Monterey Baptist Church Hosts Prayer Renewal Weekend

By Brenda Boberg, National Coordinator Church Renewal Journey

Prayer is the critical component of all believers’ walk with Christ.  It is the very essence of our relationship with Him.  Prayer is vital to everything we do in the church, our families, our jobs, etc.  Prayer is the oxygen of Christian life. 

October 15-17, Monterey Baptist Church in Batavia, Ohio, entered their third weekend of the Church Renewal Journey, focusing on prayer.  Steve Hopkins, from The State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, was the teacher for the weekend.  During the weekend, the church experienced the teaching from John 17 the high priestly prayer, Matthew 6:9-13 the Model Prayer, Acts 6:4 on creating a culture of prayer, and finished with Ephesians 6:10-18 the daily need for wearing the full armor of God.  A team of volunteer laypeople from Ohio and North Carolina provided testimonies, music and led small group discussions.  

Greg Saylor and Len Walker, members of Monterey Baptist, were the co-chairs for their prayer weekend.  Mr. Walker commented on how the teaching and testimonies were all spiritually oriented. “The volunteer team were at our church to serve and bring honor to the Lord and nothing else. Their goal was to help build the kingdom of God.  On Saturday, the team led the church into a deeper understanding of the importance of corporate prayer.”  During this time, every church member prayed, and both Saylor and Walker stated they heard people pray that had never prayed in public before.  Walker said during this prayer time that he realized the value of what they were being taught about corporate prayer.

Pastor Daryl Poe of Monterey Baptist states, “The Church Renewal Journey Weekend of Prayer was very strategic in our church Revitalization efforts.  Without a biblical understanding and application of prayer, Revitalization is impossible.  Church Revitalization is People Revitalization.  A maturing prayer life will ignite both a corporate and individual Renewal that values Christlikeness.” 

The Church Renewal Journey consists of five discipleship weekends.  Awakening, Ministry, Commissioning, Prayer Empowering, and Acts 1:8 Weekends challenge church members to grow closer to God in all aspects of their Christian walk.   Volunteers would be glad to come to your church to talk about the renewal process.

For more information on the Church Renewal Journey, contact Steve Hopkins at the SCBO office (SteveHopkins@scbo.org) or Marty O’Bryant, Ohio coordinator 740-591-0003.  You may also contact Tom and Brenda Boberg, National Coordinators, at 252-916-6195 or NationalChurchRenewalJourney.org