Praise God for the elders He has raised up from among us to lead and shepherd us through prayer and ministry of the Word. Pray for our elder selection team as they continue in the process of identifying potential new elders from our nominations. Ask God to grant great wisdom to our elders and to grow their understanding of God’s Word. Thank God for the gift of our deacons who serve our faith family in so many ways so that our ministry as a church might be effective. Pray especially for our small group leaders who help care for and attend to the needs of our people on a weekly and even daily basis. Pray for God to help us all see our role in service and love to one another for our good and His glory.

This week we are praying for Oliver Elementary School and the Love Oliver Campaign that launched this week. The Church at Brook Hills has been developing a comprehensive partnership with Oliver Elementary School near Gate City for the past few years, a partnership now known as Love Oliver. We are also praying for Philadelphia Baptist Church, and Pastor Cory Varden.

Day 1: Pray that Oliver teachers, staff, and administrators will be wise in their decision-making and use their God-given talents for the good of the students under their care.

Day 2: Pray that those serving to disciple Oliver students through Discovery Club, Breakfast Club, Marks Village Bible Club and Reading Club, and the Aspire mentoring program will exemplify faithful obedience as humble servants to God’s will and to His Word.

Day 3: The crime rate for Oak Ridge Park, the neighborhood where Oliver sits, is 4X the national crime rate average. Pray for spiritual awakening and peace among the residents and for protection for innocent children and families.

Day 4: Oliver families and others in the surrounding community are up against a host of economic, academic, and spiritual hurdles. Pray that we are able to minister to their tangible needs while pointing them to the perfect redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Day 5: Pray that God would raise up a generation of young disciples at Oliver who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, living out their faith and effectively sharing the good news with their classmates.

Day 6: Pray that our faith family and community partners will come together in unity to invest time, care, resources, and prayer into our neighbors at Oliver and that God would do a transforming work in that community.

This week we are praying for Brook Hills Mid-Termer, Julia B. serving in North Africa. Julia was sent out from The Church at Brook Hills last year to serve for two years as the principal of an international primary school in North Africa. Julia has been serving the students and staff this last school year in order for many of them to be in country as Long-Term workers. Join us this week as we pray for Julia and the impact she is having by serving in North Africa.

Day 1: Julia lives in a city with a population of over nine million people, most of whom who do not know Christ. Pray for God to give Julia many opportunities to share the gospel with her friends and neighbors.

Day 2: The Lord has blessed Julia with an apartment close to her school to live. Pray for Julia to find a roommate and for God to provide her with more community and friendship.

Day 3: Julia has many duties each day serving at her school. Pray for God to give Julia wisdom and discernment as she leads the staff and students at her school. Pray for God to use Julia to make His name known at her school.

Day 4: Julia is currently home for a quick visit this month. Pray for her time with her family and children to be refreshing and encouraging before she returns to North Africa. Pray for God to provide the resources Julia needs to continue her work there in North Africa.

Day 5: Julia is contributing to an incredible work of God in North Africa. Pray for God to continue to move in the hearts and souls of men and women across Julia’s city. Pray for the church to continue to grow and for more people to be saved.

Day 6: There are many job openings at Julia’s school that need to be filled for the 2016-2017 school year. Pray for God to call others to fill those roles and strengthen the school that is in the heart of the international community there in Julia’s city.