When Jesus was about 30 years old, he started his public ministry (Luke 3:23). Jesus’ ministry lasted for only three years until He ascended into Heaven! Starting in one of the roughest areas off the shores of Galilee, Jesus began a revolution using 12 ordinary men! Appointing these men from fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots to His Apostles also known as messengers (Luke 6:12-16). The 12, the 70 others and the women’s ministry, started the First-Century Church and had 3,000 baptisms their first day (Acts
2:41)! First came Jesus, then the Apostles, then came the Church! Today we must imitate our Lord and Savior, by first raising up the leadership, then we will be able to reach the masses!
2018 is the year of Grace! Grace commonly thought of as “free and unmerited favor of God.” However, Grace can also be defined as “simple elegance or refinement of movement.” 2018 will be a time of “refinement.” Or, “the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes.” God has put on my heart 12 Prayer goals for the Orange County Region. Prayerfully the following 12 prayer goals for 2018 will be the “small changes” we can make as a ministry in Orange County to truly experience
a year of “unmerited favor of God!”
- Have A Deep Relationship With God
“Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” Psalm 119:1-2
The most radical thing a person can do is be consistent. Every day, every disciple spends time with God. God hears us when we pray (Jeremiah 29:12), and He speaks to us when we read (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus tells us to pray together (Luke 11:1-4) and to pray believing we have already received (Mark 11:22-23). Our first prayer goal of 2018 is for every Disciple to spend more time with God consistently. To have more specific prayer times with other disciples, embracing greater vision, and believing we have already received what we ask for in prayer!
- Every Disciple Fruitful
“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Romans 15:14
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8
To bear fruit is a direct result of remaining in Jesus and brings much glory to God. We can bear fruit because we can teach each other the word of God. When we teach one another God’s word (discipling), then we will eventually bear fruit; Fruit that will last. Our second prayer goal for 2018 is that every disciple will be an influential role in converting someone or restoring someone to Christ. Project House to House (disciples sharing with all their neighbors in their housing community or apartment complex) will be a great support to this effort.
- Raise Up Shepherds For Each Sector
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
For the body to reach maturity, we must raise up shepherds. Shepherds help teach the disciples, refute false doctrine, equip disciples with life skills, and help each Christian fulfill their role in the Body of Christ. It is our prayer that every sector in Orange County would have a shepherding couple to help oversee the disciples and help build a family.
- Strong Pre-Teen, Teen, Campus, Singles, Marrieds Ministries In Each Sector
“I am talking to you Gentiles. In as much as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.” Romans 11:13-14
Every disciple should be able to take pride in their ministry. To have a strong and healthy Pre-Teen, Teen, Campus, Singles, and Marrieds Ministries that easily get others involved. Having a strong leader or lead couple, with planned events throughout the year, will allow each ministry to be built up.
- Raise Up Twenty Bible Talk Leaders For Each Sector
“So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” Acts 19:9-10
From one Bible Talk, Paul was able to evangelize the entire province of Asia. Our fifth prayer goal is that each Sector would have 20 Bible Talk Leaders. A Bible Talk Leader can effectively pull people together, lead a thought-provoking Bible discussion, and make disciples of Jesus. An effective Bible Talk Leader always has a personal ministry and is constantly looking to raise up new Bible Talk Leaders.
- Send Out Planned Bible Talk To Cover Every City In Orange County
“Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.” 2 Corinthians 10:15-16
As a church, we value horizontal growth over vertical growth; The desire to get to every “region” as quickly as possible. To have a Bible Talk in every city throughout Orange County, a Bible Talk at every campus, and one on every beach.
- Raise Up Five House Church Leaders For Each Sector
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.” Romans 16:3-5
Priscilla and Aquila were very hospitable and capable of taking care of a “House Church.” A House Church is composed of a few Bible Talks which can worship God in the comfort and safety of someone’s home. Having House Church services allows us to raise up more leaders by creating more pulpits around Orange County. It also allows us to be more effective in reaching out to our neighbors and can be a way to be more cost-efficient. Our prayer goal is to raise up five House Church couples in each Sector, that can pull 2-4 Bible Talks together, build a family, and lead a powerful worship service! We have planned 10 House Church services in 2018.
- Self-Sustaining Region
“I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:18-19
Paul received finances from Philippi to preach in Achacia. The ability to give and meet the needs of the ministry is a “fragrant offering… pleasing to God.” It is our goal in 2018 that Orange County will become self-sustaining. This means our region will give enough on a weekly base to “amply supply” the needs of our budget in four Sectors. To be able to pay for all the facilities needs of each sector, all our ministry staff, central leadership, MERCY Worldwide and the benevolent needs of the congregation. As we cover the needs on a weekly base, we will not see this deficit come back attached to our Special Missions goal! It is important that every disciple gives according to God’s requirements (Luke 14:33; Malachi 3:6-12) at the beginning of every week (1 Corinthians 16:2) with a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- Raise Our Missions Goal
“In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy, and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us…For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:2-5; 12
The Macedonians became an example to all the churches, one area they excelled was giving. They gave not only their weekly contribution but also to meet the needs of brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Today we have a similar contribution to meet the needs of brothers and sisters around the world, called Special Missions. Planting new congregations requires people, but it also takes finances to keep congregations going in third world countries. Together as a movement, we all share in this grace of giving, especially us in the financially fruitful United States. This year it is our prayer that each Sector will hit 100% of their Special Missions goal.
- Enroll Twenty ICCM Students
“He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach” Mark 3:14
Jesus called the Apostles to be with him so that he could train them for the Ministry before sending them out to lead churches. Today, we imitate Jesus through walking with one another. To fully equip the ministry staff, God has allowed us to have the International College of Christian Ministries (ICCM). Our two-year bachelor’s program, combined with walking together with an Evangelist or Woman’s Ministry Leader, has allowed us to fully equip those who are being sent out onto the mission field. It is our prayer that many more will answer the calling to go into the ministry, and to see 20 brothers and sisters from Orange County enrolled in ICCM in 2018!
- Grow Each Sector To One Hundred Members
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:41
With just 120 trained leaders, God allowed the church to grow by 2,500%! Our prayer goal is each Sector will grow to 100 members in 2018! We will see the Orange County Region reach over 400 members by raising up leaders, creating stronger convictions on the Word, create an evangelistic lifestyle, scheduled family times, building deeper relationships with peers and slow down the fall away rate (will always have fallaways if we are the Kingdom). A few ways to slow down the fall away rate is by Inspiring people to be apart of the Chemical Recovery Ministry, joining Project Ability or Emotional Recovery ministry to get the discipling they need.
- Life Changing MERCY Projects
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40
Serving the poor is not something the righteous do, it’s who they are. The benevolent arm for the International Christian Churches is MERCY Worldwide. Every member is an ambassador, and every member is apart of each MERCY project. It is our prayer goal that we will have unified and successful MERCY projects such as Day of MERCY (June), Blood Drive, Turkey Drive, and Toy Drive in 2018! As we continue to pray for these goals during the year of grace, let us remember the words of our brother Paul, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not
I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
Love,
Coltin L Rohn