Please find below the notes from the Elder's Prayer this past Sunday

As Christians, we regularly call out to God for his grace. We pray for each other’s needs and for our own-both physical and spiritual. He alone is God and knows all our needs-yet we are called to bring all things to him, as the apostle Paul states, through prayer and supplication-with thanksgiving.

Let’s give thanks to God this morning for his rich provision for our church over the last number of years and seek his grace for all our spiritual and physical needs-both now and future.

This morning, let’s lift up the Capranica family who, for the first time in almost ten years, since they have been at Summit Woods, are away from us for an extended period of time.
Let’s pray that their time of sabbatical will bear much fruit in our church’s ministry efforts in Central Asia, where they are spending a good deal of time.

Let’s pray for them as family that God will graciously use this time to shape and enrich all of them as they travel together and see a part of the world that is so meaningful to us in terms of church history.

Pray for Bret as he spends part of each day upon his return, working on projects he has identified that will have a long-term impact on our body.

I ask that we pray also for the men who will be filling this pulpit over the next weeks. None of us has the experience and ability that Bret has, but each of us has trained and worked diligently to faithfully teach God’s Word-let’s seek God’s grace and wisdom for the teachers and for the hearers.

Let’s pray for the staff-Dawson, Dalton, Sam and Mary Ann-and all those who serve this church in various capacities as they take on new responsibilities.

And most of all, let’s lift up this body-each and every one of us-Christ’s church-his body-that we would treat each other-now and always-as the apostle Paul calls us to in Ephesians 4-when he says we are to: walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which (WE) have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 Paul reminds us-there is one body and one Spirit—just as (WE) were called to the one hope that belongs to(OUR) call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Let’s pray.

Father we are gathered here today as your church whom you love-we belong to you-we are the body-the one your Son gave his life for on the Cross-we were bought with his blood.

You are God over all-through all and in all-you alone know our hearts and our needs and have provided so richly for us in so many ways-for that we give thanks.
We seek your grace today in all matters concerning this body-we pray for your wisdom and your Spirit.

We pray for the Capranicas as they travel that your hand would be upon them and that their trip would bear much fruit, both personally and for your kingdom.

We lift up this pulpit to you and the men who will fill it today and in the coming weeks. May you fill us with your wisdom and the insight of your Word that we may faithfully proclaim Christ to all that hear.

We pray for those who serve this body in all areas-in all manner of administrative and ministry capacities-no matter what they may be-that they would do so faithfully, fueled by your grace and remembering we are all serving the Lord Christ in all that we do.

And most of all we lift up-each other-each member of this body-each with unique physical and spiritual needs-help us Lord to be not only hearers, but doers of your Word-quick to exhibit the grace and mercy toward each other that you gave to us at the Cross when our Lord died that we may be reconciled to you. Make us ministers of your reconciliation as we walk through this life together.

May we increasingly love you and love each other-I pray in Christ’s name-Amen.