Aug 10 – The focus of this week’s prayer letter is on Pastor Ben’s announcement that he will be leaving the church at the end of September.
Father, as we pray this week – thank you for Ben’s ministry among us. He has been a blessing to many, and in so many ways. We honour and commend his ministry among us. You brought him to Telford Elim, and have enabled the church to resource his ministry. Thank You for Your provision, grace and anointing. Ben has added value to our church, sought to honour Christ, and, along with Laura and the girls, is very precious to us.
We pray for those who are sad, or even disappointed, with the announcement of his departure. We ask that You will comfort and uphold them. It will be a shock to many, particularly all who were in the teams Ben led, or was part of, and all those he ministered to among the youth and young adults, in the HLC school, and through our Sunday morning services. We pray that each one will know that You are Lord over this situation, that You will have it in hand, and ultimately, this whole situation will bring honour and glory to Christ.
Bless Ben, Laura, Arabella and Ebony as they prepare to return to the North West of England. Go before them, lead them in Your will, and establish them in the church of Your choosing for the next stage of their ministry. We pray that Ben will be able to complete his Ministry in Training schedule successfully ultimately leading to him being ordained as an Elim minister. May it go well with them as a family, and may they be filled with Your grace and provision for each stage of their journey following Christ. Amen
Aug 11 – Father, Pastor Ben has pioneered Awaken Youth, our Young Adults Group, enabled much of our online ministries since the impact of Covid-19 put on hold our in person gatherings, has co-led our worship team, and has continued the church’s ministry to HLC. In each setting You have been at work through Ben pioneering new ways of doing things in Telford Elim, different ways of looking at ministry, and in assessing our Kingdom impact as a church.
We pray for Telford Elim’s Awaken Youth ministry. We ask that you will bless the youth team: Joel and Charlotte Adjepong – Isaac Alawode – Lauren Baxendale – Natalie Headley – Shannon Ward. As Ben and the team plan for his leaving, we proclaim success and the further development of Awaken Youth. Thank You for each young person they are in contact with, impacting with Christ’s Gospel, and are shaping in the Lord’s ways. As they continue the ministry, may it go well, develop further, and reach, and connect with, many more young people.
We pray for the Young Adults group – it has been an important group engaging with those who are often the missing generations from many churches. As the Young Adults group continue to meet online every two weeks – we pray for a smooth transition, growth in the ministry and more effectiveness in connecting with more young men and women – may the ministry flourish and be exceedingly fruitful.
Ben’s impact on the church’s online profile, reach and ministries has been positive and constructive. As we work together to ensure that everything we need to know to continue the ministries is learned and understood – help and guide us all in this. May the Tech team be able to pick up and continue much of what Ben has started and enabled to happen. We long to see the online ministry reach more people with the Gospel, and connect more and more men, women, young people and children to Telford Elim, Your Gospel truth, and Your presence among us.
We pray for the worship team. Ben, Laura and Steve Higgins have worked hard behind the scenes to develop the church’s worship ministry. As Steve and the worship team consider the future after Ben and Laura’s departure – may they know Your Rhema word to them about how to move forward, Your grace and hope as they plan for the future. We proclaim that Telford Elim’s worship ministries will flourish and connect multitudes of men, women, young people and children with true worship which takes them into Your throne room – the place of transformation, fullness, and where we hear Your call to Christ’s service and His mission to the world.
We pray also for the HLC ministry. As we let HLC know of Ben’s departure – may we do so in a wise, encouraging and uplifting way. We ask that the ministry to the school will not die, but step into a new season of growth, impact and blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Aug 12 – Father, we pray for Pastor Ben’s future. As the family move back up to the North West of England – they will be leaving behind their home in Telford, 18 months of life and ministry here, and a host of new friends and acquaintances. We pray for each one – may You fill them with Your grace and peace.
Ben has a pioneering anointing upon his life, but also the ability to work well in a larger leadership team. You know Ben’s strengths and weaknesses better than we do – will You guard his soul, lead him deeper into Your love and grace, and equip him for Christ’s service.
As they settle into a new setting – we ask that they will know with certainty where that should be, and how they should step into that setting. May it be a place of hope, encouragement and blessing. We pray for them as a family – that they will feel supported, cherished and loved. As they move closer to their own families, may this be a positive and enriching experience. You know the feelings of homesickness they have felt in Telford – may those feelings not hinder their happiness as a family in Your ministry – wherever You place them. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Aug 13 – Father, we pray today for guidance for our Church Leadership Team as they seek to appoint Pastor Ben’s successor. It only seems like yesterday, in 2018, when we went through this process. Thank You for all that we have learned in that time, how we have seen Your hand of blessing on the church, and how we are now reaching many more people through the church’s ministries.
As we seek to employ a Next Generations and Worship Leader – connect us with Your anointed man or woman. Guide us through the process as we go public with our ministry position. We ask that the period between Ben’s departure and the appointment and induction of his successor will not be overly long – in fact, may there be a seamless transition, handing on of the baton from Ben to the new Post Holder.
We pray that the person, and if they have a spouse or family, will be able to quickly integrate with our church, connect with the generations, and be able to minister in the full power and with the anointing of the Spirit. May they be a godly, anointed, word-filled and capable leader who can take all our ministries onto the next level growing our church thereby, and seeing many more men, women, young people and children saved, discipled and joining our church.
Lord, as we have reflected on the importance of worship to Next Gen ministry – this has become really clear over this last two years – enable us to find a man or woman who has the capacity to further develop our Youth and Young Adults ministries, further develop our worship ministries so that Next Gens also connect with our worship, and participate in it, and is able to lead and further develop the teams involved in these ministries.
Coovid-19 has made is abundantly clear that church leaders need to be effective online with the ability to use technology, problem solve, and quickly adapt to new circumstances and methods of ministry. We pray that our new post holder will be able to continue and further develop our online ministries so that many more are saved, discipled, become partners of Telford Elim in person and online, and are equipped and commissioned to share in Your mission to the world through Telford Elim. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Aug 14 – Father, it had been part of our vision to begin the process to also employ another person in a half time post in the church in the spring of 2021. As we are now unexpectedly, unexpected to us but not to You, in the process of employing Pastor Ben’s successor – we commit the desire to employ another Leader, next year, to You.
If this is off You – open the door, and help us connect with the right person, and to resource the role: vision, finance, support and people. We pray that You will be preparing the person for the role for next year equipping them with what he or she will need to join our church and minister in the power and authority of the Spirit, and preparing us for the process of appointment, welcome and ministry among us.
As we have been praying for Ben, Laura and family, his successor, and our church with the news of Ben’s departure – as we have recognised Ben’s fruitfulness, and sought to honour and give thanks for all that has been achieved – we also look to You with thankfulness, gratitude and wonder. No matter what we face – You remain true and unchanging – You are our God and we love and worship You.
We proclaim You as Lord over Telford Elim, over everyone in our church in person and online – You are Lord over all of our ministries, of our past, present and future. Lord Jesus, be lifted high and glorified as we work our way through this whole process ultimately leading to Your appointed man or woman as Telford Elim’s new Next Gen and Worship Leader.
We proclaim that we will see Your goodness at work on our behalf, will testify to it, and will be a better, more compassionate and committed group of disciples, and more confident in our security in Christ. We proclaim that we will be a church that sees healthy, sustainable and amazing growth in every way – spiritually, numerically, our ministries, reach and impact for good and Christ’s glory. Amen
Aug 15 – Father, we pray for the coming seven weeks as Pastor Ben completes his ministry in Telford – may each component, each phase, each item on the list be completed well, successfully and in such a way that the church and its ministries can continue seamlessly into the future.
As we ensure that the LiveStream can continue and the sound quality improve, as we work towards a mixture of LiveStream and gathered church on Sunday mornings in September, kit out The Hub for sound and video, and train up more people in our serve teams – we first and most importantly ask for the grace, wisdom and anointing to be able to do so successfully.
Satan hates this type of controlled, measured and considered handing on of the ministry baton. Wherever He seeks to attack, gain a foothold and destabilise our church and people within it, grant us sensitivity, discernment and the anointing to be able to pray effectively, protect and strengthen the believers.
We plead the blood of Jesus over our church, everyone in person or who joins us online, and pray that we will not stumble or fall, but will stand in Christ’s armour, on the word of God, with the bulwarks of Your presence, peace and power at work among us. Instead of confusion or defeat – we pray for clarity, faith and obedience, and victory in Jesus’ name in every aspect of this situation, and of our church. Amen
Aug 16 – Father, the news of Pastor Ben’s departure reminds us of the following biblical principles:
- The work and ministry is Yours – ministers serve You and Your purposes which include to lead, shepherd, teach, evangelise, prophetically guide and apostolically work together in Your Kingdom and for its growth.
- You are the One who brings people in to minister and work for a season – there are seasons in all of our lives, and in our church
- You move people on when their season is complete – always hopefully in a good manner after he or she has finished well what You entrusted to them
- And You bring in the next person to continue Your ministry in line with Your purposes – our duty is to pray and discern Your will and purposes in this appointment so we are ready and all road blocks are removed.
Ben has taken us to a new place in Telford Elim – we are not the church he began to minister in, and we are confident that the church will continue to grow and flourish after his departure. We look to You for the resources of people, abilities, talents, finances and infrastructure we will need to enable this.
As we conclude these seven days of prayer into Pastor Ben’s departure – we do so with thankfulness, with hope, with the knowledge that You are with us, and with the eyes of faith looking to You for our future, Ben and Laura’s future, Ben’s successor, and the resources of people, finance and infrastructure needed to fulfil Your purposes for Telford Elim. In Jesus’ name and for His glory. Amen
