Dear FFICM Prayer Partners,
We are reminded in Colossians 4:2 to: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;” NASB95 What a great reminder to have “an attitude of thanksgiving.” It is easy to come before God with all our our struggles and challenges, which he loves to have us do, but we also need to keep an attitude of thanksgiving in the midst of that
Below you will find a prayer guide to support you as you accompany us in prayer and worship this week. May God bless your time in the quiet place with hope and peace.
Nigeria:
Current and Ongoing ministry
- This week half of the Nigeria team is doing a new believer follow-up training in Bauchi State with church leaders. Pray that the training goes well and the leaders will be able to learn how to do this new believer follow-up in their context and that they will apply all that they have learned.
- The other half of the Nigeria team is doing new believer follow-up training in Gyambwas with the COCIN church. Again pray for the training process this week as well as the process of implementing all that they learn in their local ministry context.
- Pray: Zainab is helped facilitate an evangelistic crusade in Abuja today. Pray for the people who attended and the new believer follow-up with that will happen with the FFICM materials for those who give their life to Christ.
Muslim Outreach Ministry
- TV and Radio — We continue to broadcast the TV and radio episodes that have been recorded to share about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus, and are specifically made for people coming to Christ from a Muslim background. Continue to pray for the impact of these recordings, and for the FFICM staff as they work to follow-up those who are coming to Christ.
- There have been a lot of call-ins to the radio station for prayers. Pray for the team there and those needing prayer.
- Pray also for wisdom for our staff as they answer those phone calls and have opportunities to share the gospel over and over each week. God is at work and let us never grow weary of doing the work He has called us to.
Upcoming Events
- FFICM Nigeria National Director Peter Wash is working on applying for a visa to the US. Pray that the visa application will be accepted. We would love to be able to have him come and share with many of our partners here in the US about what God is doing through FFICM in Nigeria.
- Praise: They had a great time together on Friday at the staff retreat. There were different speakers that shared with them about evangelism and mission work. They also worked on teamwork and how to work together better as a team. It was a great time of refreshing.
Safety amidst Dangerous Violence:
- Pray: Safety while Traveling — Ongoing security issues make it difficult to travel and do ministry. You never know which road will be closed or where the bandits will be. There are very frequent attacks and insecurity in the land. Please pray for safety for the trainers.
Prayer for our Ministry Team
- Pray: Peter continues to work on his Doctorate in Global Evangelism. Pray for wisdom as he divides his time between work at the office, going out and helping with trainings, doing school assignments, as well as personal and family responsibilities.
- Pray: Prisca is working on her Masters degree in Global Evangelism. Pray for wisdom for her and she divides her time between that as well as family, FFICM trainings, and leading the FFICM fundraising effort locally there in Nigeria for FFICM Africa. Prisca has been really down lately. She’s had a lot on her plate and has been overwhelmed with stress. Pray for strength and encouragement.
Ethiopia:
- Current/Future Programs
- This week! – Training of Women trainers from Ethiopia Kale Heywet Church – The plan was to train 80 Ethiopian women in New Believer Follow-up, but 130 women showed up! God is good! This team of women will become Trainers of Trainers. They have a plan for exponential growth as women are prepared to go out and train other women. This group of women were very hungry for the Word!
- Next week – The Head of the Ethiopia Kale Hayet Church has requested a training for follow-up of new believers from a Muslim background in Ethiopia! Pray for Rich Gardner, Rick Cordell, and David Beger as they work together with Eskinder, Tesfaye and other Ethiopians to train the expected 80 participants.
- Pray: EKHC denomination churches in Awassa want training. It is tentatively planned for sometime in November.
- Peace in Ethiopia
- Pray: Uncertain Political Future — War is continuing in the northern part of the country. Please pray for political resolution, for peace and for provision for the people whose lives had been devastated by the violence and loss of access to basic resources. People are displaced from their villages to other parts of the country due to this war. This ongoing unrest is mostly in the northern and western parts of the country. The economy is suffering because of all this fighting.
- We praise God that things are safe in the central and southern part of the country and that we are able to continue to do the new believer follow-up training there that is so crucial to equipping the church.
- Prayer for our Ministry Team
- Praise: Eskinder (FFICM National Director in Ethiopia) went to his home town Bonga last week in the western part of the country, and saw his family. He was able to share the gospel with them again and pray for them. He has been praying for them for almost 30 years. His mother Asegedech, his father Alemayehu, and his aunt Mulu all gave their lives to Christ. Eskinder is excited beyond words!
- Pray for these three new believers to grow in their faith and relationship with God.
- They have resisted the true gospel message for many years and they have much that they need to understand. Pray for wisdom for Eskinder and others as they come alongside his parents and help them to grow in their relationship with God.
- Praise: Eskinder (FFICM National Director in Ethiopia) went to his home town Bonga last week in the western part of the country, and saw his family. He was able to share the gospel with them again and pray for them. He has been praying for them for almost 30 years. His mother Asegedech, his father Alemayehu, and his aunt Mulu all gave their lives to Christ. Eskinder is excited beyond words!
USA:
- Pray for upcoming events
- Pray: Fall Fundraiser — Pray for a smooth process in planning the fall fundraiser which will be held Saturday November 20 both in-person at our office in Portland, OR and virtually. Pray for wisdom in how to continue to share the vision for this ministry. Pray that God would help us to communicate well through all of our modes of communication. www.fficm.org/beyond
- Praise: We have received wine donations as well as a couple of table sponsorships for this event so far!
- Pray: Pray for Peter Wash’s visa to come through so that he can come to the US in November and speak at the Fall Banquet.
- Pray: Fall Fundraiser — Pray for a smooth process in planning the fall fundraiser which will be held Saturday November 20 both in-person at our office in Portland, OR and virtually. Pray for wisdom in how to continue to share the vision for this ministry. Pray that God would help us to communicate well through all of our modes of communication. www.fficm.org/beyond
- Prayer for our Ministry Partners
- Pray: Carly Powne, US Based International Trainer — www.fficm.org/carly-powne
- Carly is a part of the October training marathon, but her primary task right now is developing her partnership team: people who will partner with her through monthly financial support and regular prayers!
- We pray that God will bring a full team of prayer and financial partners for her before the end of December so she can focus fully on her role as an International Trainer with FFICM.
- David Moore, Director of Operations
- Pray for wisdom as he balances his time between work, family, and his MA Nonprofit Management classes, especially as he begins a new class this week.
- Pray for wisdom in parenting. Pray for spiritual protection of his children and for good ability to communicate as a family.
- Pray for David’s son Ben. Pray God would take a hold of his heart and help him turn away from these things that are hurting him.
- Praise: David had a safe trip out to The Dalles and back where he shared at the First Christian Church there. The church started supporting him in back in January. Pray for wisdom in how to continue to cultivate relationships there and to grow more prayer and financial partners there. They would like him to come back to share again and meet with the pastor.
- Pray for safe travel for his in-laws who have traveled to Arizona.
- Rick Cordell, Adjunct International Trainer
- Praise: The process of getting his visa was very complicated but he got approved and is currently with Rich in Ethiopia helping with the training there.
- Jerel Skeith, Director of Strategic Relationships
- Jerel and David will attend a mission increase seminar this week. Pray that God would pour into them and inspire them with ways to move the organization forward.
- Rich Gardner, President
- Pray: Dara Searcy-Gardner, Rich Gardner’s daughter continues to struggle with debilitating asthma. She asked us to pray that the medication (Xolair shots) would conquer the asthma. Continue to pray for complete healing.
- Elle Wisot, Communications Coordinator
- Pray for Elle as she transitions out of FFICM to focus fully on her masters program.
- Pray for wisdom for David, Jerel, and Rich in planning for Elle’s departure and how to fill that role.
- Pray for wisdom as she has run into concerns with a family at the school where she interns at due to her being at a Christian university. Pray for this to be resolved and that the relationship would stay intact.
- Pray for Elle as she transitions out of FFICM to focus fully on her masters program.
- Pray: Carly Powne, US Based International Trainer — www.fficm.org/carly-powne
- Pray for Strategic Development
- Praise: Golfing “fore” the Gospel Fundraiser — Those who played in the first annual FFICM golf fundraiser are the heroes! Their generous spirit toward FFICM by swinging their clubs raised enough to sponsor 65 women to attend the women’s training in Ethiopia.
- Pray: Wisdom regarding church status — Pray for wisdom as FFICM applies for church status here in the US. Most large mission organizations have applied for and been granted church status in the US. This would allow us to be able to have all of our staff receive the ministerial housing allowance and would have other tax and finance benefits for us as an organization.
- The US staff has been working on a code of conduct for employees in the US and the international trainers.
- Pray that the application would go through and be approved.
- Pray that God would provide a volunteer who could assist us with ongoing website maintenance and update tasks.
- Pray: We need an International Director of Prayer. We would love to have someone to take charge and develop this crucial area of ministry even more. Pray that God would raise the right person up for the job.
- Pray/Praise: FFICM has been asked to serve as the workshop track coordinator for Mission ConneXion’s NW 2022 conference. The “Discipleship Basics” workshop track will be amazing! We are working on finalizing who will be speaking at that and need to have the bios and workshop names submitted by next week on Monday. We hope to see you at the conference on Jan 21-22, 2022.
Sudan & Egypt:
- Praise: Rich and Rick have had an amazing time this past week:
- In Sudan they had about 20 people in attendance at the new believer follow-up training. The students felt a real need for learning the FFICM materials.
- Rich met with the leader of 4G3 – Melti organization. Pray for the partnership with them and wisdom on how to move forward.
- Pray that God would keep them safe as they continue their journey to Ethiopia.
