The Vine - News Blog

Seek God for the City 2015: Lenten Devotionals from the Prayer Ministry

 
Arborlawn’s Prayer Ministry invites and encourages everyone to participate in the annual Seek God for the City Lenten devotional series.
 

Booklets are provided free of charge; a gift to the congregation from the Prayer Ministry. Look for them at the Welcome Kiosks and in the church office. Read more about Seek God for the City at Waymakers.org. This year's theme is “Prayers of Biblical Hope.”
 
You might also be interested in the smart phone app for this project. It’s available in both Apple’s App Store and from Google Play and costs $0.99. Read more at Waymakers.org/app. The app is great for those times when you're away from your booklet.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Ministry: A Look Back, A Peek Forward

 
As we embark on a new year, it is rewarding to review 2014’s activities and accomplishments, while anticipating God’s blessings in the upcoming year.
 
In 2014, the Arborlawn Prayer Ministry saw God’s divine workings in many meaningful ways. Teams of people prayed individuals’ requests and provided daily prayer support for our pastors. We matched Prayer Buddies with students and had a wonderful luncheon getting to know one another. We supported Arborlawn ministries through Prayer Walks prior to outreach events. We provided special prayer support for those ministering in Haiti. 
 

Prayer guides were provided to the congregation during Lent, Advent, and National and Global Days of Prayer. Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley trained parents and Sunday School teachers on how to provide “prayer-care” for children; next year, we will support the Children’s Ministry through Leanne's Holy Listening program. An updated brochure was published to help individuals explore ways to get involved in the Prayer Ministry’s various opportunities. We had a very fulfilling year, indeed!
 
What’s on tap for 2015? We will continue to support individuals’ relationships with the Lord through intercessory prayer and training opportunities. This year, we are looking forward to introducing additional ways to help people focus during personal prayer time, including the use of protestant prayer beads, using the method created by author Kristen Vincent. We hope to have Mrs. Vincent conduct a workshop about prayer beads at Arborlawn. We are also researching the possibility of joining a simulcast event featuring nationally recognized teachers. Many exciting opportunities appear for us to join God in His work.
 
Will you prayerfully consider if God is calling you to serve in the Prayer Ministry? Whether it’s by participating as an Intercessor, a missional prayer team member, a Student Prayer Buddy, praying for pastors, or in a group for occasional Prayer Walks - you will be truly blessed by serving. This time next year, you can reflect on the rewards and blessings you received through this ministry.
 
For more information, please contact us online ArborlawnUMC.org/Prayer or call and leave a message for us with the church office staff at 817-731-0701.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Requested for Haiti Mission Trip: You Can Help With the Trip from Here in Fort Worth

 
Arborlawn has a group of missionaries going to Haiti in October. You’ve been hearing about this trip for months, and the time for the journey is almost here. The group will be participating in the ongoing Clean Water Project in the village of Mizak, Haiti. They will also be helping with a Vacation Bible School project and assisting the HAPI Project with supplies for making aprons for local villagers.
 
We are asking members of Arborlawn to pray diligently before, during, and after the Haiti Mission Trip; that God's will would unfold in a beautiful way for both the citizens of Haiti and for our missionaries who will be involved in Haitian lives for the days they are there. The importance of these prayers cannot be understated.
 

The scripture in James chapter 5 says “…the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” You don't have to be going on this trip to Haiti to make a big difference in a lot of lives. Pray faithfully for this effort from right here in Fort Worth, and God will hear your voice.
 
Arborlawn's Prayer Ministry will be sending out a daily prayer email each day that our missionaries are in Haiti in October. If you want to receive this email, please visit this link to find the sign up form. Please note you will need to register for this special list even if you receive our weekly Vine email; the daily prayer email will only be sent to those who opt-in. After you sign up, you will need to check your email to complete the registration process. If you would like for us to add you to the list, please send an email to DeAndrea Dare asking to be added to the Haiti Daily Email list.
 
May God richly bless our missionaries and those providing prayer support.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

National Day of Prayer May 1

 
Arborlawn’s Prayer Ministry invites all to the Pray Tarrant County event on Thursday, May 1 in conjunction with the 2014 National Day of Prayer. The event is from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Burnett Park Plaza, 501 W. 7th Street. The theme this year is “One Voice, United in Prayer.” For more details, please contact Charlene Johnston.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Seek God for the City: Lenten Devotionals from the Prayer Ministry

 
Arborlawn’s Prayer Ministry invites and encourages everyone to participate in the annual Seek God for the City Lenten devotional series.
 

Booklets are provided free of charge this year; a gift to the congregation from the Prayer Ministry. Look for them at the Welcome Kiosks and in the church office. Read more about Seek God for the City at Waymakers.org. This year's theme is “Prayers of Biblical Hope.”
 
You might also be interested in the smart phone app for this project. It’s available in both Apple’s App Store and from Google Play and costs $0.99. Read more at Waymakers.org/app. The app is great for those times when you're away from your booklet.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Ministry: The Pastor’s Kitten

 
By Velma Darbo Stevens
 
God has a sense of humor and answers prayer in ways we cannot always imagine. To illustrate this, one time a pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and was afraid to come down. The tree was not sturdy enough for a person to climb, so the pastor decided to tie a rope to his car and to the tree and pull until the tree bent; in order to reach the kitten from the ground. So he started the car and began pulling on the rope. The tree went “boing!” and the kitten sailed through the air and out of sight. The pastor kept looking around the neighborhood, but there was no sign of the kitten. The pastor prayed, “Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping.”
 
A few days later the pastor went to the grocery store. He saw a church member with cat food. Since she was known to not like cats, he asked about it. She answered that her little girl had been begging for a cat. But the mother refused, saying, “If God gives you a cat, I’ll let you keep it.” She saw the child in the backyard, knelt down and asking God for a cat. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky and landed in front of her!
 
We can rejoice in the fact that God has many qualities that we emulate, sometimes forgetting that God has those qualities, too. Humor is one of His most delightful.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Seek God for the City: Devotionals for Lent 2014 from the Prayer Ministry

 
Arborlawn's Prayer Ministry invites and encourages everyone to participate in the annual Seek God for the City devotional series during the upcoming Lenten season. (This devotional series is specifically for Ash Wednesday, March 5 through Palm Sunday, April 13.)
 

Booklets are provided free of charge this year; a gift to the congregation from the Prayer Ministry. Look for them at the Welcome Kiosks and in the church office. Read more about Seek God for the City at Waymakers.org. This year's theme is “Prayers of Biblical Hope.”
 
You might also be interested in the smart phone app for this project. It’s available in both Apple’s App Store and from Google Play and costs $0.99. Read more at Waymakers.org/app. The app is great for those times when you're away from your booklet.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Advent devotional booklets available at Welcome Kiosks

 
The season of Advent provides an opportunity for spiritual renewal. Arborlawn's Prayer Ministry is giving Arborlawn members and guests the gift of Deborah Westbrook's Advent: A Calendar of Devotions 2013 this season. Let us focus on the things that truly matter during this busy time of the year and experience spiritual renewal. The devotional booklets are available outside the Worship Center in the Upper Commons and at the Welcome Kiosks in the Lower Commons.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Advent devotional booklets available at Welcome Kiosks

 
The season of Advent provides an opportunity for spiritual renewal. Arborlawn's Prayer Ministry is giving Arborlawn members and guests the gift of Deborah Westbrook's Advent: A Calendar of Devotions 2013 this season. Let us focus on the things that truly matter during this busy time of the year and experience spiritual renewal. The devotional booklets will be available starting Sunday, November 17 outside the Worship Center in the Upper Commons and at the Welcome Kiosks in the Lower Commons.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Leanne Hadley speaking here September 24: "Helping Your Child Understand God"; first 150 attendees get a copy of her book "When You Pray As a Family"

 
Arborlawn is hosting a special workshop called Helping Your Child Understand God with Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley here on Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Worship Center. The workshop is sponsored by Arborlawn's Children's Ministries, Student Ministries, and Prayer Ministry and is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children.
 
The first 150 attendees get a free copy of "When You Pray As a Family," a book Rev. Dr. Hadley co-authored with Rueben P. Job. Rev. Dr. Hadley is based in Colorado Springs and is the founder of First Steps Spirituality Center - 1stSteps.net.
 

Reserved child care is available by contacting Nell Cantwell (817-731-0701).
 
It's hard for us to imagine, but God loves our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews more than we do; and he has a plan for them, too, just like he does for each of us grownups. What we are hoping to accomplish with the evening workshop is to equip parents and caregivers to strengthen their relationships with their children and to build their relationship with God as a family and individually. Leanne will be giving the attendees specific tools and ideas for parents to become the spiritual leaders of their families. The workshop will be for parents and caregivers of very young children through the teen years.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Ministry: Trusting Through Tithing

By Velma Darbo Stevens
 
[Editor's Note: This article is about a time of learning in the writer's life from a few years ago. The dollar amounts discussed reflect a different era, but the spiritual truths told are quite timeless.]
 
When we pray and trust God for answers, that involves trusting him at every step. That is not always easy. We want to take back the steering gear even after we have said we will let God take control of our lives.
 
I learned in this discipline when I was starting out on preparation for a career in a church-related vocation.
 
A pastor in Louisville, Kentucky had offered me a job as his part-time secretary working thirty hours a week so that I could go to seminary taking a limited number of classes. The proposal was very attractive. I had wondered how I could get this training when I had no money and no way of earning enough on my entry-level job. So I gladly accepted his offer, on condition that I could get a suitable class schedule at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, located in Louisville, near my home. I found that I could get a ten-hour-a-week class schedule, which would mean working three days a week and going to school three days a week.
 
There was one problem left: making ends meet on half the wages I had been making in a full-time job. (Now I need to talk in very small amounts - which were in place in 1943.)  At the time I left my full-time job, I was making $100 a month. My new job would pay $40 a month. I could attend seminary without any tuition, and there was no cost for living at home. But I still needed bus fare, lunches (I paid my mother $5 a month for those), books, and fees.
 
I had been a faithful tither for years, and had been happy to contribute $10 a month from my full-time job. Could I now give $4 a month to the church and still have enough to live on? I was strongly tempted to forego my tithe for the three years I was living on a part-time salary and take it up again when I was making a full-time salary. For several weeks I struggled with this problem. But then I decided to go on with my small tithe and felt much better.
 
A few days later I received a call from the pastor for whom I would be working. He had just finished talking with his Youth Council. They had decided to provide more direction for the church's youth group, and he was asking me to take over that job on a weekly basis - every Sunday after church. The church would pay me $10 a month for this service.
 
Since I was very interested in working with young people, I gladly accepted. And the extra monthly salary would be extremely helpful for my monthly budget! In fact, it gave the money I needed for my bills, along with $5 a month for my tithe ($1 more than I was counting on in my church secretary job).
 
Actually, through the three years I was in seminary, I moved from church job to church job, with a better salary each year. By the time I graduated, I was earning what I had made in my full-time job.
 
This experience taught me some valuable lessons which have been underscored and deepened in my Christian experience. A major lesson, of course, was to trust the Lord in all circumstances of life. Another was that God does not just drop the needed funds in my lap. In all cases I have gotten what I needed by working for it. And God never gives beyond what I need.
 
These lessons help me trust the Lord even more. I know that our Father loves us just like an earthly father would, and even more. He wants us to grow in trusting him, in becoming more mature as followers of Jesus, and in putting our gifts to work in his kingdom.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Leanne Hadley speaking here Sept. 24 on "Helping Your Child Understand God"; first 150 attendees get a copy of her book "When You Pray As a Family"

 
Arborlawn is hosting a special workshop called Helping Your Child Understand God with Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley here on Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Worship Center. The workshop is sponsored by Arborlawn's Children's Ministries, Student Ministries, and Prayer Ministry and is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children.
 
The first 150 attendees get a free copy of "When You Pray As a Family," a book Rev. Dr. Hadley co-authored with Rueben P. Job. Rev. Dr. Hadley is based in Colorado Springs and is the founder of First Steps Spirituality Center - 1stSteps.net.
 

Reserved child care is available by contacting Nell Cantwell (817-731-0701).
 
It's hard for us to imagine, but God loves our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews more than we do; and he has a plan for them, too, just like he does for each of us grownups. What we are hoping to accomplish with the evening workshop is to equip parents and caregivers to strengthen their relationships with their children and to build their relationship with God as a family and individually. Leanne will be giving the attendees specific tools and ideas for parents to become the spiritual leaders of their families. The workshop will be for parents and caregivers of very young children through the teen years.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Leanne Hadley speaking here September 24: Helping Your Child Understand God

 
Arborlawn is hosting a special workshop called Helping Your Child Understand God with Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley here on Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Worship Center.
 

The workshop is sponsored by Arborlawn's Children's Ministries, Student Ministries, and Prayer Ministry and is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children. Reserved child care is available by contacting Nell Cantwell (817-731-0701).
 
Rev. Dr. Hadley is based in Colorado Springs and is the founder of First Steps Spirituality Center - 1stSteps.net.
 
It’s hard for us to imagine, but God loves our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews more than we do; and he has a plan for them, too, just like he does for each of us grownups. What we are hoping to accomplish with the evening workshop is to equip parents and caregivers to strengthen their relationships with their children and to build their relationship with God as a family and individually. Leanne will be giving the attendees specific tools and ideas for parents to become the spiritual leaders of their families. The workshop will be for parents and caregivers of very young children through the teen years.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Leanne Hadley speaking here September 24: Helping Your Child Understand God

 
Arborlawn is hosting a special workshop called Helping Your Child Understand God with Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley here on Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Worship Center.
 

The workshop is sponsored by Arborlawn's Children's Ministries, Student Ministries, and Prayer Ministry and is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children. Reserved child care is available by contacting Nell Cantwell (817-731-0701).
 
Rev. Dr. Hadley is based in Colorado Springs and is the founder of First Steps Spirituality Center - 1stSteps.net.
 
It’s hard for us to imagine, but God loves our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews more than we do; and he has a plan for them, too, just like he does for each of us grownups. What we are hoping to accomplish with the evening workshop is to equip parents and caregivers to strengthen their relationships with their children and to build their relationship with God as a family and individually. Leanne will be giving the attendees specific tools and ideas for parents to become the spiritual leaders of their families. The workshop will be for parents and caregivers of very young children through the teen years.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Leanne Hadley speaking here September 24: Helping Your Child Understand God

 
Arborlawn is hosting a special workshop called Helping Your Child Understand God with Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley here on Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Worship Center.
 

The workshop is sponsored by Arborlawn's Children's Ministries, Student Ministries, and Prayer Ministry and is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children. Reserved child care is available by contacting Nell Cantwell (817-731-0701).
 
Rev. Dr. Hadley is based in Colorado Springs and is the founder of First Steps Spirituality Center - 1stSteps.net.
 
It’s hard for us to imagine, but God loves our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews more than we do; and he has a plan for them, too, just like he does for each of us grownups. What we are hoping to accomplish with the evening workshop is to equip parents and caregivers to strengthen their relationships with their children and to build their relationship with God as a family and individually. Leanne will be giving the attendees specific tools and ideas for parents to become the spiritual leaders of their families. The workshop will be for parents and caregivers of very young children through the teen years.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Partners for Arborlawn Students

 
From Mary Johnson: A while back, some adult members signed up to be prayer partners for our Arborlawn Students. Tentative pairings have been made and some of you will be receiving an email about that partnership soon.
 
We had more adult volunteers than students. Praise the Lord! But all should get a chance to serve because now we will be looking for even more adults to pair up with the upcoming 6th graders who will be attending this year's Confirmation Class beginning the end of August. Hopefully, everything will fall into place and we can begin praying for our youth as they start school and as they participate in this important spiritual class.
 
Within the next couple of weeks, you will find sign up sheets in the Sunday School boxes. If you are interested in participating in this important ministry or have questions, please complete one of these forms and someone will get back with you as soon as information becomes available. In the meantime, start the youth prayers rolling!
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Leanne Hadley speaking here September 24 in the Worship Center

 
Mark your calendars for a special workshop on Helping Your Child Understand God by Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley here on Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Worship Center. The workshop is sponsored by Arborlawn's Prayer Ministry and is for parents, grandparents, and caregivers of children.
 
Rev. Dr. Hadley is based in Colorado Springs and is the founder of First Steps Spirituality Center.
 
Children have an innate connection with God. It is our job as parents, grandparents, and caregivers to help them develop and understand that connection. Join us on September 24 for this timely workshop; it will be a blessing to those of all ages who desire to learn more about helping their children.
 
Watch for more details as the workshop draws nearer.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Ministry: Assurance from God

 
By Velma Darbo Stevens
 
What do you pray when the doctors have said they have done all they can for your husband's brain cancer and he has only a few months to live?
 
Long ago I had formed the practice, if I was praying for someone, to ask them what they wanted me to pray.
 
So I asked Vance what we should pray for during those next few weeks while he was in the hospital.
 
Vance prayed deeply, but he never talked much about it. Evidently he had been thinking over this same question, for he answered me without hesitation: "Let's pray that, if it is God's will, I won't suffer much, and let's pray that everyone who comes in contact with us will know that we are Christians."
 
That is how we prayed, and the answers were marvelous. Vance never suffered the kind of pain that is so often associated with brain cancer.
 
As for our witness, neither Vance nor I was much on "talking" our witness to Christ. But the nurses said to me more than once, "Your husband is a fine man. He must be a Christian, because he is always so gentle, so considerate of us and thankful for our helping of him."
 
As for me, I had a special experience. Several times I visited a medical supply store to get things Vance needed. About the third time I was there, the clerk said to me, "You must be a Christian."
 
"How do you know?" I asked.
 
"Just the way you act," she said. "It tells me that you are a Christian."
 
I am so grateful for the way God not only answers our prayers but gives us assurance that our witness for Christ has been seen.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Ministry: Mitzy

 
By Velma Darbo Stevens
 
It seems as if it is taking God a long, long time to teach me not to make my prayers so specific that he cannot answer them the best way, not until I am willing to put the whole situation in his hands.
 
He taught me a very valuable lesson - and I hope a long-lasting one - during the period when I was praying for a dog. I had lost a dear black Lab mix very suddenly in the fall of 2005. I had not been without a dog for more than a few weeks since I moved here in 1967; so I was really missing my canine companion.
 
I knew what I wanted: another black Lab who needed a home. But I wanted one about whose background I knew a little: perhaps a dog whose owner had to give it up for some reason. I prayed very specifically for such a dog. I asked my vet to look out for a dog. I asked my friends to pray and to help me look.
 
Several of them told me they thought it was time I got a smaller dog. Since my stroke in 1999 I had not been able to walk a dog properly. They thought I would be better off with a little dog. But I resisted, because I was afraid a small dog might walk in front of me and trip me or mix me up with the walker. So I continued to pray for what I knew was the right dog for me.
 
But the months passed, and nothing happened. Finally, when it had been seven months, I went back to the Lord. "All right, Lord," I said, "I'm not getting anywhere the way I'm praying. You send the dog that is right for me!"
 
Another couple of months went by. Late in July I received a call from a strange woman. She said to me, "My husband knows your next door neighbor. He was telling your neighbor that we are keeping a small dog that belonged to my mother before she died, and we are trying to find a home for it. Your neighbor said to my husband, 'I know someone who needs a dog.' He gave us your name and number, and so I'm calling you."
 
She described the dog to me: a Pomeranian-Spitz female mix, about fifteen pounds, three years old, very gentle and well-trained.
 

I said, "Bring her over and let me see how we get along together."
 
The next day they brought her to me. The minute I saw her - a sweet-faced, white-and-beige dog with a plumey, curled tail - I fell in love with her. I talked briefly with the couple and took the supplies they had brought for her. Her name is Mitzy, and it seemed appropriate for such a cute dog.
 
When the people left, I looked for Mitzy, but she was nowhere around. I hunted all through the house for her, even under the furniture, but she was nowhere. Finally I went to my bedroom in the back. There in the middle of my king-size bed lay Mitzy, totally at home. She obviously felt as good about being with me as I did about being with her.
 
She was as gentle and well-trained as the woman had told me. We had a couple of years of good times in my home. But then I decided to move into an assisted living facility. I looked for a place that would take pets, and I chose Mirabella. Of course, only small pets are allowed, and I would not have been able to take a dog larger than Mitzy. So God knew what he was doing when he sent me a small dog. Also, her social skills are extremely well cultivated. She loves meeting people in the halls or in the public areas. Everyone wants to pet her, and she revels in the attention.
 
A great lesson I learned through this prayer experience: Don't make your prayers too specific. Make room for God's wisdom as well as his power to work. He loves us and will give us what we want and need if we trust him.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org

Prayer Walk on June 5 for Annual Conference (June 9-12)

 
From Kathy Wilcox: In advance of the Central Texas Annual Conference, the Prayer Ministry invites everyone to join a Prayer Walk of the Arborlawn campus on Wednesday, June 5 at 6:00 p.m.
 
You might be asking, "What is a prayer walk, and why are we doing it?"
 
Prayer walking has been described as “praying on-site with insight.” It’s simply praying in the very places that we expect God to bring forth His answers. Rev. Ben Disney opens with a prayer, and then each participant walks the various rooms and spaces throughout the building where Annual Conference meetings and gatherings will take place. While walking, participants will silently talk to the Lord, asking Him to bless and guide each delegate, every meeting, and every decision. This focused intercessory prayer time can be a very moving spiritual experience. Many people have expressed awareness of the Lord’s Presence and a "knowing" that He has heard and will answer the prayers.
 
Committees have been very busy, physically preparing and organizing the Arborlawn campus for this great event, so that it runs smoothly and all delegates are comfortable and welcomed. But now it is time to prepare for the spiritual aspect of Annual Conference, as we walk and pray for God’s hand to be over all details. May He receive all honor and glory... Amen.
 
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ArborlawnUMC.org