It all started with a little book and the belief that we should be reaching folks outside the four walls of the sanctuary. I heard about the book Five Little Words to Change a Life by Nick Savoca & Rozanne Savoca from Greg West, our Conference Superintendent. It tells the story of Nick and Rozanne’s time with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). They started taking groups to the streets of NYC and asking folks, “May I pay for you?” It was a hit! God blessed their efforts. They called it a Prayer Station.
It seemed like our small prayer team could take this and run with it. I shared the book, and others agreed. We prepared six weeks of training and had 10 folks sign up. Ken Barnes, formerly with YWAM, and one of his former students, Greg West, taught the folks at Laurel Hill GMC that “GO is 2/3 of GOD”. It was a time of growing our faith.
Our church is about five minutes from the very popular Dorey Park Farmers Market. We applied to have a Prayer Station in the Farmers Market, but our application was denied – so we prayed. We ended up talking to a nice man at Parks and Rec, who explained that we have a First Amendment right to be everywhere in the park, except inside the Farmers Market. God was working! Every Saturday, we set up between the parking lot and the market under the blessed shade of several trees. We may try another spot in a few weeks.
What is our normal schedule? The market operates from 9 to noon. We have 3 or 4 volunteers who work two shifts: 9-10:30 & 10:30-12. The early shift arrives around 8:30 am and sets up the flag and table. We also have a cooler with small water bottles that we give away. As each shift begins, we pause to pray and invite the Holy Spirit to lead our prayers. On the table are small booklets of the Gospel of John and invitation cards with information about Laurel Hill. The last thing we have every Saturday is a brochure about Prayer Stations that we give to folks from other churches who ask about what we are doing. We believe God will multiply this ministry all over the state of Virginia.
I will share one story from week 2: Frequently, people head to the market, decline the offer of prayer, and say they will stop by on the way back. A woman walked up to me and said another team member had spoken to her on the way in, but she was praying with someone. I offered to pray, and she accepted. She requested a prayer for her family. In the moment I paused, I heard the word forgiveness. That was my prayer, and it visibly shook her. She stood still after the prayer and spoke of how hard it is to forgive. I felt God calling me to share part of my past, the story of how I was able to forgive the man who sexually abused me when I was a child. She began to cry and shared that a family member had sexually abused her son. She was convinced that I was the one she was supposed to pray with that day.
These kinds of stories happen over and over again at Dorey Park, when we share a simple question: “May I pray for you?” The usual pattern seems to be 7 of 10 folks say yes. Our teams easily pray for more than 100 folks per shift. If this interests you, please read the book and share it with a few folks. If the Prayer Team at Laurel Hill can help you to get started, WE WILL! You can reach out to us at laurelhillchurch.varina@gmail.com
Pastor John Bright