that unless God is part of our work we will labour in vain. (Psalm 127).

Some specific doors you can be praying for and pushing on are:

• The possibility of the old community centre becoming available again
• Meeting at Broadwood primary school
• Purchasing land and building a new church
• Purchasing an existing building 
• If we owned a building, how could it be used to serve the community?

Junior church

Scripture to meditate on:

• Matthew 19:14

When we first planted COTG we had just 4 children; Isaac and Esther Pillinger, joined a bit later by Eddie and Anna Durant. At the time they had a huge room to themselves and could happily run and play as well as sit and learn.

Wonderfully, over time our numbers rose as other families joined us so that now we have 4 regulars in our youngest group, 4 regulars in our middle group and 6 regulars in our oldest (Yr 5 upwards) group.

Give thanks for:

• Our increased numbers
• The enthusiasm of our youngsters to learn more about God
• Their growth in confidence to share what they’ve learned with the adults
• The exciting growth in maturity of our children as they turn from little wrigglers to happy listeners & participants, and on to develop the desire and the skills to ‘deep dive’ into God’s word

Please pray for:

• Our children – Please pray for each child’s walk with our Lord Jesus.  At the Junior church prayer station you’ll see our kids have all created their own pictures and prayer requests.
• Our accommodation. Space & seating are limited now we have so many children, which limits activities we can do. Thin doors between the kids and the main service constrain the volume of activities. No storage at the centre, so equipment is stored at Debbie’s and brought back-and-forth.
• Provision of additional Junior Church leaders and continued energy and enthusiasm for those who help!

Evangelism

Scripture to meditate on:

• Matthew 28:16-20

Church on the Green was planted 5 years ago with the specific aim to reach the Rudloe community with the Good News of Jesus Christ! We want to tell as many people in Rudloe about what Jesus has done for them and see people trust Him as their Lord and saviour.

Taking the Gospel to the Rudloe community has predominantly been done through relational evangelism, and sharing Jesus over the course of many years. We have seen real fruit in the past couple of years as the Holy Spirit has worked in people’s hearts. It has been exciting to run Christianity Explored courses and baptise new believers. 

Please pray that we will use every opportunity we have to share the Gospel message. Some areas you might pray for are:

• The Spirit to be preparing hearts to receive the Gospel
• To have deep personal relationships where we share the hope we have in Christ
• People are drawn in to events that we organise (e.g. Easter/Christmas)
• A burning fire in our hearts to share Jesus!
• Flyers delivered to doorsteps to be read rather than recycled.
• Sunday morning meetings to proclaim the Gospel through all aspects of the service

Mission

Scripture to meditate on:

• Matthew 20:30-34

At Church on the Green our dear family members Stuart, Lynne & Matthew Little have been called to serve Christ onboard the Mercy Ship currently stationed in Senegal. This ship provides medical care that is not readily available in countries like Senegal. It is an amazing ministry of a ship full of Christians providing life changing surgery and a wonderful opportunity to share Jesus.

Please pray for the Little’s and their roles. Lynne has suffered with knee problems, and with so many steps onboard it can exacerbate the pain. Also, they’re likely to be extending their current term.

• Stuart (carpenter)
• Lynne (administrator in the hospital)
• Matthew (deck hand)

Discipleship / church life

Scripture to meditate on: 

• 1 John 5:14-15
• Matt 7:15-27 

As a congregation we want to be faithful disciples to our Lord and Saviour, building one another up in our faith and spiritual walks, on Sunday mornings and through the week. In doing this we are encouraging and coming alongside each other in all areas of our lives, being held accountable with an eagerness for our hearts to be changed and to become more like Christ. 

Areas to pray for:

• Discipleship of the congregation – each producing good fruit 
• Our 3 life groups
• Leaders will be built up and given God’s wisdom and guidance to lead His people 
• That we are a community that proclaims the Gospel and shines a light into Rudloe.
• For members currently posted overseas (the Frys, the Matthews and the Littles)

Heart 4 Rudloe

COTG has partnered with Janet from Box Parish for the past 5 years at Heart 4 Rudloe. It is a messy-church service aimed at families with younger children; we are primarily reaching military housing and it runs twice a month. Each service has a Bible story as it’s theme and involves various crafts and activities e.g. puzzles/games, duplo challenge, all linked to the Bible story and what we are aiming to teach. The Bible story will be told in an interactive way with the children and a few worship songs sung. Then there is a time of prayer before we enjoy a light tea together.

Heart is a great opportunity to sit down and get to know the families a little better, to build up those relationships. We have seen fruit from our relationships and families who have then started coming along to our Sunday morning services. We are excited to see more of God at work in the future through this outreach ministry.

Areas to pray for:

• God would provide more people able to serve
• Word will spread and more people will come and hear the gospel message
• Relationships will grow deeper and more seeds will be sown in the families who attend

Sunday mornings

Scripture to meditate on:

• Ephesians 3:10-11
• 1 Corinthians 14:26

So much goes on on a Sunday morning, but we want this time to be a time of glorifying God and worshiping Him, and a time that builds one another up in our faith.

Please pray for:

• Heartfelt & Christ centred worship
• Gospel centred bible preaching that is spoken in love
• For all areas of service (e.g. Preaching, Junior church, Worship, Teas & Coffees, Intercessions)
• Great time of fellowship

Get involved

Church on the Green is a young church congregation planted by CBC 5 years ago to reach Rudloe. Taking the image of plant a little further, for it to grow it needs nurturing by being regularly fed and watered. We very much want the relationship between Priory Street congregations and COTG to be a Gospel partnership to ensure the church flourishes and grows in Rudloe. To that end we want you to pray for this partnership and how you specifically might be involved in bringing Good News to Rudloe and building us up.

Areas you could pray for:

• We’d love visitors from Priory Street – come and worship God with us and see what is happening!
• Regularly pray for Church on the Green and ask us for updates
• Come and support outreach events, Heart4Rudloe etc.
• Preaching opportunities arise from time-to-time
• Perhaps you have ideas on how you might support us?!

To help you get started, we have some prayer stations set up in the church and I have prepared some prayer points some of which are requests from those involved in the ministries and some of which are suggestions. This is not an exhaustive list, so please don’t be constrained by it but pray as the Spirit leads you. You may like to begin by reading a psalm of praise and praising God for all He is and has done for us in Christ. (Some suggestions – Psalm 8, 96, 103, 145, 146.)

Our vision is to be a “gospel-centred church”, aiming to make disciples, reach out to the local community with the love and truth of God and to play our part in taking the gospel to the “ends of the earth”. (Acts 1:8) With this in mind, let’s lift the ministries of our church to God in prayer!

I’ve split the notes up so there will be a daily update but if you want to get them all now click here.

TODDLER GROUP

• Team will reflect God’s love and everyone will feel welcome and cared for

• God will be at work in people’s hearts and will use the Bible verses and songs to speak to them

• The team will have wisdom and discernment when talking to the adults who attend

• The children will be safe in their play and will have fun

• People will want to go to the Ark and other Christian activities and that God will be drawing them to Himself

• Praise God that He has provided enough helpers each week for the number of children and carers

• Ask God to provide a new leader and to continue to provide enough helpers each week

• Pray for the team – Kathy L, Heather C, Helen C, Vanessa N, Jean P, Margaret H, Zelda, Julie K, Claire K, Colin W, Ian R

THE ARK

• Thank God for all those involved in running this ministry – Heather C, the puppeteers, those providing refreshments, those involved in craft, music, sound, lighting etc.

• Thank God for the increasing number of regular families attending

• For deepening relationships between church and non-church families

• Pray for God’s continued blessing on this ministry

• That the team would grow together in the unity of Christ

• That God would reveal His will for the Ark and that His Kingdom would grow through it

• Ask that God would provide everything needed for this work

• That people would continue to come and that God would work in their hearts, drawing them to Himself

• Pray for the “Ark on Sunday” starting in March – an opportunity to meet together for a family service – wisdom and guidance in running this service

MID-WEEK SERVICE

• Praise God for His continued blessing on this congregation

• Praise God for the spiritual growth that has occurred in many attendees of this congregation – for new believers and baptisms and pray for more conversions and baptisms

• Pray for those faithfully leading and running the service e.g. Eric S, David M, key-board players, tea and cake makers, lift givers

• Pray for someone to replace Lynne L on the keyboard as she leaves to serve on Mercy Ships

• Pray for the pastoral needs of the congregation

CHURCH ON THE GREEN

• Thank God for His provision over the last year

• Pray for the leaders and families – Rob D, Adrian P, Paul G – for wisdom and guidance as they seek to lead according to God’s will and for His glory

• Pray for growth in the congregation both numerically and in fellowship with Christ and one another

• Pray they would increasingly live, worship and serve for God’s glory

• Gospel opportunities and the boldness, perseverance and courage to take them

• Protection over the congregation

• Junior church teachers to teach faithfully and clearly to the mixed age group of children

• For the children and young people to have a real love for the Lord

• Praise God for the regular coffee morning group consisting of the old Mums and Tots group – pray that relationships would continue to grow and God would give opportunities to share the gospel

• Praise God for Heart4Rudloe (bi-monthly “messy church” style service run by Box parish church with COTG support) – real fruit has been seen through this opportunity to engage with the local community – pray for additional helpers

• Praise God for the two Christianity Explored courses earlier this year and pray for a further course coming up soon

• Pray for Discipleship Explored course starting later this year

• The community of Rudloe and its representatives in government and local authorities

• Pray for wisdom in reaching all three distinct communities in Rudloe

• For the new housing estates – that other Christians might come to help proclaim the gospel – for wisdom in reaching these new areas

• Pray for provision of a building to meet in as Crumpets Café is reaching capacity – future of Rudloe Community Centre is still being discussed by the council? The local school? New build? Pray for wisdom and guidance