There's an old joke that gets kicked around sometimes that says, “If you do something twice in the Christian Reformed Church, it's a tradition.” I think an event trumps “tradition” when it becomes “the way we do things here at Hope Fellowship.” That's what the week of prayer and fasting is: the way we do things.
When Hope Fellowship started, we did not begin the church season with a week of prayer and fasting. At the beginning of a new season all the workers in the church were “commissioned” to their tasks during a service.
However, Hope Fellowship did not thrive at its inception. In fact, four years into being a church, we were gasping for breath to stay alive. The body had been severely fractured.
A group of people was appointed to lead the church through a process of confession and re-dedication to our allegiance to Christ and to our mandate as His church. We had been brought to our knees, literally and figuratively. We searched out God's will for Hope Fellowship through prayer and fasting at the beginning of a new church season. When we opened our eyes again, we had been rejuvenated! We were committed to repair the considerable harm that had been caused, and we were prepared to stand up and be a healthy church, committed to our Lord Jesus Christ and prompted by His Spirit.
The process of that re-dedication made us realize that every church year should be started with an earnest seeking of God's will. That's how the week of prayer and fasting became “the way we do things at Hope Fellowship.”
So this September, we prayed. Every evening from Monday to Friday, people gathered in the atrium of the east wing to give thanks to God for who He is, and for allowing our church body to share in His work. On at least four of the five evenings, the circle of chairs had to be expanded and expanded as many joined in earnest petition for God's blessing on various aspects of ministry at Hope Fellowship and for all the people who are involved in them. Yes, we likely prayed for you, too, maybe not by name but by your involvement in this body. I bear witness to the fact that every aspect of the work of this church was bathed in prayer for a whole week.
When Hope Fellowship started, we did not begin the church season with a week of prayer and fasting. At the beginning of a new season all the workers in the church were “commissioned” to their tasks during a service.
However, Hope Fellowship did not thrive at its inception. In fact, four years into being a church, we were gasping for breath to stay alive. The body had been severely fractured.
A group of people was appointed to lead the church through a process of confession and re-dedication to our allegiance to Christ and to our mandate as His church. We had been brought to our knees, literally and figuratively. We searched out God's will for Hope Fellowship through prayer and fasting at the beginning of a new church season. When we opened our eyes again, we had been rejuvenated! We were committed to repair the considerable harm that had been caused, and we were prepared to stand up and be a healthy church, committed to our Lord Jesus Christ and prompted by His Spirit.
The process of that re-dedication made us realize that every church year should be started with an earnest seeking of God's will. That's how the week of prayer and fasting became “the way we do things at Hope Fellowship.”
So this September, we prayed. Every evening from Monday to Friday, people gathered in the atrium of the east wing to give thanks to God for who He is, and for allowing our church body to share in His work. On at least four of the five evenings, the circle of chairs had to be expanded and expanded as many joined in earnest petition for God's blessing on various aspects of ministry at Hope Fellowship and for all the people who are involved in them. Yes, we likely prayed for you, too, maybe not by name but by your involvement in this body. I bear witness to the fact that every aspect of the work of this church was bathed in prayer for a whole week.
- Bernice Baker
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