The Better Place News

A brief history of the Global Day of Prayer: At the turn of the millennium, many believers in Cape Town, South Africa, sensed God calling them to seek God in repentance and prayer and to call people across their country to assemble in united prayer for their cities and nation. People filled halls and stadiums of every size. – Soon gatherings like it (all meeting on the same day) multiplied across Africa. Year by year, millions more sought God together from almost every stream or tradition of Christian faith in every country of the continent. – Then African Christians issued the same call for repentance and prayer to believers around the world. The result was the first Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday in 2005, drawing an estimated 200 million people. In 2006, 2007, and again in 2008, on Pentecost Sunday, even greater numbers of Christians gathered in almost every country on earth. Believers from 214 nations participated in public observances of the Global Day of Prayer in 2008.

The Global Day of Prayer is always observed on Pentecost Sunday. This year – 2009 – that will be the 31st of May.

In Jamestown, NY there will be a gathering on this day at Potter’s Terrace, 15 East 3rd Street (next to Potter’s Alley). See the Google Map for specific location. The Better Place will be facilitating this gathering from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. During this time, believers are invited to come together to worship God, to pray, to hear encouraging testimonies and inspiration from the word of God and to prayer-walk the immediate downtown area of Jamestown.

Prior to the gathering on the 31st of May, ten days are dedicated to prayer by individuals and small groups utilizing the official Prayer Guide. Copies of this guide will be available in Jamestown at the National Day of Prayer gathering (May 7th) at noon at Tracy Plaza and at 7:00 p.m. at St. Susan’s in the Gateway Center, 31 Water Street. – For more information on the Jamestown event, or to get copies of the Prayer Guide or a promotional and informational DVD, call Roy at 716/488-9918. For general information on the Global Day of Prayer go to www.gdopusa.com .

National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer is observed each year on the first Thursday of May. This year, on the 7th of May there will be three observances in Chautauqua County.

The Better Place is facilitating the noon-time observance that will be held on Tracy Plaza, East 3rd Street, in downtown Jamestown. – Mayor Sam Teresi will be present to issue a declaration and County Executive, Greg Edwards, will be present to bring words of greeting. Other government leaders are invited; particularly members of the County Legislature and members of the Jamestown City Council. Several area pastors will lead in prayer.

This is a short service so participants can return to work following their noon break. – This outdoor observance goes forward rain or shine. But, then again, it has never rained during the noon hour at Tracy Plaza while the Nation Day of Prayer observance is under way.

There will be two observances in the evening: At 6:30 p.m. there will be a service at the Village Park Gazebo on Church Street in Fredonia. And, starting at 7:00 p.m. there will be a service in St. Susan’s at the Gateway Center, 31 Water Street in Jamestown.

For further information you may go to www.ndptf.org.

During the 2008 Chautauqua Region Community Impact Week preparations, we gathered on four occasions – as the Church of the Region – for Concerts of Prayer. Many people who attended these Concerts expressed a desire for such gatherings to continue. God always showed up and the unity of the Spirit that was experienced was a blessing to all. And – no doubt – these gatherings were a blessing to God. – Also, many people have been saying they miss the monthly “Unity Prayer Meetings” that were held in the Jamestown area over five and six years ago.

Just this past January, several area pastors met for a morning long retreat to seek God regarding some of the next steps they and the congregations of the Church in our area should be taking together. As they counseled together in the Spirit, one thing that was addressed was the prayer gatherings. It was recognized that it is time to schedule such gatherings on a regular basis again. It was also determined that monthly is too often and would be counter-productive. The pastors were led to agree that quarterly Concerts of Prayer for the whole Church in the Region should be scheduled. As the pastors talked about the very full schedules that many faithful believers keep it was also agreed that Wednesday evening would be the best time for the Concerts of Prayer. This is because many people are already committed to church functions on Wednesday. The idea is that on the Wednesdays the Concerts of Prayer are scheduled – for the sake and primacy of unity in the Body of Christ – everyone will forgo their normal Wednesday evening activity in order to come together for prayer.

The first 2009 Concert of Prayer for the Greater Jamestown Area and the Chautauqua Region was held on the 1st of April in Sinclairville. The relatively small gathering (about 40 people) recognized that they were like the edge of a wedge where great power is concentrated for maximum effect.

Two more such Concerts are scheduled during 2009. They will take place on the 24th of June at 7:00 p.m. at the Healing Word Ministries Church on West Third Street in Jamestown and on the 30th of September at the Fluvanna Community Church on Fluvanna Avenue Extension in Jamestown.

These are the only Concerts of Prayer that have been scheduled for 2009 that will be organized and facilitated by The Better Place. However, The Better Place is facilitating several other prayer events in this region during 2009 that will augment the Concerts. You can read elsewhere in this news section about the National Day of Prayer, The Global Day of Prayer and the Prayer Schools that are planed.

Here is some information regarding the Agape Prayer Ministry School to be held in the Cattaraugus/Chautauqua/Warren region:  The school will be held Friday and Saturday the 8th & 9th of May 2009 at the Park UM Church in Sinclairville, NY.

All first time attendees must have their pastor’s approval to attend the School. (The pastor’s signature of approval is required on all registration forms). If your pastor has questions, please let me know and I will be glad to send out an information packet or suggest an area pastor he or she could call to discuss the Agape Ministry. [Roy Miller, 716-488-9918 or roy@thebetterplace.org].

A Registration Form and the accompanying Profile Form may be printed from this site. A School Schedule is also available for printing in PDF Format.

Please return your Registration and Profile as soon as possible.  Applications must be postmarked by the 20th of April.  Registration is $65 for individuals who have not previously attended an Agape School. [A $5 late fee will be assessed for registrations postmarked after the 20th of April.]

Purpose: The goal of the Agape Prayer Ministry School is to equip Christians to sensitively and compassionately minister the freedom of Christ from the bondages of sin and Satan, thus freeing more and more people to live in the fullness of Christ and to minister to others the fullness of Christ.  The training experience includes foundational scriptural teachings on the healing of wounds, breaking of bondages, forgiveness of sins of others, confession of sin, receiving God’s forgiveness, and spiritual warfare.  There are also three ministry sessions during the School where participants have the opportunity to observe and directly participate in the Agape ministry pattern.  Ideally, each participant observes one ministry session as a prayer backup, receives a ministry session him/herself, and serves as a prayer warrior in a prayer vigil during a third session.

Key Points of Preparation:  All trainees must be born-again in Jesus Christ and be peacefully open to the full workings of the Holy Spirit.

Before attending, participants should read Healing for Damaged Emotions, by David Seamands. (Victor Books, available at most Christian bookstores.)

Description of the School: The School is an intense two-day experience running from 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM on Friday, and from 7:45 AM until 6:00 PM on Saturday.  Please make every effort to arrive at the School in a rested condition.  The dress in the School is casual and modest.  Please bring your Bible and a notebook; and if you have previously attended an Agape Prayer Ministry School, bring your three-ring binder.  Plan your schedule to be able to stay for the total School, except in a dire emergency.

Teachers & Trainers: The people involved in teaching the sessions of the Agape Prayer Ministry School are pastors and lay people from various churches, who have participated in and have been certified by the Agape ministry as leads and teachers, because of their gifting, experience, and their on-the-job training in a number of Agape Prayer Ministry Schools.