One of the best decisions we have made in a long, long time at CrossPoint is to pray for a kingdom partner each Sunday. We started the year by praying for Argo Christian Fellowship and their pastor, Jerry Mahner. The next Sunday we prayed for First Baptist Church of Trussville and their pastor, Buddy Champion. One week later we prayed for Clearbranch and their new pastor, Jimmy Aycock. Last weekend we prayed for pastor Rodney Davis and his people, the Church at Bradford Road, especially as they kicked off seven days of a liquid-only fast.
Your prayers matter and your prayers are making a difference. Thank you, also for dropping notes to these pastors. Two of the pastors wanted me to express their gratitude to you.
Buddy Champion texted me the following message the very next week:
Please tell the CrossPoint family how much I appreciate their prayers! What a blessing during some long days. Each card brought an encouragement.
Last Thursday, Jimmy Aycock from Clearbranch sent me this special email:
Dear Ryan,
I wanted to take a moment to express to you my profound gratitude for your prayers for me this past Sunday. In fact, I am deeply grateful to not only benefit personally from your prayers and the prayers of your congregation, but also for the wonderful example of Christian leadership that is implicit in those prayers. I have received notes from many in your congregation (as well as your personal note) expressing both a welcome to the area, and the encouragement of their prayers for me as I begin to serve here at Clearbranch. If there is a way to express my gratitude to the congregation, I would appreciate you doing so. I am blessed by those prayers in a continuing way, and blessed as well to know I am next door to a pastor who leads and encourages his church in such a fashion. I have not met you brother, but I am grateful for your Kingdom perspective and for your leadership at CrossPoint.
Way to go, CrossPoint. The Kingdom Partnerships and the prayers we pray for these pastors and their people are a great addition to our ministry. I love you and I am proud of you.
Dear Ryan a.k.a Big Daddy,
Thank you so much for your prayers this past week. The emails and cards were so encouraging, especially as we went through our time of prayer and fasting. We left the men’s conference and went right into a prayer vigil from 12 noon until 12 midnight. I am actually writting this to you as it ends. God has revealed Himself to us in such a deeep way this week. Your church praying for us and the men’s conference was a large part of that. You have a great church and you are a great Pastor serving a Holy God. May God’s hand continue to be upon you as you seek His heart. Thanks again, Rodney Davis