International.
Southeast Asia

Matt & Tris recently moved to Nepal. They moved in order to  strengthen the few gospel believing and preaching churches in establishing a church based training center for pastors (a seminary). 

The Hindu Dashain festival is currently being celebrated. It's a two-week holiday where people clean their homes and put out flowers to create a welcoming environment for the goddess Durga. Families will sacrifice animals to the goddess. During this time, new clothes are given, kites flown, the best food is eaten, and families travel across the country to gather and enjoy time together. People worship the supreme goddess Durga during this time because she defeated a buffalo demon. As they celebrate the victory of good over evil, they hope Durga will give them prosperity and happiness. Matt and Tris are reminded of the hope they have in Christ as he offered Himself as a sacrifice, gaining victory over sin and evil by sacrificial mercy and self-giving love displayed on the cross. 

  • Pray for opportunities for Matt and Trish to share their hope with friends.
  • Pray for them to establish new routines and to be faithful with their time.
  • Pray that the pastoral equipping will bear much fruit.
North America.
Rowan Community Church // Morehead, KY

RCC celebrated one year of being a church this past Sunday. God has established and is building His church in Rowan County (Matt 16:18). In this first year, the church has gone from a dedicated few to several additional families and college students gathering weekly in a building adjacent to Morehead State University. The congregation is involved in several prongs of evangelism: two separate gatherings of college students are being discipled on campus, and adults are being engaged at work and through a women’s community group.  New families have joined who are growing in their faith and experiencing church life in a deeper way. They are being used to engage long-time residents in the region. One father testified to how the church had helped them in a difficult season for their family. Another couple was recently saved and looking forward to being baptized into the church soon.  

It seems more people are coming each week, with different sets of college students ducking in and out each week. There is marked growth across the body in being open to confessing sin, and growth in spiritual disciplines. Praise God, they now have members who are leading the congregation in worship. This is a direct answer to much  prayer!

  • Pray for joy, godliness, and zeal for Joshua as he continues to shepherd the church.
  • Pray for elders and deacons to be raised up to help shepherd and serve the growing congregation.
  • Pray for more conversions as the church engages the lost on campus and in the community.
Kentuckiana.
Gospel Community Groups

The New Testament is full of "one another" commands that cannot be obeyed apart from community. One way to find community is through GCG’s. They exist to encourage each other in faithfulness to the Lord by carrying one another's burdens and living on mission as a community grounded in the gospel.

  • Pray for all of our Gospel Community Groups to grow deeper in fellowship with each other and with their Savior. Pray that no sin would go unnoticed in any of our hearts and for a readiness to repent and cling to Jesus.
  • Pray that each leader would be filled with the wisdom of the Lord as they lead their groups. Pray also that God would raise up more leaders who can lead groups to accommodate all of Immanuel’s new members.
  • Pray for evangelistic opportunities in each group and that God would save many as we demonstrate love, hospitality, and a commitment to the truth.
Unreached.
Batak Karo of Indonesia

Location:

Indonesia

Population:

1,250,000

Ev. Christian:

20%

Main Language:

Batak Karo

Spiritual Beliefs:

Mixed

Bible in Heart Language:

Yes

It is common for the Batak to live outside their homeland throughout Sumatra and Java. Many of the Batak are Christians, while others adhere to Islam. 

  • Pray that local believers’ engagement of the Batak would result in churches being planted and revitalized. 
  • Pray that Batak Christians would be fully devoted to God and not given to nominalism. 
  • Pray for the salvation of many among this people group and that God would use them to take the gospel to the many unreached peoples in Indonesia.