One Prayer: What’s Next?
We’ve been blown away by the response to One Prayer and want to thank all 1,541 churches for your enthusiastic participation. It’s amazing to think that more than 800,000 believers fasted, prayed, gave, and served together this June! We’ve seen churches coming together like never before, supporting each other, giving to each other, and serving side by side.
We’re not ready to stop. How about you? We’re already planning for a new global series like One Prayer that will take place in June 2009. Save the date and we’ll keep you posted with details as they develop.
But beyond that, we’ve seen God use One Prayer to spark conversation within churches around the world about how we can continue to work together to get even more accomplished. We’re thinking about how this can become a reality for the Church, and that’s where you come in.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned during this season, it’s that big things can happen when we join together. We’d love to hear your ideas. What’s the best way to connect churches who want to keep sharing resources? How can we combine efforts on a regular basis to be even more effective? Get creative, think big, and leave us a comment to let us know what you come up with!
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I was hoping this would become an annual event. Having done it once those who are not first adopters (I don’t remember the term at present-senior moment) will want to participate next year. It may be exponential growth rather than linear. I would not mind seeing “One Prayer” again with other pastors adding messages and those who had messages this year updating them. The only question is: Is one month enough? I remember years ago when NBC launched its fall program they used this line: NBC Week–a week so big it takes 8 nights.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Let’s pray that God keeps OnePrayer going beyond the set time. Maybe a OneChurch is being born before our eyes? May God continue to birth HUGE GOD SIZED Vision in you Craig!
Habakkuk 2:3,4
Maybe quarterly events could be arranged for each regions/cities to keep on community service. Churches working together beyond just an annual series would be an amazing step and witness.
I would love to see us come together to do several things. We could combine resources for children’s ministry by sharing curriculum. We could provide coaching and mentoring opportunities. We could provide professional growth opportunities. We could combine for shared outreach and shared missions experiences.
What if all participating churches could be searched by zip code to allow pastors to have “One Prayer” meet-ups to continue the discussion and birth ideas of how we can work together in our communities?
A place where we can continue to blog, email, and share ideas through out the year. An example is Google’s suite of online applications (gmail,docs,calendar,etc…)
Let’s take it up a notch. Instead of OnePrayer, how about OneMission? 1500+ churches praying, giving, and sending a team from each church into the world to spread the love of Christ for 4 one-week mission trips. It would be neat to see several churches partner to serve and minister together at the same mission opportunity. Can you imagine the impact?
i’ve been learning the art of becoming more of a disciplined individual both in my home life and in my work. fasting and praying has really opened a door for me and i can feel God near me at a rapid pace. it feels like He’s running to get to me.
how much more of an impact could we have if we took the idea of “One Prayer” and gave it more of an international appeal? converting messages or having pastors delivering a message in their native tongues. this would put a literal translation into a global community.
I was thinking regional conferences or a big annual conference like Catalyst and Exponential (someone may habe already thought of that). Anyway, I got onboard late with this, keep me posted on future developments
What if some churches could do the teaching live. That is, instead of a video of a pastor, we have him live, and our pastor is somewhere else live. Obviously not everyone could and there are some huge logistics to consider. Just a thought.
Awesome series and we are proud to be part of it!!!
Would love to see something this large focused on the unchurched. It’s great to see large bodies of believers do great things together, how much greater would it be if the focus was not on the church.
Everyone wants to feel connected to something bigger than just their physical church building. God is stirring the hearts of hundreds of churches towards unity and a common vision. I’ve also heard from many pastors that re-kindled their fire, with having a few weeks off not preaching.
Great ideas everyone.
Some of these ideas may need to be put into separate posts to discuss more completely.
Our church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is participating in one prayer. Our city was recently flooded, 25 thousand people are without homes. Our church is reaching out to help these people. Another one prayer church in Destin, Florida heard about it, and received an offering to help us. Thank you one prayer, thank you Shoreline Church!
A couple of years ago the Hispanic community held a May Day event to attempt to show the influence their community actually holds on our nation - they challenged all Hispanics to stay away from work for that one day.
What if we - the Church - did the opposite. What if we had a “Go To Church” Sunday where we challenged every single person who says they attend church to actually commit to and attend church for this one day - say, September 7th, 2008, or September 13th, 2009 (to give us time to get the word out). Soccer kids let their coach know they won’t be playing that day; waitresses let their bosses know they won’t be working that day; golfers give up their tee-time that day - all so that everyone actually goes to church. We would need paramedics on hand to assist stunned pastors, but we could also ’show’ in a very tangible way what impact the church could actually have if we actually did what we profess to do - and were what we profess to be! From there - from that unified gathering - we move out as ONE.
I agree with Gabe, We must have a passion for fishing for lost souls. I have no desire to “steal sheep” from some other church but the seek those who are truly in the dark and need the light.
The reason so many discredit “church” is because we have divided up into our “tribes” and spend too much time in “tribal warfare” to make a difference in the world around us.
I am honored to be a part of this; this is the revolution that can change the world! Jesus meant it when He said he wanted us to be one!
There is much good to be done in our own backyards working side by side with the other “tribes” in our towns and communities.
This has been a great experience for our church in Jacksonville, FL. One thing I have seen is that the church seems very ready to step into a place of unity — and that is so encouraging! Thanks so much to Craig and the LifeChurch team for spearheading this initiative. I am so glad it is going to happen again next year!
I LOVE that you are doing this next year! It’s amazing! Phenomenal!
Perhaps, have a better way for all the participating churches to interact. I used to be a part of this thing at my old church in San Diego, they would use a satellite connection to connect churches that are having a night of prayer and fasting. Perhaps something like that? or a web broadcast?
I don’t know. LOVE what ya’ll are doing!
I would love to see if this could be used with youth ministries. I think it could be awesome.
I know a few churches have already started to make thier resources like illustration videos, preaching videos, graphics available for free eg Open, newspring etc what about a central resource to go to where we could share som of these things. Some chuched may have ability to produce resource but not the finance etc to develop websites to do it.
Also have loved the devotional material and interaction. We believe about half of our church has visited the site but only a few actually joining in the conversation. Have not really though this through but some way of churches connecting into sets of devotionals from pastors around the world on subjects or books of the bible so they could taylor them for series they are doing in their church.
Its been great to connect with chutches around the world but we need to do more to connect with the churh down the street.
Love one prayer and looking forward to future.
I really like how it has sparked some new relationships in our community, i’m excited that there are plans for another one prayer!
It would be really cool if we could incorporate the persecuted church around the world. Imagine the power of hearing pastors from China, the Middle East, etc. We could send Craig with a camera crew and a mic to tape the messages.
Thank you guys I have never seen anything like this…I was part of an event that drew 14,000 people…most not apart of the church…but that was all geared around our church…
This was so much more and increadable to me…I am so glad that God allowed me to see this take place…it gives me hope for the future of the church
John Snyder hit the nail on the head. Youth are some of the easiest people to modivate & mobilize for a worthy cause. Imagine if a Sr pastor doesn’t participate one year, but sees youth from several “warring” denominations working to make a difference in their community - it could be the ticket to change from within!
The idea for sharring curriculum, messages, and training rocks. I already use Open resoueces for my youth group. Perhaps “OPENing” it up, or creating a seperate site to share content would be in order. I’m currently planning to film a few youth message videos similar in style to those produced by Switch (LifeChurch’s youth ministry), & would love to share it with other churches.
The interesting feat will be translation for churches in other countries. While there are English speaking churches in several countries (Indonesia included!), there are billions more people that could be reached if we took the inititive to network & partner with local churches worldwide to translate messages and/or content.
The last comment: find a way to bridge the gap with pastors that haven’t heard of One Prayer yet. It doesn’t have to be gimmicky, but if there was something that someone like a youth pastor like myself (or any lay person for that matter) could give to a Sr Pastor - perhaps something as simple as a promo DVD, esp now that we have some final numbers for this year? It could be anything - but having something concrete (and professionally made), vs. just telling someone @ church “hey we should do this” could make the difference.
Sorry if I packed too much into one post, Bobby! :-)
(also, please excuse any typos, I typed this on my phone.)
By the way, the “search by zip code” idea rocks as well, but don’t forget the option to search in other countries as well!
Unfortunately, we were unable to participate largely because I got in on this too late but also we do not have access to the satellite needed. Hey, we live in a small town in Indiana! :) Maybe by this time next year things will be different. Is there a way those like us can participate? Any suggestions?
Hey Guys,
Some thoughts on the sharing of resources etc…
We have been blessed big time by this. I would love to see a consortium of resources come out of this. What is happening at Lifechurch, through open, network, united etc could be expanded.
Let me give you an example. We showed the message from Perry Noble. It was great, to quote a famous tiger named “tony.”
My immediate thought was, “Can we partner with them in away like lifechurch.tv?”
How many others are having the same kinds of thoughts???? Who knows.
It seems to me there are incredible possibilities with this. What is needed, though, is someone(s) with the technological know how. I wonder if that is where lifechurch could step up to the plate?
We need a modern day “well” a place where people can gather. That is the internet. But this well could be a church well. A place where local church leaders could gather and drink deeply for the lives of the people in their respective spheres of influence.
If i could download messages from Perry Noble, as well as worship music, and then use it in the lives of our people, WOW!!!! And who knows how many others there are out there who could/would step up to the table if such a table were in existence???
It is a sort of “American Idol” if you will.
Anyway, if you want to dialogue more on this, just ask.
Love what you guys are doing and how God is using you in LEADING.
Blessings,
Steve Rice
steverice@charter.net
Antioch.
Bill you don’t need satellite just a resonable internet connection to download sermons and dvd & projector to show. (Or maybe another church could send you DVDs of the preachers you would like.) Tell me what preachers you would like and I will download and send you DVD’s. May take some time from England though.
Bill, I’ll be happy to send you copies stateside.
Tom E. Snyder
tom@infinitychurch.tv
http://infinitychurch.tv
It would be really great if churches could network intracity & intrastate in order to care for friends and family members who might be unchurched and far from loved ones. Things like: welcoming people
after a move, taking a dinner after a surgery or illness, local prayer suppport for big issues,
rides to the doctor, and best of all getting to know them to invite them to church or a homegroup.
Don’t forget to share worship resources for the worship pastors! Sites like worshiptogether.com are already doing things like this, but this could be all linked together for one massive church resource site! ^_^
One Prayer- One World - One Church The stage is set.
In the days to come it will become increasingly important that we are one. This is the beginning of something big.
Please think of a way to get connected with http://www.secondbillion.tv so that we are all working together.
Also, connect with the dnomination leaders i.e http://www.churchofgod.org who has an aggressive missions program in 169 countries.
Don’t stop. Why stop? Why wait until next June? Go with the mo.
what a huge win one prayer has already been for the Church! i’m amazed and grateful for the way God has used this to bring his people together. It is such a God-idea - such a healthy thing for us to be a part of. we’ve been honored to be in on it.
i think it is a must to do it again next year. thank God for the churches who came together, and thank God for the technology that allows us to do stuff like this. and thank God for the creative geniuses at lifechurch.tv. i love you guys.
Our church participates in two local church planting networks in St. Louis. We’re asking the question, how can a One Prayer campaign in 2009 be used to help launch a city-wide campaign through participating St Louis churches? Our churches would need more lead time with content & graphics in order to unite city churches together. Here are our initial answers. I’d love to hear more ideas.
1) Each participating church puts up a One Prayer billboard so the whole metro area is aware of the campaign and can submit their own “one prayers”.
2) We approach our city mayor and ask him what’s “One Prayer” that he has for St Louis that participating St Louis churches could answer through a One Prayer offering or event
3)Every participating church would do at least one community service event; and we mean a no-strings attached service event. Just serve a need in the community as an act of love.
I’m with Frank, why wait until next June to come together in unity? The time is now folks, take a look at the world around us, chaos everywhere, prophecies coming to fullfilment, billions without hope. It is time for ONE Church. This isn’t just some big event and say that was cool let’s do it again next year. Catalyst was cool, can’t wait until next year.
Folks, WE ARE THE CHURCH. Jesus said Go ye unto all nations…. The main thing with One prayer (even though many did go and are still going into local communities,etc.) is that One Prayer still required many people to come inside the 4 walls of the church to hear the message, etc. Why aren’t we bringing the “good news” to the world? Why aren’t we broadcasting this worldwide on tv and satellite tv? Even people in 3rd world countries have access to satellite tv. Why aren’t we having HUGE outdoor gatherings with huge videoscreens in public parks and other places? Bring the masses in and be curious. Think of a Billy Graham crusade on steroids. How about even using more technology for the kingdom. The advancement of holograms could be huge too.
I realize the logistics behind One Prayer are much bigger than any of us can imagine, but they are not too big that One Church couldn’t solve. Our GOD is MUCH BIGGER than we can even imagine this thing to be. It is time for the church to unite as ONE for good.
Steven–lead on!
I had an idea bounce from somthing I heard on the news. They were talking about clothing swap/exchange meets ( ex. bring 10 like new items & take 10 like new items in that size or another). With the economy such as it is, what a great door opener to those who don’t frequent churches often or at all. It would be great to issue invitations to other churches nearby to get to know “the rest of the family”. It would also be fantastic for trading kids clothes or uniforms for back to school. All one would need is an area, a “coat chek” person to inspect & give a reciept for the number of items, and lots of unofficial greeters.
clothes could be sorted by size range age and gender. If people wanted to leave their extras a specified charity could be identified (many schools have clothes closets for accidents and those without outerwear or uniforms). Saving the Earth, one’s budget, and souls could all be accomplished at once.