Greetings PAOC family,

We trust you are knowing the Lord’s presence ever so close in this summer season and that have been able to experience fruitful ministry while making time to rest, relax and be replenished in body, mind and spirit.   

As we reflect on the goodness of God, we are thankful for the blessed time we shared together with our PAOC family in May at General Conference 2024, whether in-person or online. We know the Lord met us in many ways as we came together to be ministered to, to do the business of our Fellowship and to connect with “friends like family” in our Fellowship.

In this month of August as you prepare for the fall season of ministry, we wanted to send you an email to highlight one of the six Strategic Hubs from our time at General Conference in Niagara Falls. You will be receive separate emails in the months ahead on each of these priority hub focuses. This particular email comes with a focus on prayer and the importance of every church being a house of prayer in our Pentecostal family if we desire to see the Lord work in mighty ways in and through us as we move forward in doing His kingdom work.

• For a video message from me regarding our prayer focus, click here.

Recently, along with Peter Cusick who heads up our PAOC prayer focus nationally, and two of our local church pastors, I recorded a half-hour prayer session that will be included in the World Assemblies of God GLOBAL CONCERT OF PRAYER being held online September 16-18, 2024.

• To watch our PAOC segment that will be part of the larger Global Concert of Prayer, click here.

We encourage you to participate in the Global Concert of Prayer and welcome your church family to do so as well online at www.trinitybroadcast.tv.

Note – The PAOC Segment will be shown at 21:30 GMT/5:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.

Promotional materials are enclosed for your use (available in English only).  Click here.

And lastly, we would like to give you a recap of the discussion that was had during the Prayer Strategic Hub at General Conference. There was not a videorecording for this session, but we do encourage you to view the other five Strategic Hubs on our website by visiting the General Conference section of our website at https://paoc.org/events/general-conference-2024/recorded-sessions  You will also be able to view the general sessions and the Pension Fund meeting in this same location. The following are key points of the feedback of this session:

Strategic Hub:  Building a Prayer Movement with Peter Cusick and guest presenters

One group’s prayer focused on:

• Next steps: More sermons and testimonies on prayer (miracles, pregnancy, etc.), that our churches would become houses of prayer and of the presence of God.

One group responded to Roger Helland’s presentation:

• Acts 6:4 priority for leaders in prayer and proclamation; ‘a pray-er who preaches’ with prayer as the primary/first stage, the pre-curser to God moving, the core of spiritual leadership.
• Testimonies create hunger and build faith i.e. 180 people saved at Lakemount in Grimsby in four months, moves of God in Maritimes churches, healing testimonies across districts.

What is God saying to you about prayer?

• That I need to prioritize a lifestyle of prayer. Get up and pray!
• Without prayer everything else lacks power, so be intentional about continual prayer.
• Always be attentive and aware of the Spirit in any task/situation, and to continue to pray, pray, pray.
• Be alert and keep focus on what I am doing in this season. Devote more time to prayer this week. Continue prayer for the salvation of family members.
• Model prayer in family life.
• Prayer is not just words but can also be silence.

Other Comments:

• We live in a spiritual atmosphere of foreign gods and altars in a multicultural society. If we do nothing, we lose the battle. Prayer is required for our nation including fasting.
• We were given a gift of brokenness by the Lord.
• What do we need to do to be prepared for a world-wide awakening?
• What is happening in the lives of the leaders will determine how the Spirit moves in the church.

Each speaker shared a unique challenge to pray in different contexts which created a tapestry of prayer practices, foci and tools. The rhythm of the hub was about 50% content delivery and 50% prayer time in small groups allowing participants to integrate what was being shared. This provided vibrant, noisy, and engaging sessions.

Praying for you in these summer months that the Lord would provide all you need so you can head into a fall ministry season feeling fully equipped for all He has ahead!

David Wells, General Superintendent

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