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Prayer Ventures

April 2007

Prayer petitions for Sundays follow the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle and can be incorporated into the prayers at weekly worship. Weekday entries are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social, and outreach ministries of the church. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Thanks be to God! Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church.

1 Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday

God of wisdom, we lift up to you the leaders and people of Sudan and Uganda. May peace accords and reconciliation efforts bring restoration to the hearts and lives of those who have suffered so long.

2 Pray for the people of Shishmaref Lutheran Church in Shishmaref, Alaska, as they welcome Pastor Robert Wentzien. Shishmaref Lutheran is one of five ELCA congregations on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula that ministers among Inupiat Eskimos.

3 Praise God for the deepening sense of mission between the Mbulu Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) and the ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod, and between the ELCT Northeast Diocese and the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.

4 Give thanks for the growing companion relationships among several dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa and ELCA synods: Cape Orange Diocese and Montana Synod, Northern Diocese and Northeastern Ohio Synod, Eastern Diocese and Caribbean Synod.

5 Pray for Pastor Sam and Cindy Wolff, who serve at Trinity Lutheran Church in Frankfurt, Germany. Trinity is an international congregation, jointly supported by the ELCA and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, that ministers to English-speaking Christians in the area.

6 Give thanks for the ministries of the Lutheran Church of the Way, Garland, Texas, and pastor developer, the Rev. M. Timothy Fong. Pray that strong Word and Sacrament ministry will deepen faith among Chinese-speaking immigrants from China, Taiwan, Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia. This ministry also reaches out through Bible studies, English as a second language classes, Chinese cultural and art programs for young families, and outreach efforts to students at University of Texas-Dallas.

7 On this World Health Day, ask God to give courage and strength to the thousands of nursing assistants in Lutheran nursing homes and hospitals as they work hard each day to minister among those who are sick, frail, and need help to meet the challenges of daily life.

8 Resurrection of our Lord/Easter Day

Living God, we praise you for the witness and joy the churches of Kenya and Tanzania bring to the world. Let us join our voices in rejoicing. Christ has risen! Alleluia!

9 Pray for Pastor David and Karla Grafton, who serve at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt. He is director of graduate studies and she is head librarian at the largest Arab-language theological institution in the world, which trains pastors for the Evangelical Synod of the Nile and other churches in the Middle East.

10 Lift up Randall and Carol Stubbs, teaching music at Makumira University College, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. As this musical family immerses itself in Tanzania’s rich musical culture, it is enriching and expanding its own repertoire and talents.

11 Thank God for the relationship between the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church and the ELCA Allegheny Synod. Pray that they may find mutual support as they accompany one another in mission.

12 Give thanks to God for the many willing and capable partner agencies and church bodies throughout the world that work against hunger effectively and efficiently.

13 Pray for the members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bismarck, N.D., as they initiate a new north campus to reach those who are disengaged or searching for faith in the northern parts of Bismarck. In its forty-plus years as a congregation, Good Shepherd has focused on “sharing the Shepherd’s love” with people in Bismarck.

14 Praise God for Kari Martelli, Taryn Montgomery, and Paul and Stephanie Schick, young people who are giving a year of their lives to serve in social ministry settings in Kenya: Thank God for the wide interest and participation in the Young Adults in Global Mission program.

15 Easter 2

Almighty God, as the churches of Malawi and Zambia struggle in a cycle of drought and flood, give them strength and wisdom to feed the hungry and announce the good news of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

16 Pray for the youth of Messiah Korean Lutheran Church in Norcross, Ga., as they seek to provide cross-cultural opportunities. These 11 musicians sing contemporary Christian music in Korean and English while playing piano, flute, violin, keyboard, and percussion.

17 Pray for Lynda McConnell and Andrea Lindgren-Oslikova, volunteer teachers at Gymnazium JA Komenskeho in Kosice, Slovakia. The Gymnazium is one of several church-related schools to which the ELCA sends teachers.

18 Praise God for the growing companion relationship between the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi and the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin. Congregations are being connected in ways that focus on sharing the joy of ministry and witness in the respective communities.

19 Give thanks to God for Pastor Doris Mar and the worship team at Good News Lutheran Mission in Toledo, Ohio. Pray for ministries such as Good News that are intentionally multicultural in sharing the gospel message.

20 Pray for ELCA synods that gather in assembly this weekend: Arkansas-Oklahoma, Sierra Pacific, Western Iowa, and Southwestern Minnesota. Pray that they find a “way together” as they discern God’s call for their shared ministry.

21 Pray for Rev. Sally and Thomas Roach, regional representatives for East Africa. May God strengthen them and give them wisdom and discernment in their work with ELCA missionary families and leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and the Lutheran Church of Rwanda.

22 Easter 3

Good and gracious God, we thank you for the signs of hope in Brazil today. Continue to enliven the churches in their witness to the hope in Christ that is brought within reach of men, women, and children in their everyday lives.

23 Pray for leaders in congregations who, sometimes through solitary efforts, patiently work to bring hunger and justice to the attention of congregation members.

24 Give thanks for Maryn Olson, who is completing service in the HIV/AIDS education program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia. Pray for all affected by this disease and for the people who are touched by the program. Pray also that the ELCIN and its companions, the ELCA Southwest Washington and Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synods, may be strengthened in their witness and relationship-building.

25 Give thanks for the partnership between Lutheran Church of Hope in Broomfield, Colo., and Rejoice, a mission start in nearby Erie. Lutheran Church of Hope recently gave paraments to adorn Rejoice’s worship space, an elementary school cafeteria. Thank God for all gifts that provide encouragement and recognize the interconnectedness of congregations.

26 Pray for ELCA synods that gather in assembly this weekend: Eastern Washington-Idaho, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana, and Eastern North Dakota. Pray that they find a “way together” as they discern God’s call for their shared ministry.

27 Pray for Kevin Axton as he teaches at the Global Education Center at Kyushu Lutheran College in Kumamoto, Japan. This college of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church seeks to offer opportunities in cross-cultural and international settings for its students.

28 Give thanks for the ministries of Pastor Allan and Marie Krahn in Brazil, where Allan serves the library of the Lutheran seminary in São Leopoldo and Marie teaches Hebrew.

29 Easter 4

O God, you who are a part of the very fabric of our whole lives, we lift up to you the people of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Even as they struggle with economic, social, and political challenges, may they find peace with you.

30 Give thanks to God on the 20th anniversary of the constituting convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which was held at Columbus, Ohio, April 30-May 3, 1987. Pray for the Spirit’s continued presence in each of the three expressions of this church: congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization.

Prayer Ventures is a guide to daily prayer for the global, social, and outreach ministries of the church. The Sunday prayers, based on the New Ecumenical Prayer Cycle from the World Council of Churches, take us on a prayer journey through various parts of the world. In addition to their use for daily prayer, Prayer Ventures can be incorporated into the prayers at Sunday worship.

This resource may be copied and shared among members and friends of the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Prayer Ventures is produced by ELCA Evangelical Outreach, Church in Society, and Global Mission program units, in cooperation with ELCA Communication Services. Contact the units for additional information: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631. Tel. 1-800-638-3522.

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