First Friday Prayer Calendar – December 2017
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 ESV
Welcome to our December 2017 first Friday Prayer Calendar. Our aim is to provide you with praise items and prayer requests coming from within ANiC, ACNA and the Anglican Communion.
First Friday - Dec 1
We urge you to set aside the first Friday, December 1st, as a day to pray and fast for our diocese (ANiC), the Anglican Church of North America, and the Anglican Communion worldwide. We live in an age of immense pressure against the Gospel. It is critical that we unite together in prayer.
Notable Prayer Quotes
We should go into His presence as a child goes to his father. We do it with reverence and godly fear, of course, but we should go with a childlike confidence and simplicity.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899 – 1981)
Collect for Christmas
O GOD, who makes us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come again to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever. Amen.
May God’s rich blessings be with you and your family
as you celebrate the wondrous birth of our Saviour this Christmas!
PRAYER CALENDAR
Praying through December 2017
1. Our province and primate – Pray for Archbishop Foley Beach (& Allison). May God glorify Himself through the ACNA and give us a passion for sharing the Gospel.
2. Our diocese – Pray for the Anglican Network in Canada and our congregations. Pray for revival in our churches. We desperately need the Lord.
3. Pray for Bishop Charlie Masters (& Judy) as he leads ANiC. May God grant him the health, strength, discernment and the passion he needs for this heavy responsibility.
4. Pray for ANiC’s suffragan bishops: Bishops Stephen Leung (& Nona) and Trevor Walters (& Dede). Pray for wisdom and vision as they care for clergy and churches.
5. Bishop Don Harvey (& Trudy) – Pray for Bishop Don in his roles as ANiC’s episcopal vicar and as senior chaplain to the ACNA College of Bishops.
6. Pray for Bishop Ron Ferris (and Jan) as he embraces his important new role as Assisting Bishop for Missionary Planning. Bishop Ron will seek to integrate new ministry possibilities and partnerships for our future. He will also “develop policy options and consult widely in order to assist the Bishops and ANiC Council in clarifying and moving ahead on key priorities.”
7. Pray for our retired bishop, Bishop Malcolm Harding (& Marylou). Thank God for their fruitful ministries.
8. Pray for the new Missionary Bishop Andy Lines (& Mandy), who was consecrated at the ACNA Assembly on the 30th June. Given the disappointing decisions by the Church of England general synod and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and a recent statement from the Primates Meeting in Canterbury, his ministry to orthodox evangelicals will be very important.
9. ANiC archdeacons, canons & all clergy – Pray for spiritual and physical protection and renewal as well as for God’s blessing on them, their spouses & families.
10. ANiC council, chancellor & registrar – Pray for wisdom and servant hearts as they serve ANiC. May they know God’s leading, seek His will, and experience His joy.
11. ANiC staff & volunteers – Pray for strength for the tasks, faithfulness in service, & joy in the Lord. May God’s blessing rest on ANiC as we seek to know, love & serve Him.
12. Asian & Multicultural Ministries in Canada (AMMiC) – May God bless this ministry as it reaches ethnic communities & new immigrants with the Gospel & plants churches
13. ANiC’s 5 Ministry Priorities – Pray that God will use these to transform us and our churches: Bold witnesses; Biblically grounded; Loving children; On mission; and Planting churches.
14. ANiC’s New England congregations
· Holy Trinity (Marlborough, MA)
· St Brigid of Kildare (Medway, MA)
· Holy Trinity (Attleboro, MA)
· All Saints’ (Rutland, VT)
· Emmanuel - Chinese (Boston, MA)
15. ANiC congregations in Newfoundland & the Atlantic Provinces
· St Stephen the Martyr (St John’s, NL)
· Resurrection (Halifax, NS)
· Good Samaritan (St John’s, NL)
· Christ the King (Quispamsis, NB)
16. ANiC congregations in Quebec
· St Timothy’s (Montreal area)
· St James (Lennoxville)
· Emmaus (Westmount, Montreal)
17. ANiC congregations in the Ottawa, Ontario area
· Faith (Embrun)
· St Luke’s (Pembroke)
· Messiah (Ottawa)
· Blackburn Hamlet Community (Ottawa)
· St Peter & St Paul’s (Ottawa)
· Grace (Mississippi Mills)
· Eternal Hope (Carleton Place)
18. ANiC congregations in Ontario
· St Aidan’s (Windsor)
· St Aidan’s at River’s Bend (Belle River)
· Cornerstone Anglican Church (Sarnia)
· New Life (Sturgeon Falls)
· The Way (Wasaga Beach)
· The Gate (Sault Ste Marie)
19. ANiC congregations in Ontario
· St Hilda's (Oakville)
· St Peter by the Park (Hamilton)
· St George's (Burlington)
· Epiphany (Hamilton)
· Good Shepherd (St Catharines)
· St Jude (Guelph)
20. ANiC congregations in Greater Toronto and eastern Ontario
· St Chad's (Toronto)
· Celebration Church (Barrie)
· Christ The King (Toronto)
· New Song (Port Perry)
· Bethel South Asian (Brampton)
· Living Waters (Kingston)
· St James Fellowship (Trenton)
21. ANiC congregations in Saskatchewan & Manitoba
· Resurrection (Brandon, MB)
· St Bede’s (Kinosota, MB)
· Redeemer (Dauphin, MB)
· Cornerstone (Regina, SK)
22. ANiC congregations in Alberta
· Holy Trinity - Filipino (Edmonton)
· Grace Anglican (Calgary)
· Christ the King (Edmonton)
· Good Shepherd - Cantonese (Calgary)
· Living Water (Athabasca)
23. ANiC congregations in the Fraser Valley & Interior of BC
· Ascension (Langley)
· Resurrection (Kelowna)
· Saint Matthew's (Abbotsford)
· Christ Church (Kelowna)
· Church of the Holy Cross (Abbotsford)
· South Okanagan Project (Oliver)
24. ANiC congregations in the Vancouver, BC area
· St John's Vancouver
· Sojourn Church (UBC, Vancouver)
· St John’s Richmond
· Immanuel Church (Vancouver)
· St Peter’s Fireside (Vancouver)
· St Andrews (Delta)
25. Christmas Day – Pray that the joy of the birth of the Christ-child may refresh each member of every ANiC parish and be shed abroad as we share this blessing with everyone we encounter today! Pray for all who are alone today or who are serving our nations in the military overseas.
26. ANiC congregations in the Vancouver, BC area
· St Matthias and St Luke (Vancouver)
· Good Shepherd Richmond – Chinese
· All Nations – Japanese
· St John’s – Sudanese (Surrey)
· Good Shepherd Vancouver – Chinese
· St Timothy’s (North Vancouver)
27. ANiC congregations on Vancouver Island & Sunshine Coast
· Open Gate Church (Victoria)
· Living Edge (Victoria)
· Church of Our Lord (Victoria)
· Christ’s Church (Oceanside)
· The Table (Victoria, Saanich Peninsula)
· Christ the Redeemer (Pender Harbour)
28. Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans – Pray that repentance, revival and renewal will spread throughout the Communion. Pray especially for the dedicated Primates leading this global fellowship of orthodox Anglicans determined to remain faithful to God’s Word.
29. Pray for the millions of refugees and internally displaced people worldwide. Pray for persecuted Christians, especially in Muslim, communist and war-torn lands.
30. Pray for those in authority over us, especially elected officials. We pray particularly with our brothers and sisters in New England for God’s intervention in the escalating polarization and violence within the United States.
31. Pray for a fresh outpouring of repentance and revival upon our nations and our world! “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence - as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” Isaiah 64:1-2 ESV
Note: for further info about specific ANiC parishes see www.anglicannetwork.ca/find-a-church