This is the sixtieth update for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief fund for the Lake Pontchartrain North Shore. This includes the Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Slidell, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Pastor Sprague in a new e-mail message is calling for all prayer warriors to help in the ministry of Trinity Evangelical Free Church of Covington, LA and hurricane relief.

"Calling all Prayer Warriors

Over the last 6 months I have feasted upon and been sustained by the God of Exodus 17. The people of God faced a great challenge in their confrontation with the Amalekites. Joshua and the men engaged them while Moses went up to the hilltop to raise his hands in dependence upon God. Oh, how he must have prayed. While his hands were raised, the battle went well. When his arms drooped, the mission was hindered and the enemy made inroads. Two friends came to his rescue and lifted his arms. The victory was secured.

Here in Covington our arms often droop. We covet your prayers. Prayer is the battle because the prevailing power of God flows through prayer. Prayer turns the tide. Prayer is "the slender nerve that moves the Arm of Omnipotence." It's such a mystery but God works through praying people. Prayer accomplishes what hard work, tenacity and strategy can't. I wonder how much money has been given, lives that have been changed, people saved, hearts softened and territory taken from the evil one because believers have undergirded us in prayer. Please don't forget to pray.

Prayer requests for Trinity Church:

1. Prayer for the unprecedented opportunity to reach our community for Christ. Ask God for boldness, courage, and wisdom in reaching out to a needy people who hunger for hope.
2. Pray for church members who are attempting to re-emerge from disaster. Many have no discretionary time and are stressed. Children too! Pray for strains on marriages. Pray for many warriors who serve others above themselves.
3. Pray for a weary staff. Being four staff short causes all to do double and triple duty. Pray for strength, endurance, and patience.
4. Praise God that candidates are on the horizon to fill these positions:
    a. Stephen Lay from Dallas Seminary will be candidating this Sunday for the Pastor     of Adult Ministry position.
    b. Becky McLain chose to accept the position for follow-up ministry.
    c. Fred Hoffman has become our bookkeeper and probably our administrator.
    d. We have some wonderful candidates now for the Children's Pastor.
5. Pray for the completion of our new Children's building. The construction company will move out in a couple of weeks. The entire church needs to be mobilized to finish turning the shell into a home by May 13.
6. Pray for the grand opening during the month of June when we invite the Northshore Community to visit with us. Each Sunday will include a major children's event including storytellers, puppets, ventriloquist, Commando's (brick-breakers, tear phone books, etc.), balloons, prizes, picnics, etc. These celebrations will enable families in the community to check out what God has provided. Our desire is to connect people to Jesus and a local church so that moms and dads can be supported and children can have one of the best hours of their entire week. Our focus is on Discipleship and Evangelism. Our mission is to develop fully devoted followers of Christ.
7. Pray for labors to work with our massive workdays and for an expanded army of volunteers to work with every aspect of Children's Ministry.
8. Pray for resources to continue to serve Jesus. Katrina has brought about uncertain times. Pray for $50,000 needed for furnishings. Our Capital Campaign fund for our new building has been greatly hampered by Katrina. We are praying for wisdom in how to handle this and the provision of over a half million dollars.
9. Pray for preaching messages coming over the next four months.
    a. Two weeks will focus on our vision for Trinity and Compassion.
    b. The week after Easter will be on "Decoding the DiVinci Code."
    c. I will then begin preaching a series going through The Book of Luke and looking     at Jesus. My favorite person to preach on! In fact, if you want to get to know God -     look at Jesus.
10. Pray for our continued interaction with teams - 130 were here last week and more have come this week. These are choice people. Pray for clarification of our mission, depth in our partnerships, money to not grind to a halt, and wisdom that will allow for longevity.

Here is a letter that illustrates the continued work:

Dear Michael,

I just want to encourage you and the church with a brief testimony from a couple in Chalmette. When we arrived I asked the owner as to how he was doing. He replied, "Before Katrina, I was worth 2 million dollars. Today I am worth nothing. I wish I was dead."

I was about to say, "Don't be afraid, the Lord sees you." Instead, I said, "We're here to help you. It's going to be okay." Later that day, three more groups showed up to work on his house (about 35 people) plus the "wiener wagon".
The owner could not believe that so many people cared for him and his family.
Later that day, we prayed as a group and the owner prayed, "Help me Lord with my unbelief. Give me faith to believe."

Sometimes Mike, people have to see the Lord before they can hear Him. And sometimes it takes a whole church. The scriptures encourage us "to let our light shine that people may see our good works." The church's efforts and outreach for many Katrina households has been nothing less than a miracle.

Mike, the Lord sees the church's efforts and hearts to come alongside and be the hands and feet of Jesus joining churches throughout the nation and the globe to step into their boats as to say, (Mark 6:51). To give grace through works to the people of Louisiana for it is in the church's efforts the Lord is able to calm their storm and calm the seas and the winds that tear their faith and hearts that they may believe. Keep up the good work of sowing seed for the Kingdom He loves you. The Lord is faithful and there to amaze.
Take courage. He sees your efforts. Don't forget the loaves.

A word for the church; share it joyfully. The Lord is our Shepherd.

A brother that cares

Thank you dear friends for prayer. I asked a friend this week, "Am I crazy for being involved in all we got going on?" Without your prayers I would be in a heap, buried, undone, and ruined. The job is so massive yet Jesus is so able. It is amazing what He continues to do though weak, limited, frail people like us who make things up one day at a time. Keep praying for us semi-cracked vessels who desire deeply to be poured out for him. Our hearts register deeply with this passage:

"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you." 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Betting the Farm on God,

Pastor Michael Sprague (04/07/06 2:04 PM CDT)"

You don't hear much about Katrina and the State of Louisiana in the news much now except to hear the politicians squabble about how much they are going to send, and who will finally end up with it.

I dare say the bulk of it will be swallowed up and spent on boon-doggles long before it gets to who really needs it.

That is one of the main reasons I began helping to raise money and volunteers for Trinity Church and EFCA/Compassion Ministries, because I know that every dollar donated is used to help in this awesome ministry.

Grace Team 5 will be going down to serve with Trinity June 11 - 18th, 2006. Pray for this team of young people, and pray for the ministry that is on-going at Trinity. 

So please consider a contribution to the combined efforts of this blog and Grace Community Chapel of St. Peters, MO, in raising money and volunteers for ministry teams to be sent to Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Covington, LA, to be distributed locally to the Lake Pontchartrain North Shore and New Orleans area. You will find detailed donation information by clicking here.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 7th, 2006 at 2:09 pm and is filed under Katrina North Shore Relief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Tags: Hurricane Katrina, Katrina, New Orleans, North Shore, St. Tammany Parrish