1. with thanksgiving for the pastors of nearly 100 churches nationwide who are already meeting in monthly learning communities.

2. with praise to the Lord for the 60 individuals who are currently in the process of becoming certified revitalization consultants and for the goal of completing at least 100 congregational consultations by the end of 2008.

3. for the LCMS World Mission director of revitalization, Rev. Terry Tieman. Terry works part-time in this capacity and also serves as the mission executive for the Mid-South District.

4. for Rev. David Born, LCMS World Mission regional director in the Northeastern United States—including the Atlantic, Eastern, New England, and New Jersey Districts of the LCMS. David advises and supports many people and ministries involved in revitalizing congregations in the Northeast.

5. for Rev. Tom Eggold, who serves as the regional director for urban ministry in the Great Lakes area, working with many LCMS districts. Tom assists districts in implementing the Ablaze! initiative in congregations, facilitates urban ministry leadership activities in the region, helps existing congregations set ministry priorities, and introduces effective strategies for planting new LCMS congregations in urban areas.

6. that the Lord would bless the Revitalization Consultants Training that will take place in Orlando, Fla., Sept. 10-14, 2008, and that the attendees would walk away with many valuable tools to use as they mentor congregations going through the Mission Revitalization Process.

7. that by 2017, as part of the Ablaze! movement, 2,000 of the LCMS’ plateaued or declining congregations will become outreach-focused congregations. This hope is a specific part of the Ablaze! movement in the LCMS.

8. for the Holy Spirit to open members’ eyes so that they can analyze the truth of their congregation’s situation and help determine if they should go through the Mission Revitalization Process.

9. that the Lord would use the Groups Ablaze! and Triads resources to equip, motivate, and promote action in the congregations that are going through the revitalization process.

10. thanking God for the key partnership of the Center for U.S. Missions and that He would continue to work through their many training programs, such as the revitalization consultant training.

11. that through joining the Transforming Congregations Network, more individuals and congregations would become active members of the Body of Christ and receive Christ-centered encouragement, love, and support from each other as they go through the Mission Revitalization Process.

12. that rural LCMS congregations would respond to the changing demographics and new challenges in their communities by renewing their mission focus and seeing who they can reach out to in their area with the Gospel.

13. that urban LCMS congregations would respond to the challenges of their context with a revived outreach zeal towards those in their community, such as recent immigrants, young professionals, minority groups, and the elderly.

14. for those who serve as trained revitalization coaches walking alongside congregations and encouraging them throughout the process. Ask the Lord to provide them with wisdom, strength, and outreach passion.

Panama - July 15-21

Remember Panama as you pray:

15. for the relocation process of the Latin American regional mission office in Panama City. May the fruits of the Spirit be evident in the lives and the daily work of those who serve in the office.

16. with praise that the youth of the IELPA were able to attend a youth gathering in Nicaragua, where they had the opportunity to enjoy fellowship with others and be challenged to grow in their faith. Long-term missionary Carissa Dreier is serving in Panama and focusing on youth work as she completes her director of Christian outreach internship.

17. with praise that four pastors received their certificates of completion for their formal theological studies during a ceremony on April 20, 2008. Ask God to continue to use them to reach out to the lost in Panama and feed His sheep that are already part of the flock.

18. for the physical, emotional, and spiritual strength of the LCMS missionaries currently serving in Panama—Carissa Dreier, Jorge and Olga Groh, and Jon and Heidi Heisterkamp.

19. with thanksgiving for the work of the missionaries based in Panama, especially for the new missionaries, Jimmy and Marianne Fritz-Halstead and James and Christel Neuendorf. May the Lord bless them with a smooth transition into the Panamanian culture and way of life and quickly finding their niche to serve as part of the mission team in Panama.

20. for blessings upon the diaconal training program in Panama, which involves many intensive week-long courses. The teachers aim to equip deaconesses to share God’s love and mercy with many people through human care ministries. Celebrate the courses taught at the end of May by Olga Groh, LCMS World Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care, and Deaconess Jenny Waters, Concordia University Chicago.

21. that the summer short-term mission groups working in Panama would have a fruitful time of serving brothers and sisters in the faith and also be granted opportunities to share Christ’s love with unbelievers.

Guinea - July 22-31

Remember Guinea as you pray:

22. that conditions would improve in Guinea, which has been suffering with a poor economy that continues to get worse. With the global food crisis and rising gas prices, many can afford only one meal a day. Pray that through all of this, the country can remain stable and not dissolve into war.

23. for Tim and Beth Heiney, along with their girls, Katie and Andrea, who serve based in Conakry, Guinea’s capital. They have two boys attending university in the U.S. Tim works in leadership training in the existing Lutheran Church in the Forest Region of Guinea and has started several churches in Conakry. Beth is the field administrator. Pray that God will lead them in decisions for future ministry and how God can best use them.

24. for Tim and Heidi Norton, along with their two children, Philip and Leslie, who work among the Maninka people. The area in which they live provides its own special challenges. Pray for this family, for daily encouragement, good health, wisdom, and guidance in their ministry.

25. for the evangelistic radio ministry at a local radio station that Tim Norton has begun. This is an outreach for Maninka people to hear the Word in their

language. Pray for Tim as he oversees this, for his translators, and others he is working with.

26. for Andrea Herman as she studies the language, and that she makes good contacts and develops good relationships. Andrea works alongside the Norton family with the Maninka. She will eventually concentrate on ministry among the Maninka women.

27. that God will provide a co-worker for Andrea so that they can work among the Maninka women as a team. This would be a strong encouragement for Andrea and a much better cultural witness.

28. for daily strength and encouragement for the Guinean people who are hearing the Word—those who become Christians face persecution and physical danger and the pressure to turn back to their former beliefs is strong.

29. for Julien Kotembedounou, currently the only ordained pastor in The Lutheran Church in Guinea—that God would keep him strong and guide protect him from the evil one. Julien is a gifted leader, but right now, as the only ordained minister, has a lot of responsibility.

30. for the three Guinean men currently studying at the Lutheran seminary in Dapaong, Togo. Pray for Bernard, Tamba, and Gbandawa as they study for future ministry in Guinea—that God would keep them on His path and protect them from temptation.

31. for the four men currently doing their vicarage in Guinea. At the end of that time, they will be ordained as ministers in the church. Pray that God’s Spirit will teach these men and show them what He has for His church here. Pray that they will remain humble and not seek to lift themselves up.

Involvement Ideas

• Learn more about Panama and Guinea and the mission projects available to sponsor there by visiting http://www.lcms worldmission.org/international.
• Support the Lord’s work in Panama and Guinea through LCMS World Mission. You can mail checks to LCMS World Mission, 1333 S. Kirkwood Rd.,

St. Louis, MO, 63122 and designate them, "Panama mission projects," or "Guinea mission projects," or make an online gift at http://www.lcmsworldmission.org/giving.

• Learn more about the Mission Revitalization Process at www.lcmsworldmission.org/

revitalization

• Use the Groups Ablaze! process to help move your congregation into mission action. Learn more at http://www.groupsablaze.org.

Missionary Birthdays

Missionary prayer cards may be downloaded from the LCMS World Mission Web site at www.lcmsworldmission.org/prayercards.

Military Chaplains with Birthdays in July:

Chaplain Matthew Boarts, Kessler AFB, Miss.; Chaplain Jon Conroe, Great Lakes, Ill.; Chaplain Kevin Cramm, Fort Sill, Okla.; Chaplain David Reedy, Arlington Cemetery, Washington D.C.; Chaplain Patrick Riley, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Chaplain Ryan Rupe, Milwaukee, Wis.; Chaplain Thomas Vanderbilt, Iraq; Chaplain James Watson, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, Missouri, 63122-7295, US
Telephone: 1-800-433-3954
Fax: (314) 965-0959
E-mail: mission.info@lcms.org
Web site: http://www.lcmsworldmission.org
Ablaze! Movement: http://www.lcms.org/ablaze