Monday 1st: Give thanks for the Easter Services which took place across our churches over this past weekend. Pray that the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, heard by many, would impact the lives of individuals and continue to transform our churches to be communities living out God’s heart of love, grace and justice. 

Tuesday 2nd: Please pray for peace in the Middle East. As Psalm 92:12 states (paraphrased), the righteous will flourish and grow like the strong ‘eternal’ cedar trees of Lebanon … so let us pray for the right-doers (righteous) in the conflict that continues in the Middle East. Pray that they continue to stand strong and uphold God’s reconciling and restorative justice work.

Wednesday 3rd: Pray for churches as they continue to complete the Safe Church Health Check. Pray for wisdom and perseverance for safe church teams, administrators and church leaderships as they complete the applications. Pray that the Safe Church Health Check promotes and builds a culture of justice and protection for children, young and vulnerable people.

Thursday 4th: The IMPACT gap year program is well underway for 2024. Pray for the students who are part of IMPACT as they settle in to the routine of study and group times. Pray also as they plan for their mission trip in July. Pray that God would be growing these young adults in their faith and that he would develop in them a heart for serving God with grace, truth and justice.

Friday 5th: We’d love you to pray today for our regional ministry in the Western Districts and for Regional Minister Wayne Spencer (pastor at Yeoval Baptist). Pray for ministry and mission amongst these regional and remote churches in small towns that God would use them together to grow his Kingdom. Pray that the partnership of churches in the West under Wayne and his team’s leadership, would support our churches there to be unified and fruitful.

Saturday 6th: Today the State Youth Camp team is celebrating at the SYC 10 year anniversary celebration dinner. Pray for everyone who attends, that it will be a time of celebration of the past and the future as we look at the 10 year journey and ahead to what God has in store. Give thanks for the many young people who have decided to follow Jesus through State Youth Camp over the past decade, and for those who continue to go on in ministry and leadership in God’s Kingdom. Pray for more of this in the future! Pray also for the team who will be facilitating the evening, that they would be strengthened and guided as they lead and serve.

Sunday 7th: Pray for Morling College students as they complete Semester 1 assignments, that their learning would be deep and transformative. Pray for those who will mark assignments too! Praise God for teachers who are being equipped through Morling’s education courses and through Morling’s Initial Teacher Education partnership with Christian Heritage College. Pray for teachers and placement students as they head into school holidays, often a time to catch up on study – but hopefully a time of rest as well.  Please also pray that Morling students from regional and rural areas of Australia will connect with other students and be supported well by their churches and communities.

Monday 8th: Please pray for those gathering tomorrow online for the Simple Church Taster event as they learn and explore whether they are being called to plant a Simple Church. Pray also for three of our recently planted Simple Churches (Follow, Lighthouse Ridge and All-Life) as they plan to multiply themselves. Please pray for God to provide sufficient resources, time and energy for the planters. 

Tuesday 9th: Today the Association’s Assembly Council is meeting. Please pray for new Chairperson Allen Sibley and for each member of the Assembly Council as they lead the movement – ask that God would grant them favour, wisdom, grace and insight as they work on behalf of all our churches to direct our movement according to God’s purposes.

Wednesday 10th: With our Crossover Australia team, praise God for the generosity of our thousand Baptist churches around the nation partnering together in the Australian Baptist Easter Offering. Ask God to continue to guide the Crossover team and Taskforce in the use of these funds to encourage, resource and train Australian Baptists to share Jesus.

Thursday 11th: Louise Bartlett and the Children’s and Families Ministries team would like us to pray for the team preparing for the State Kids Camp which will be held in July at Kiah Ridge. Pray for creativity, wisdom and agility as they plan and create a peak experience for children from Baptist churches across NSW and ACT. 

Friday 12th: We’d love you to pray today for the 21 students who are taking the Leadership Development Unit at Morling College with Craig Corkill (Associate Director, Discipleship and Leadership Development). Give thanks for these students and pray that, as they consider the subject matter, it is not only engaging but catalytic for future ministry.

Saturday 13th: Pray today for Baptist World Aid Australia as they advocate for justice in Australia and beyond where people are suffering, oppressed, disadvantaged and marginalised. Pray for their projects, advocacy, resource gathering and support as they live out the love and mercy of Jesus with their partners in some of the hardest places around the world.

Sunday 14th: Please pray today for our Director of Ministries, Steve Bartlett, and for his Executive Leadership Team (Craig Corkill – Associate Director, Discipleship and Leadership Development; Jamie Freeman – Associate Director, Mission and Church Development, Grae McWhirter – Associate Director, Strategic Support and Regional Development; and Heidi Tak – Associate Director, Operations) as they lead the various ministries and services provided to our family of churches and pastors towards 1000 healthy churches in a generation. Pray for wisdom, insight, vision and favour on them.

Monday 15th: Pray for Jenny Casey (Team Leader, Ministry Affirmation) and the Affirmation Oversight Team, as they assist leaders to explore their call to ministry through becoming Accredited or Recognised Ministers. Pray for those leaders who have entered that journey of vocational ministry this year and for the ministries they are already exploring or participating in. Pray that God would raise more leaders to pastor churches, plant churches and lead in and beyond our churches this year and in to the future. 

Tuesday 16th: Pray for our Regional Ministry called “Greater West for Christ”, which serves the western suburbs of Sydney. Pray for their leadership team, including Mark Chapple the Regional Minister (and pastor at Penrith Baptist Church). Pray that through GWFC’s ministries and businesses, churches would be encouraged to grow in health, leaders would be raised up and equipped, justice would be championed, churches would multiply and people in that part of Sydney would be impacted by the love of Jesus.

Wednesday 17th: The Baptist Financial Services Team encourage us to give thanks to God for the opportunities he provides to assist churches in planning and implementing decisions to purchase or improve existing properties. They encourage us today to pray for the Baptist Association and other Christian organisations which benefit from BFS sponsorship, that their ministry initiatives may bear great fruit for God’s Kingdom.

Thursday 18th: Today a number of people will be interviewed by the Affirmation Oversight Team in their journey to become accredited or recognised ministers. Pray for these women and men who are heeding the call of Christ to leadership, and pray for God to call others to similarly bring their gifts, skills and experience to the task for leading in our part of God’s Kingdom.

Friday 19th: The Association’s Church Multiplication Team would love us to pray for the 17 Baptist churches planted in NSW and ACT in 2023. Pray that they would continue to grow in health, strength, witness and justice in their communities. Give thanks, too, for the 35 people who attended the recent SENT Open Day (a training course for church planting).  

Saturday 20th: GodSpace is our SRE curriculum used by teachers from our churches, and by other denominations, in public schools across NSW and Queensland. Please pray for Tammy Earnshaw (Team Leader, GodSpace), who is taking leave this month. Pray for understanding and confidence for those completing GodSpace tasks in her absence. Pray for all the teachers using this material that they would be effective and fruitful as they use the curriculum and resources to share the truths and love of Jesus each week in our schools.

Sunday 21st: Please pray for the peace of Christ to be experienced in places of greatest need, locally and globally. Pray for an end to war, for healing from illnesses and for relief for those suffering. Pray for the witness and ministry of our churches and Baptist family locally, nationally and internationally in the most needful places, that God would work mightily with the transforming power of his love, grace and justice.

Monday 22nd: Pray today for HopeStreet and Woolloomooloo Baptist Church. Pray for the Pastor and Community Chaplain, Ken Hall, as he ministers love, mercy, justice and hope to the disadvantaged and marginalised in the inner-city area of Sydney. Give thanks for the churches who assist Sunday by Sunday by providing and serving rough sleepers with breakfast before the WBC service. Pray for fruitful, loving and supportive ministry to flourish in that part of Sydney.

Tuesday 23rd: Pray today for the church plant on the Central Coast called “Bloom”. Pray for the church planters Steve and Bec who are seeking to serve the community around Ettalong. Pray for encouragement and resilience as the team is gathered, and pray for support and others to join in the vision of what God might do through this new faith community. 

Wednesday 24th:  Pray for the churches across our movement to grow in health as they make space for children as fellow disciples. Ask God for wisdom and creativity as faith communities minister in ways that are for, with and from kids.

Thursday 25th: Today, on Anzac Day, we give thanks to God for being present and active in the darkest times of community life, even in times of war. On this day of commemoration and honouring of sacrifice, remember to pray for places which are today ravaged by war and conflict. Pray for peace, mercy and justice to come through God’s messengers and servants in those darkest of places. 

Friday 26th: Praise God for the increased number of new SRE teachers being trained and going in to schools this year. Pray for schools that have not had SRE in them since COVID (and longer) and for local churches negotiating with schools to have it reinstated. Pray principals will be fair and listen well and accomodate where there are willing volunteers to take classes. Pray for Shelley Ashton and her SRE team as they complete a busy term of training and authorising new teachers as well as reauthorising current ones.

Saturday 27th: Today please pray for the Coast Churches Network (our regional ministry in the Central Coast) and for Regional Minister Phil Blair (Senior Pastor at Green Point Baptist Church). Pray for Phil and team as they encourage our churches in the Central Coast to  develop leaders, invest in church health and multiply disciples and congregations.

Sunday 28th: Pray for Ken Kamau and his Baptist Association Church Multiplication Team, for wisdom and discernment as they work to multiply effectively and missionally. Pray for our church planters and their families, for God’s protection as they pursue the vision God has given them and as they build teams, establish churches, embed in communities, raise leaders, promote justice, and proclaim the Good News.

Monday 29th: Pray for the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. Two years on from a military coup, the country is still rocked by violence, oppression and instability, with severe shortages of food, fuel and other basic supplies. Families are forced to separate and churches continue to be damaged while many pastors are arrested. Almost 1.6 million people are displaced within Myanmar and 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers live in camps on the Thai and Indian borders. Praise God for the recent success regarding the Baptist family’s advocacy last October at Parliament House – freezing the Junta’s two primary bank accounts to limit their capacity. Pray for our Myanmar diaspora communities who continue to suffer fear and loss due to this protracted conflict. More than ever, the people of Myanmar need to know that others stand with them, so please pray that God would intervene with justice and mercy.

Tuesday 30th: Today marks the start of a new term at Bedford College. So please pray for all new students who are starting this term, especially for their international students who are in Australia for the first time. Pray that the staff continue to provide students with a caring Christian environment that will help support and enhance students’ ability to succeed.

Wednesday 1st: Pray for the Godspace Curriculum Training Day this month. Pray for Emma Ridley as she creates and presents the training, and pray that SRE teachers would attend and find the time helpful and fruitful.

Thursday 2nd: This month Baptist Mission Australia reminds us to pray for and support them and their mission partners serving God in Jesus name and under our Baptist banner in Australia and around the world. Pray for those mission partners you know and for God to continually raise more people to cross cultures for the sake of the Gospel so people will come to know Jesus personally and transformationally.

Friday 3rd: Australian Baptist Ministries (ABM) is our National Baptist movement comprised of all our State Associations. Please pray for our National Ministries Director, Mark Wilson as he heads up our ABM team. Pray for the team in May as National Council and State Leader meetings will be held. Pray God’s blessings on these meetings, that they may be fruitful to promote the Baptist movement within Australia and globally. Pray our national and state leaders would be guided by the Holy Spirit to make decisions which honour God and benefit those whom we serve. Please also pray for the ABM team ahead of 2025 when Australia will host the Baptist World Alliance convention in Brisbane. 

Saturday 4th: Pray for our regional ministry in and around Canberra and for Regional Minister Nick Barber. Pray for Nick and his team as they bring together the pastors, leaders and churches across the region for relationship building, resource sharing, raising leaders and reproducing congregations. Pray that the churches in Canberra would be fruitful, unified, missional and multiplying. Pray that our churches in Canberra would have a Gospel impact on those who work to lead our nation from its capital. Pray for our national leaders, that they would lead with justice and mercy and be opened to the grace, love and truth of Jesus.

Sunday 5th: State Youth Camp 2024 planning is well underway. Please pray for the team, led by our new SYC coordinator Jo White, as they continue planning with speakers, contractors, volunteers and as they encourage youth groups to register. Pray that God will guide all these moving parts to help the team create a space for him to work at SYC in September. 

Monday 6th: Today and tomorrow is the LeadUp conference at Kiah Ridge for emerging leaders in our churches in specialist or generalist Associate pastor and other ministry staff roles. Pray for those participating and leading, that the time together will be one of learning, encouragement, challenge and fruitful connection. 

Tuesday 7th: Please pray for Steve Dixon as he leads the Bedford College team. Pray for God’s wisdom and strength for Steve and his team and that they may fulfil the vision to be a thriving, healthy, ministry based on a Biblical Christian worldview, operating as a high quality educational institution which prepares people with essential skills for the workplace, while offering a stepping stone to higher education.

Wednesday 8th: Please pray today along with the BFS team, thanking the Lord for drawing new staff into the team to strengthen their capacity to assist churches and Christian organisations. Give thanks for the opportunities to celebrate with churches after they find a new home.

Thursday 9th: Please pray for Pete Davies, Regional Minister in the North and Mid-north Coast Regions (and pastor at Boambee Baptist Church). Pray for Pete as he leads and encourages pastors, leaders and churches in that region to work together to see the Kingdom grow in the North Coasts, contributing towards 1000 healthy churches in a generation in NSW and ACT.

Friday 10th: Alongside Crossover Australia, please pray for churches running Plan A or other evangelistic courses this term, that God will encourage and embolden them with his Spirit that they might feel equipped and trust in him to share their faith where he has placed them. Praise Jesus for the opportunities amongst our older generations to share faith, serve others and spend time together in retirement. Pray for the many Baptist ministries working with this age group, for it’s unique challenges and opportunities and that we might continue to hear good new stories of people coming to faith or returning to Jesus later in life.

Saturday 11th: Please pray for the Association’s Simple Church Network. Pray for the leaders in simple churches who are balancing their weekday work with their leadership responsibilities, that God may graciously provide their needs and continue to ignite their passion and joy in ministry. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s empowering to lead to the multiplication of disciples, leaders and groups within our movement.

Sunday 12th: Pray that all public schools across NSW will meet the Dept of Education’s term 2 deadline to have the online enrolment system correctly implemented with the SRE option available, so parents can make informed choices about SRE for their children. Pray for SRE coordinators and teachers as they gently continue to navigate that space. Pray for those who seek to have SRE removed from schools. Pray they too may see the value SRE can bring to a school community.

Monday 13th: Please pray today for BaptistCare as a number of team members commence a study tour. Pray that it would be a fruitful time which results in enhanced and expanded ministry in BaptistCare. Pray also for the BaptistCare board and executive teams, that God would give them great wisdom and clarity around all the decisions that need to be made concerning the organisation. Pray for the ongoing recruitment of staff who would be able to show the love of Jesus in the way they work with each client and their colleagues. Pray for the ongoing safety for all BaptistCare workers at their building sites and for the many staff who are constantly on the roads.

Tuesday 14th: Tomorrow (7.45pm-8.30pm) we meet online to pray together. Please join us – REGISTER HERE. Please pray that God would inspire his people throughout our movement to be faithful in prayer – praying for health, justice, leadership and mission in our movement of churches as we journey towards 1000 healthy churches in a generation.

Wednesday 15th: Please pray today for Lorna Harper and her team at our Kiah Ridge Conference Centre. Pray for provision for every need for the Kiah Ridge team members and their families. Pray for God’s hand on everyone who meets at Kiah Ridge from schools, to churches to ministry teams and special events. Pray that God would impact and transform the lives of people who visit Kiah Ridge and that his love and grace will draw people towards him.

Thursday 16th: Please pray for the pastors and churches in our movement in NSW and ACT who are concerned and uncertain about their future in the Association at this time. Pray for guidance, wisdom, grace, discernment and for the healing of relationships and ministry of the comfort of God’s Spirit where there is a breaking of fellowship. 

Friday 17th: Please pray for Transform Southern Sydney (our regional ministry in the southern suburbs of Sydney) and Regional Minister Jamie Wendt (Senior Pastor at Padstow Baptist Church). Pray for Jamie and his team as they equip and encourage pastors and leaders towards 100 healthy churches transforming the suburbs of southern Sydney. This area of Sydney includes communities of various cultures from around the globe. Pray particularly for the churches in this region who minister interculturally, that God would use them and grow them to reach their communities. 

Saturday 18th: Today is the final Connect Day for this year, bringing together leaders and volunteers in SRE, Children & Families, and Youth Ministry across four different regions in our movement. Pray for eyes to see ways to work together across youth, kids and SRE ministries. And pray for a willingness to partner together across churches and regions.

Sunday 19th: Pray for Ridgecrest, the Christian Conference Centre which is part of our Western Districts Region, situated on the shores of Lake Burrendong just outside of Wellington. Pray for Director Renee McClure and her team. Pray for their numerous camps and ministries and for the impact of the Gospel on many lives through their programs and hospitality. Pray also for Camp Elim, the Christian Conference Centre which is part of our North Coast Region, situated just south of Forster. Pray for new leadership and for fruitful ministry and service to those who come to stay. 

Monday 20th:  Thank God for Morling College’s Ezra Centre and the important ways it serves others through its counselling and supervision services and training. Pray for Morling College’s Counselling program in both Sydney and Perth. Pray for students who are completing intensive courses this month, and for the skills which they are developing.

Tuesday 21st: Please pray today alongside our Ministry Standards Team for our Safe Church Team Network Evening being held tonight. As we pray for issues of justice this season, please ask God to intervene in the lives of those suffering domestic and family violence and coercive control. This will be the topic for our network evening tonight. Please be in prayer for those in our communities who experience this as a reality in their lives – that they may be protected and experience the peace that comes through knowing Jesus. Pray that this evening will be one where we can be equipped to support those who experience this in our church communities.

Wednesday 22nd: Please pray for National Reconciliation Week which starts today and goes until June 3rd, and for NAIDOC week during July 7-14. As people who have first received the gift of reconciliation from Jesus, we are now called to embody this ministry of reconciliation to our world (2 Cor 5:18). Let us continue to be led by our First Nations brothers and sisters on the path of reconciliation, while standing alongside them in prayer and in advocacy, hoping and praying for justice and righteousness to flow. 

Thursday 23rd: Please pray for churches across our movement which are currently seeking new pastors. Pray for guidance and discernment for both churches and pastors and for the provision and development of more leaders to pastor existing churches and plant new churches. 

Friday 24th: Please pray today for some new Simple Churches which are springing up in Blacktown, Top Ryde, Doonside and Parramatta. Give thanks for God moving in this way and pray for protection, provision, solid life dynamics and growth in these young church plants.

Saturday 25th: Our ABM team would love us to pray today for the Asia Pacific Baptist Youth Conference being held this coming week in Malaysia. Pray for a successful, meaningful and fruitful time that prompts a revival amongst young people in our part of the world. 

Sunday 26th: Please pray for the churches in the Hunter region, for Regional Minister Matt Brown (Senior Pastor at Swansea Baptist Church) and his regional leadership team. Pray for their work raising leaders, training interns, establishing networks and planting churches as they move towards their goal of 100 vibrant churches transforming the Newcastle and Hunter area.

Monday 27th: Pray for Living Hope Funerals, a faith-based funeral service which is part of our Transform Southern Sydney Region. Pray for the growth of this business which ministers to grieving families while also releasing resources for Baptist ministry amongst our churches. Pray for the LHF team as they share the love of Jesus with hurting families.

Tuesday 28th: The Morling College team invites us to thank God for the women and men who serve on Morling College’s Board and other committees. Pray for them as they meet and provide wise counsel and governance to the strategic work of the College. Pray for protection over Morling College and its ministry of equipping women and men to serve God. 

Wednesday 29th: Along with Baptist Mission Australia, please pray for justice, relief and peace for Papua New Guinea. Pray for an end to, and recovery from, the tribal fighting which has killed many and terrorised villages and families. Please be praying for a move of God in PNG that leads people to repentance and reconciliation and allows people to experience the shalom of God. Pray for the protection of lives, of vulnerable people and for justice and help for those displaced, abused, under threat and homeless. Pray for the church and its leaders to be light and salt in difficult times. Despite these challenges, give thanks that God is at work among young people in PNG, who are responding to the message of God and taking responsibility in leadership and ministry. New churches are being planted and growing. The Bible Colleges are full and the ministry of the Baptist Hospital and schools is strong and more vital than ever. Please continue to pray for peace, love and justice in PNG.

Thursday 30th: Pray for the church plant ministering to the Chinese community, called “Living Bread Life Hub.” Pray for the network of pastors and leaders praying for this new venture. Pray for humility, love and perseverance and the cultivating of a spirit of togetherness in this mission. 

Friday 31st: Give thanks for all the playtime leaders in churches investing into the lives of families with young children. Ask God to help them declare and demonstrate his goodness to children and families. Pray that these play groups would be safe spaces for women and children who are experiencing domestic violence – may it be part of their journey to hope, healing and justice.

Saturday 1st: Pray for our South Coast churches and its regional ministry headed up by Regional Minister Michael Bate (pastor at Woonona Baptist Church). Pray for Michael, his growing leadership team and for churches in that region to grow in health, leadership development, multiplication and justice. Pray for the regionally supported church plant as plans continue to establish a new congregation in a growing suburb on the south coast. 

Sunday 2nd: Please pray today for Tammy and the Godspace Team as they gather during this month to look ahead to 2025 and make important decisions about how to continue to provide quality and effective SRE curriculums to SRE teachers across our NSW and QLD public schools.

Monday 3rd: Give thanks for the open doors which the Association’s Multiplication and Witness Teams are having with our second-generation emerging leaders from different cultural backgrounds. Pray for bridges to continue to be built, relationships deepened, and partnerships formed to see Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Baptist Churches planted strategically and fruitfully in local communities. 

Tuesday 4th: Please pray for Jonathan Bradford and the Baptist Association’s Ministry Standards Team along with the Pastoral Standards Committee. Pray for them as they undertake vital work in supporting churches in caring well for victim survivors. Pray for the vulnerable and the victim survivors of abuse of all kinds, that they will find justice, peace, hope and healing. 

Wednesday 5th: Please pray for the areas across our movement where we do not yet have regional teams or pastoral networks for churches and pastors to find support and assistance in ministry. Pray for some new networks which are forming in the Northern suburbs, Parramatta & Cumberland, and other areas around NSW as we endeavour to provide support and encouragement to churches in their journey to greater health and fruitfulness.

Thursday 6th: Today we hope you will join us praying for the growing number of churches engaging in our Leadership Pipeline program. Pray for the Discipleship and Leadership Development team which invests in and supports churches raising leaders. Please pray for more Leadership Pipeline coaches to be released so this key leadership development program can be expanded across our churches. Continue to pray for God to call leaders from amongst our churches to champion God’s Kingdom and work towards 1000 healthy churches in a generation.

Friday 7th: Alongside Crossover Australia, please pray for churches planning to run Alpha, Faith Runs Deep, evangelistic or baptism classes in term 3 running into National Baptist Week in October. Ask that God will help leaders to prepare, for individuals to act on promptings to talk to friends and share about faith, and for those seeking to find connection and accept invitations to discuss and explore faith in Jesus. Pray for those preparing for school holiday events, for details to fall in place, and Jesus to be proclaimed through fun and worshipful environments for all ages.

Saturday 8th: Pray for volunteers who desire to serve God through teaching SRE but struggle with the increased compliance requirements. Pray they don’t lose heart but stay focused on the privilege it is to serve the local community through SRE classes and share Jesus with a generation that has no prior building blocks of faith.

Sunday 9th: Along with Baptist World Aid please pray for justice and relief for the 828 million people around the world who are hungry. Pray that families will find solutions to food insecurity. Pray that our churches will live out God’s call to care for and advocate justice for the needy, poor, marginalised, vulnerable and oppressed.

Monday 10th: Please pray for the churches in our Northern Rivers Region and for Regional Minister John Wilson (pastor at Lismore Baptist Church). Pray for John as he leads the regional team and for Steve Hales who continues to work in disaster relief. Please pray as they minister to a community which continues to suffer as a result of the floods of 2022. Pray for the regional team and particularly for the church plants at Lennox Head and Mullumbimby. Pray that all the churches in the Northern Rivers will grow in health and be fruitful ministry and mission. 

Tuesday 11th: Give thanks to God for our Baptist chaplains in the Australian Defence Forces. Pray that they will be good witnesses of God’s love and grace as they minister to men and women in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Pray for God to provide more leaders to join them as ADF chaplains to minister in this strategic area. Pray that God will protect our chaplains, physically, spiritually, relationally and emotionally and that our churches would find ways to support them in their callings. Pray also for the families of ADF chaplains, especially when those chaplains are posted away from home.

Wednesday 12th: Today and tomorrow there will be training for a number of our specialised and trainee church health consultants. Please pray for this group of women and men who make themselves available to our churches to support them in times of conflict, transition or discernment. Pray for the those leading the sessions and for those learning that the time would be fruitful and for those who work in church health amongst our churches that God would lead and strengthen them for their tasks.

Thursday 13th: Pray for strength, patience and resolve for the staff of Bedford College, as they seek to fulfil the mission to be an innovative provider of quality education that meets society’s current and emerging needs, while striving for excellence in all that they do. Pray that a college culture be developed, where individuals of all backgrounds and cultures are empowered to work and learn together in harmony.

Friday 14th: Today and tomorrow delegates from across our movement are meeting at the Ministry and Learning Centre and at live sites across NSW and ACT, for The Gathering 2024 / Annual Assembly. Please pray for wisdom, guidance, grace, faithfulness, love and mission to inspire our direction together. Pray that God would lead clearly and that his presence would be felt in worship, listening, speaking and deciding.

Saturday 15th: Pray for Sylvia Groves and the Balance Services Team as they serve many of our churches in assisting with financial management. Pray that God will use their skills to support churches to fulfil their calling in their communities.

Sunday 16th: Pray alongside the Children and Families Ministries Team for leaders trying to discern the places that need the light of Jesus. Ask God to give them courage to dream of ministry possibilities so children and their families might experience Jesus, his goodness and the generosity of his people. Continue to pray for the State Kids Camp that God would be gifting the team with leaders who will encourage lifetime faith in the children who attend. 

Monday 17th: Pray for Morling students as they complete Semester 1 assignments and exams. Ask God to bless them with wisdom, passion and knowledge. Thank God for Morling’s fantastic staff team, in their three main faculties and across the Sydney and Perth campuses. Pray that they will grow in faith, wisdom and service. Praise God for the Morling Residential College residents, many of whom are studying at Macquarie University. Pray for those completing their studies at the end of this Semester and moving out of the MRC, and for new residents joining the Morling community.

Tuesday 18th: Pray for the Association’s Communications and Events Team under the leadership of Aaron Veart, as they help us move towards 1000 healthy churches in a generation, keeping us reminded of our vision and connected through numerous means and in numerous events. 

Wednesday 19th: Please pray today alongside Marbuen Diaz (Team Leader, Church Witness) for mental health and disaster relief. Please pray for our communities who continue to suffer due to the disasters that hit their towns in recent years. Pray specifically for the mental health situation which we are seeing as a growing concern. This month we are launching the narrative therapy project as part of our resilience phase for the Lismore floods’ disaster response. Pray for justice and mercy for those who continue to be disadvantaged and suffering.

Thursday 20th: Please pray today for churches who are struggling to find volunteer leaders, teachers and helpers. Pray for God to raise up passionate and gifted volunteers to contribute gifts, skills and experience to local faith communities throughout our movement. Pray also for the churches who are struggling with finances after the recent economic challenges we find ourselves in. Pray for God to provide the resources needed to fulfil the vision and mission of the local church, regions and whole movement. 

Friday 21st: The Baptist Financial Services team would like us to join them in prayer for their team as they undergo projects that will help benefit churches and Christian organisations and all their clients. Pray for the BFS team as they walk with churches who are experiencing financial challenges and seeking wise steps to secure their ministries.

Saturday 22nd: Give thanks to God with BaptistCare for the privilege of sharing his love with thousands of vulnerable Australians each day. Pray for the Caloola Residential Home to be completed and for it to be a wonderful new home for many residents. Pray also for God’s ongoing protection and blessings over all BaptistCare staff, volunteers, clients, finances, IT systems and properties. Pray also for the provision of finances for the work being undertaken by BaptistCare’s Community Services / HopeStreet programmes as the teams minister love, grace and justice to the most vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalised in our communities.

Sunday 23rd: Please pray for the Association’s Church Health Team: Tim Burns (Team Leader), Nick Barber, Ted Bell, Steve Hales and Yvonne Zheng, as they interact with churches, providing them with support and help towards fruitful health. Pray for wisdom, sensitivity, courage and insight as the team meets weekly to consider how best to assist churches towards greater health. 

Monday 24th: During this week our Association’s Executive Leadership Team and Team Leaders will be at Kiah Ridge for a strategic retreat. Pray for fruitful times and for God to bless and lead them, equipping them further to lead their teams and our churches in leadership development, church health, multiplication and justice.

Tuesday 25th: Please pray today for the Baptist Insurance team and NSW Director, Tim Williams. Give thanks for the service they give to Baptist Churches and pray for wisdom and guidance as they continue to navigate current changes in order to best provide affordable insurance support for our church properties. 

Wednesday 26th: Pray for our Baptist Chaplains who serve in prisons, hospitals, schools, the defence forces and emergency services. Pray that God would protect them in their ministries and use them to minister God’s love and grace to people who are seeking, hurting or in need.

Thursday 27th: Pray for the pastoral supervisors who will meet together today to network and encourage one another. These are people fulfilling a vital role in our movement in providing professional supervision for our pastors and leaders. Pray that, in part through these pastoral supervisors, God would protect and direct our pastoral leaders in healthy, strategic ways to lead from a place of humility and dependence on God and each other. Pray also that more pastoral supervisors would be raised up and trained to serve and support our leaders and their ministries.

Friday 28th: Please pray alongside our Ministry Standards Team for participants in Creating Safe Spaces Training. Pray that it will be instructive and helpful in promoting a culture of justice and safety in our churches.

Saturday 29th: Please pray for our Association’s Finance and Operations Teams under the leadership of Heidi Tak (Associate Director, Operations). Pray for them as they have a vital role in keeping many of our ministries well-resourced, and running smoothly.

Sunday 30th: Pray for our churches and ministries which are part of the Riverina Baptist Network. Pray for David Strong (Regional Minister and pastor at Wagga Wagga Baptist Church) and his team.  Pray that they would experience effective collaboration, increased levels of church growth, mission and ministry in that region. Pray especially for the smaller churches in small towns across the Riverina, many of whom cannot afford to employ a pastor. Pray for strength and resources for them and that they will be able to impact their towns with the love and grace of Jesus and with the support of the RBN team.