The Better Place News

On the 2nd of October our Director, Roy Miller, led a Saturday morning workshop at the Fredonia First United Methodist Church in Fredonia, NY. Several area congregations of the Church were represented. The topics that were covered that day were: “Why You Can Pray with Authority” and “Prayer Walking.”

When The Fredonia FUMC hosts a workshop they begin with breakfast. It was a great time of fellowship as workshop participants gathered around the tables. That was at 8:30. Then at 9:00 everyone went to the sanctuary for a time of uplifting worship led by the FFUMC praise team. Teaching began at 9:30, but times of singing – led by the praise team – were woven into the schedule of the morning.

The first topic, “Why You Can Pray with Authority,” prepared the participants to pray with faith believing. That was in preparation for putting the second topic, “Prayer Walking,” into practice.

There was a break between the two teaching segments. Many participants took advantage of this time to go to the book table and purchase books on prayer that The Better Place makes available at all such workshops. They also purchased many copies of Dr. Miller’s book, My Gospel, and also the Companion Study Guide. The FFUMC Prayer Facilitation Team announced their plan to use these resources in their mid-week small groups. (Since people from other congregations were invited to join them, perhaps the small groups will not be very small.)

Following the Prayer Walking instruction, participants picked up prayer walk assignments that were printed on cards and they went into the streets of Fredonia to pray. – Luke 10:17 records how the disciples “returned with joy” after Jesus had sent them out two-by-two. The prayer walkers at the Fredonia Workshop also went out two-by-two and they also came back rejoicing! As testimonies were shared, everyone was encouraged by what God had just done.

What did the participants say about their experience when they turned in their evaluations? Here are some responses to the question, What did you especially like or appreciate about the Workshop?: “No beating around the bush. It is very clear!” “The excitement and energy that flow from Rev. Miller” “The Power-Point and personal stories – We are witnesses of God’s love, glory and power” “Roy’s total awareness of God’s Spirit” “The walk” “Speakers – Materials offered / emphasized” “Scripturally sound – good application to everyday living!” “I appreciated everything about the workshop and how well organized it was.” “The subject content and an excited prayer-driven leader! Printouts ready to go” And there were many more, but these responses reflect the flavor of them all.

To schedule a Better Place led workshop at your church with Dr. Miller, go to the Seminar Topics description page on this web site and you will see what is available and how to go about setting up a workshop.

Prayer Letter #20

22 July 2010

Dear Prayer Partners of The Better Place, In all of our prayers which are truly partnering with God for God’s purposes to be fulfilled, we are engaging in spiritual warfare. Our prayers are battering rams against the strongholds of a spiritual enemy. The results of such partnership praying are not always immediately evident. The walls of Jericho appeared to be just as strong and impenetrable after six days as they were after the first day of marching around the city, but it is a good thing the children of Israel did not quit on the sixth day.

Jesus taught his disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 11:5-10 & 18:1-8). I want you to know that your faithfulness in prayer makes an eternal difference.

Thank you for praying for the workshop on Grand Island and for the spring Agape Prayer Ministry School. God showed up and abundantly blessed in both places. One participant at Grand Island wrote, “My expectations were more than met. It showed how my prayer ministry could be more effective by myself or with others.” – Of course, all the questions that arise as we consider something as truly serious and as huge as prayer ministry, can never be covered on only one day, or even two. I yearn for the day when we will have the campus God has given the vision for, where people will be able to gather for days at a time. But, thank God for what we can do now … and what I always celebrate about these events is the unity that is engendered in answer to our Lord’s prayer in John 17. – Yes, we can be the answer!

The unity of the Church was again moved forward in May because of the National Day of Prayer and the Global Day of Prayer events that The Better Place organized. This is Kingdom work being accomplished! And the second session of the 2010 Regional School of Prayer was mightily blessed by the presence of God. One participant at the School took time to write a letter afterward that included the following:

“Thank you so very much for sharing of yourselves at the School of Prayer I attended two weeks ago. I had been looking forward to it for months and it far exceeded my expectations. When I told my sister who lives in New Jersey about it, she wanted a copy of my notes (I hoped you wouldn’t mind) and a copy of your book when it comes out (as do I). … Our prayer coordinators group had a fantastic time praying through your guide to corporate prayer on the 14th and hopefully we can share this with more in the church. I’m praying about whom to approach to form a prayer triplet. [Our pastor] and I are motivated to see our church become a House of Prayer.”

By the way; the book has now been published. This is a big answer to your prayers! The official release date is the 1st of September. That is when anyone can order it from Christianbook.com or from Amazon.com, but you may order copies from me right now and help to support The Better Place in the process. I will attach an order form for those who receive this letter by e-mail. I will enclose order forms for those who receive this by post.

One ministry under the umbrella of The Better Place is the Chautauqua Lake Men of Integrity. As you pray, please keep in mind a big event they have coming up. They will be bringing Dr. Kevin Leman to Jamestown, NY on Saturday the 16th of October. Dr. Leman will meet with pastors and their spouses for breakfast that morning. Then there will be a time for men only that afternoon starting at 1:00 at the Reg Lenna Civic Center. The topic will be “Sheet Music! Creating a Symphony in Your Marriage.” That evening, also at the Civic Center, starting at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Leman will present the topic “Making Sense of the man or Woman in Your Life.” This will be for any adult; married or single.

– As you continue to pray, here are a number of thing to keep knocking on heaven’s door about (see Luke 11 again). Some of the items on this list have been here for a long time, but your persistence will bring the answers God wants to give:

• Speak to the “mountain” which is the wealth stored up for the righteous and direct it to The Better Place for the building of our campus, endowments, staff salaries and related monetary needs.
• Three more members for The Better Place Board
• The Board as they meet on the 18th of September
• The third session of the 2010 School of Prayer on the 25th of September
• A workshop that I will lead at the Fredonia, NY United Methodist Church on the 2nd of October. Two topics will be covered that day; “Why We Can Pray With Authority,” and “Prayer Walking”
• The fall Agape Prayer Ministry School in Warren, PA on the 8th and 9th of October
• The Chautauqua Lake Region Men of Integrity day with Dr. Kevin Leman on the 16th of October; pray for Dr. Leman’s safe travel and protection, for the financial underwriting of this three-part event, for hearts preveniently prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive what God will say and for everyone to be present in each of the three venues who God wants to be present.
• For the book, My Gospel, to be used to strengthen believers in their faith and to encourage believers to partner with God more knowingly to see His Kingdom come
• Please keep the day-to-day and week-to-week ministries of The Better Place in your prayers. There are regular requests for help in several ways by e-mail, the Healing Rooms are open every Monday, a number pastors prayer groups gather weekly, there is a growing call for on-line ministry through blogging and Facebook.
• For me as I preach in local churches on many Sundays
• For God’s steady guidance and perfect timing in all things related to The Better Place

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer!

Your partner in the adventure,
Roy L. Miller

Director, The Better Place, Inc.

Roy@TheBetterPlace.org 716/488-9918

Employer ID #83-0362390 NYS Charities Bureau Reg. #20-49-47

Do your web searches at www.goodsearch.com and help to support The Better Place by typing The Better Place in the “Who do you do Goodsearch for?” box.

VISION FOR PRAYER IS AWAKENED ON GRAND ISLAND

The Director of The Better Place was the featured speaker at a weekend-long conference that was held on Grand Island, NY April 17-18, 2010. The conference was hosted by the Trinity United Methodist Church with most of the other congregations of the Island represented. People from other congregations in the Buffalo, NY area were also in attendance.

During this conference, Dr. Miller addressed five topics on Saturday: Jesus Our Model, Prayer Walking, Releasing the Power of Prayer, Persistence and Vision for Transformation. The Sunday topic was, Discerning Our Call to Prayer Ministry.

Host pastor, Jeff Childs, led times of worship in song. Carleigh Kaiser, a student at Elim College, ministered in sacred dance. And the Holy Spirit ministered in power throughout the two-day event.

Believers of the Island are now moving forward with plans to hold regular unity prayer gatherings. Also, the participants are following through with many practical ideas to strength the Church of the region to be a House of Prayer. This is being done with the gifted leadership of local church prayer facilitators such as Sue Kaiser from the Trinity UMC.

FREDONIA WORKSHOP – A GREAT SUCCESS

The six inches of snow that fell on Fredonia, NY the morning of February 27th could not keep enthusiastic students away from the second Better Place Prayer workshop that the Fredonia United Methodist Church has sponsored and hosted.

This event began with a breakfast began with a breakfast at 8:30. That was followed by a time of worship, led by the FUMC worship team. Then the program was handed over to The Better Place Director, Roy Miller for the next two and a half hours until noon.

Two topics were covered during the teaching time: “Jesus Our Model” and “Releasing the Power.” There was plenty of interaction, laughs and a lot of learning that will serve to strengthen the Church in the region as A House of Prayer for the Nations. Evaluative responses submitted by the participants after the workshop were all very gratify and bore testimony to the fact that God was present and blessing.

To schedule a workshop at your church check out the information at http://www.thebetterplace.org/workshop-topics.cfm on this web site.

One of the local church workshops that are on the calendar will be held at Trinity UM Church on Grand Island, NY, all day on Saturday the 17th of April, 2010. You may get more information from their web site at http://www.gitumc.org