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

Father of Lights (James 1:17), 

We thank you for your mercies upon us during the first half of this year. Some of Earth’s seasons have already come and gone this year. Our life’s seasons have also changed. Time and tide did indeed wait for no man. But you remained our rock of faithfulness and we thank you for that.  

Father, as our Church family, we have gone through sorrows of loss, shed tears of hope and experienced immeasurable joys of new birth. You have brought together couples from our fellowship in marriage right here in this sanctuary and elsewhere. You have showered young and seasoned marriages with your grace to showcase Christ’s relationship to the body of believers. We thank you for your undeserved grace upon us. 

Loving Father, we thank you for enabling our congregation to celebrate your faithfulness to us for the last 25 years as a local body of believers here in Lee’s Summit. LORD GOD, only you could have written this narrative. From a church split to a vibrant, Biblically sound and healthy local body - this is your gracious doing in our midst, O Lord. We give you glory and thank you for that.  

You have raised international and regional missionaries, lay and vocational ministers of the Word from this body of believers. We thank you for your kindness.  

Father, in the next 25 years and more, we don’t want to just grow in numbers, we want to grow deeper in our knowledge of Christ Jesus from the Word of God, have our lives be transformed and renewed by the Word of God, have our marriages that are represented in our membership living out the Word of God and engaging our culture with the Word of God…please help us to that end.  

Please be glorified through all of the avenues of Biblical service at Summit Woods from the pulpit ministry, worship ministry, men and women’s, grounded student ministries, children’s ministries, Adolescents ministry, Equipping Classes, Growth Groups, Ushering ministry, Security ministry, Building and Grounds maintenance ministry, Admin team ministry, Ministry for the mothers, Senior Adults ministry, our Ironmen groups and Titus 2 groups, Discipleship counseling ministry and scores of 1:1 Bible studies and personal discipleships. To God be all glory! 

Father, please bless our parents and grandparents attempts to teach their children, the ways of the Lord. Please don’t allow the enemy to steal the seeds they are planting in the young minds and hearts. Please give increase and spiritual fruit in the lives of the children for your glory. 

Please bless our all of our single members in their pursuit of God. Please glorify your name through them. May your will be done in all of our lives.  

Father, we don’t want to fill our calendars with empty pursuit, chasing after the wind.  

Please help all of us to contend for our holy faith even as our society entangles itself in abominations.  

Please help us with the help of the Holy Spirit and your Holy Word to keep ourselves in the love of God even as you keep us from stumbling (Jude 1).  

Please help us to be diligent and stable in the faith till the end and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3). 

We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who showed us mercy, Amen.