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The Challenge: The prayer chain is our active response to Paul’s challenge in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 
to “pray without ceasing”. We believe that God is never bored, apathetic, or too busy to connect with His children. There is no solid reason to avoid prayer; it is always the best, first response to any situation. James spells out the responses Christians should embrace as lifestyles in James 5:13-14 , “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Prayer is another way to grow closer to fellow believers, walking with them in their struggles and encouraging them in their triumphs. Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:18 saying, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Even as the go-to example of missions, preaching and teaching in the New Testament, Paul continues in Ephesians 6:19-20 saying, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Pray always, about everything, that is the challenge.
The Warning: As with any ministry, there are potential problem areas that we ask those involved to be aware of. One potential hazard of a prayer chain is the possibility of it transforming into a gossip chain. When a member of the body of Christ asks for prayer, those in the prayer chain have a responsibility to confidentiality and must approach each situation in love, without condemnation. We ask that those who are praying about being part of this ministry seriously consider this hazard as they move forward.
How to get involved: The actual functioning of the Prayer chain is a string of people who are called to be on high alert on behalf of the body of Christ. Prayer requests come to the church staff and are passed to the first person on the list, which calls the next and so on until the full group is aware of the need and is praying on the requesters behalf. If you feel called to be part of this ministry, email Joshua Sanders at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .