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FAIRFAX BAPTIST CHURCH FAIRFAXBAPTISTCHURCH.ORG AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER – PAGE 2 “What If...?” (cont.) by Pastor Andy Braams One of the most successful contemporary Christian bands of the last 20 years is Casting Crowns. Many people are familiar with the songs Lifesong and If We Are the Body (two songs we have sung in our worship setting), but the band has had numerous hits and has produced several thought- provoking songs over the years. One song that is convicting to me is the first song on their debut album in 2003 entitled, What If August 2021 His People Prayed? I have talked to very few people who pray near the time and level they desire to pray. And many, self-included, pray far less than we should. And as the song says, praying is far better than “asking Oprah what to do.” I have written about prayer in recent articles here, but most of that was before we began our time called Prayer in the Park. Each Wednesday for the past few months, a group of individuals has been meeting in the park to talk and pray. To date, most of the participants have been from The theme of this month’s newsletter is prayer. That was not necessarily planned, but it turned Fairfax Baptist, but we have had people from nearly every church in town as well as one out to be the case…and prayer is certainly needed at this time in so many ways. individual who attends church in another town. Without much thought, you can probably think of five people who are in need of prayer right In the Charting the Course article on page 1, I provided a couple of prompts for prayer. For the now. Perhaps you are one of them in ways that no one else knows. Why not stop reading this rest of this article, I want to provide a few more. I realize that many reading this newsletter will article right now and take a few minutes to pray for each of those individuals? have many other issues that are pressing. By all means, focus on praying for those. And others Without much thought, you can probably think of five issues that need prayer right now. Those will think of far more items than those in this list. Great! But I only have so much room. However, issues may be within your neighborhood, within the town, halfway around the world, or a few items listed here will probably resonate with many people, so I offer them for your anywhere in between. Why not stop reading again to pray for those issues? (I am assuming that consideration and ultimately for your prayers. Because if God’s people are not praying for these if an issue is within your home you may have already prayed for it above, but that is no reason items, no one else is. And, it does beg the question from above, What If…His People Prayed? not to pray for it again.) • Pray as schools prepare to reopen The reality is that most people reading this article have not stopped reading. And that is the • Pray for wisdom for leaders who make decisions related to the virus in all kinds of areas problem. We may want to pray, but we don’t do it (see the “What If…?” article on page 2). The – churches, schools, businesses, and certainly the government as well. intention to pray is there, but, well, as I have said countless times over the past couple of years, • Pray for the ministry of this church and the other churches in town we must move from having good intentions to being intentional. The billions of intentions that • Pray for the people of Fairfax and the surrounding communities have been buried with those who are already dead will never be realized. And certainly, some of • Pray for the families who are hurting in so many ways those good intentions may have changed the world. • Pray for the Root and Youth Groups as they prepare to restart • Pray for God Squad as it starts later this Fall But prayer will change the world. We may not see the evidence as we want or when we want, but • Pray for Labor 4 the Son Day that we will serve God with gladness and show His love to prayer equals power and that can bring change. So, before you turn the page, why not take a others. few moments to pray for those five people and for those five issues, and any other matters that If you want to join us in praying for these and other items (general and specific items), please do come to mind? so each Wednesday, at 7 pm, in the park for our time called Prayer in the Park. Who knows the prayer you pray right now might just make all the difference in the world. Or EXALT THE SAVIOR EQUIP THE SAINT EVANGELIZE THE SINNER maybe it will make a world of difference for you. JOHN 12.32 EPHESIANS 4.11-13 ACTS 1.8 FAIRFAX BAPTIST CHURCH FAIRFAXBAPTISTCHURCH.ORG AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER – PAGE 3 FAIRFAX BAPTIST CHURCH FAIRFAXBAPTISTCHURCH.ORG AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER – PAGE 4 Give: fairfaxbaptistchurch.org/give Church Blog: fairfaxbaptistchurch.org/blog E-Mail: [email protected] Andy’s Blog: fotonni.com/blog OPPORTUNITIES (CONT.) YouTube: Search Fairfax Baptist Fairfax MO FB: facebook.com/fairfaxmobaptistchurch |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| “...AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN” (EQUIP/EVANGELIZE) OPPORTUNITIES • We now have online giving. To give securely, go to fairfaxbaptistchurch.org/give. • Our calendar of events can be found on our website at fairfaxbaptistchurch.org/events. “TO KNOW CHRIST...” (EXALT/EQUIP) (cont. on p. 4) FAIRFAX BAPTIST CHURCH FAIRFAXBAPTISTCHURCH.ORG AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER – PAGE 5 FAIRFAX BAPTIST CHURCH FAIRFAXBAPTISTCHURCH.ORG AUGUST 2021 NEWSLETTER – PAGE 6 “Children’s Ministry Update” by Jaymee Koop This month I would like to focus on family life again. I will specifically focus on five ways of being intentional about raising children that are followers of Christ. Society as a whole has, even just in In 2021, “The Quest” article will be focusing on tying the spiritual disciplines to Paul’s exhortation to the past 10 years, changed greatly. This change has caused a major shift in the amount of time “redeem the time” (Ephesians 5.16). parents are ministering to their children outside of church. Many verses in the Bible are very convicting! (Am I right?) One that particularly convicts me is John 5.19, where Jesus says that He (the Son of God) can do nothing on His own – He only does what He One way parents/grandparents can be intentional about raising Followers of Christ is by being in sees the Father in heaven doing. Relating this passage to what Jesus says in John 15 that we can do God’s Word. Children and Teens need to learn the importance of daily scripture time. When nothing apart from Him (John 15.5), we should have sufficient cause to spend as much time in prayer children develop good habits of reading the Bible, it will be something they continually go to as possible. He needed the Father. We need Jesus. So, we need to hear from the Father too. whether it be good times, bad times, or times of uncertainty. By developing healthy Bible habits, Prayer is an area where most people struggle, and nearly everybody who desires to pray at all, says children will turn to the Bible. that they could do better. Perhaps the “better” relates to how often, or to how focused, or to how long, or perhaps it is something else, but most (if not all of us) struggle. Therefore, many choose not Another way parents/grandparents can be intentional is by teaching our children about the to pray much unless life gets really challenging. importance of prayer. Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, But prayer is an expectation. When Jesus was asked how to pray, He began His answer with the believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV) Children need to be taught when they words, “When you pray…,” not, “If you pray….” And let’s face it, we are prompted to pray a lot. Perhaps have to go through something difficult, the first place they should turn is to prayer. Children need it is a prayer request from a friend on Facebook, or maybe a text from Susan on the Prayer Blast, or to be taught how to talk with God daily and how they can draw their strength and peace from God maybe you simply see or hear something on the news. The reality is that we get little signals in all situations. constantly that could (should) encourage us to pray. But many (most?) of us don’t take the time in that moment to do so (and, please understand, I said most of us – I am including myself). The third way parents/grandparents can be intentional is by shifting the accountability from parents to God. We can teach our children to be accountable to God by helping them understand Perhaps if we thought of these moments as little signals, it might help us. After all, most of us respond quickly when our phone blinks or buzzes. People want to know who has sent a message or the reasons why they are supposed to do things. liked a post or retweeted something. We want to be notified the minute that a friend posts something online, even if it is simply a picture of the food they are preparing to eat.

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