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, TODAY
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
- TODAY - 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 to guide us in our prayers, I'm sharing a current event before the Supreme Court right now, one Story of Hope, and one story that fits in with our annual campaign: Displaced Not Misplaced. Please join me this week in asking God to move on behalf of vulnerable children ... whether they be children with special needs, children in failing schools, or migrant children caught in Europe's brutal winter.
USA // Supreme Court hears case regarding special education standards.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments in a case regarding what public schools must do to provide a free education that meets a child's needs. Justices have said that the case is mired in a "blizzard of words," with terms and their definitions likely shaping the ruling in ways that could be unintentional. Caught between a desire to provide all children -- even those with severe disabilities -- an appropriate free education and the inherent costs that some children's educations might put on local school districts, the court is wrestling with the right way to rule. Please be praying for the justices to have great wisdom and insight into this matter, so that the needs of families with children with extensive and expensive needs will be met.
Read more here ...
STORY OF HOPE
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| Entertainment Weekly Photo |
USA // Inspiring inner-city teacher creatively teaches kids
After helping his 2nd grade class write and perform a rap to learn the meanings of who, what, when, where and why to help prepare them for an assessment they had previously all failed, Mr. Bonner ended up on the Ellen DeGeneres show after the video of the kids rapping went viral. More importantly than the fame they garnered for the video, the kids nearly all passed the next assessment! Mr. Bonner is an inspiring example of teachers who are making a difference in challenging classrooms. "Poverty has this way of disrupting the brain," he said. "Trying to teach a kid that doesn't have a home and who is hungry is a different ballgame. And when it shows up in your classroom, you have to find a way to continually fight and persevere." And persevere he did! Mr. Bonner's creativity and passion earned his school $25,000 and lots of electronics to use in the classroom from the Ellen Show. And the video showing him with his students? Priceless. Please pray for more teachers like Mr. Bonner to fill classrooms across this country. And for the countless teachers working with passion, creativity, and dedication who go unnoticed, pray they take encouragement from stories like this and continue fighting the good fight.
Read more and see the video here ...
DISPLACED NOT MISPLACED
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| Foreign Policy Photo |
EUROPE // Asylum-seekers dying from cold in European camps
"Refugees and migrants in Europe are dying this winter and governments must do more to help, the U.N. warned on Friday. "Children are particularly prone to respiratory illnesses at a time like this. It's about saving lives, not about red tape and keeping to bureaucratic arrangements," Sarah Crowe, a spokesperson for UNICEF said. "The dire situation right now is Greece." Roughly 1,000 people are in unheated tents and dormitories on the Greek island of Samos. Cecile Poutilly, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency UNCHR, said five had died so far in a unusual cold front settling in on southeastern Europe. More, including children, have been treated for frostbite and exposure." Please pray for these children and their families. Pray more can be done to ensure they have warm places to stay and clothing and blankets to get through the winter.
Read more here ...
Praying with you,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
* This is a phrase we have borrowed, with permission, from our friends at Partner's Relief and Development.
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
