Monday, December 5, 2016

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... Wednesday

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Invitation to Prayer, Wednesday

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie



Dear Intercessors,

This week, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for a ministry sponsored by our church. 1 TO 1 is a tutoring program serving students in Midland and Lee High Schools. The Midland High program meets on Mondays from 4:00-6:30 pm at FPC. To learn more about getting involved, please contact Laurie Boldrick at laurieboldrick@me.com .

Here's an example of what happens at 1 TO 1:

Rael is a Senior at Midland High. She is from Kenya and lives here in Midland with her mom and two younger siblings. Her father is in another state working on his PhD. Her mom works two jobs to support the family, and since her mom works so much, Rael has a lot on her plate helping care for her younger two siblings and handling her school load. Tutoring has helped Rael stay on track academically. She said, "The tutors are really nice and very smart. They really motivate me to do well in school and life because I know they are successful people. I really like the environment at 1 TO 1. Even if I don't have a lot of homework on a particular day, I like to come and spend my Mondays at 1 TO 1."

But as Rael talks about what 1 TO 1 means to her and her family, it's clear the impact far exceeds helping her with her academics.

"I really hit it off on the first day with one of the volunteers, Shannon. I didn't know where to start with college applications, and Shannon got me on track and enrolled me in the SAT, and helped me submit my college applications. We found that we had some things in common as her daughter had spent some time in Kenya doing mission work. Shannon and her family have become close to our family over the last two months. As a way to show appreciation, my mother cooked a full traditional African meal and had Shannon and her family over for dinner. Shannon has enrolled my younger sibling in YMCA volleyball and takes her to her practices and games since my mother works so much."

Will you pray for students like Rael who are juggling so much more than chemistry and algebra? Will you pray for God to raise up more tutors like Shannon who step through the open door that tutoring opens into the lives of students, becoming more deeply engaged in mentoring, loving, and supporting families? Will you pray about volunteering with 1 TO 1 next semester if you live in Midland, or consider exploring local options in your area?

Praying with you,

Carrie

FOC Photo
With Christmas quickly approaching, Communities in Schools (our partners in 1 TO 1 Focused Learning) provides us with unique opportunities to not only pray for students, but also reach out to them and meet their holiday needs and wishes.

Mike Mills, the director of Communities in Schools, knows many students well, and so he sees some of their hidden struggles more clearly than we see from the outside. Christmas provides us with the perfect opportunity to bless students and remind them they are seen, known, and loved by God. If you'd like to get involved, please contact Mike Mills at (432) 413-3651 or mikemills@midlandisd.net .

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153



If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net

No comments: