SAME PAGE

Pastors Andy, Mark, and Angelo are calling us for a 21-day fast. The three weeks are separated into three groups:

• Week 1- we will focus on oneness in CHURCH LEADERSHIP;
• Week 2- we will focus on oneness in FAMILIES; and
• Week 3- we will focus on oneness in THE CHURCH.

Beginning Sunday, October 5th, we will have a moment in our service where we will address that week's prayer points from the platform.

On these Wednesdays- Oct. 8th, 15th, & 22nd- our church doors will be open for corporate prayer at 6:30am-7:30am; 12:00pm-1:00pm; and 7:00pm-8:00pm. We'll have time in worship, along with guided moments of prayer.

Week 1 - Oneness in Church Leadership (Pastor Andy)

Day 1: Communication – Talk

When it comes to being on the same page, it's essential to recognize the value of communication. It's easy to assume what someone is thinking or doing without fully knowing the truth. As Christians, we recognize that the Bible is God's way of communicating with us. We know what God thinks, what He does, and what He plans to do because of that communication. We can truly be aligned with God's purpose because He consistently reveals Himself to us. Ministry leaders, to foster unity and effectiveness, must actively communicate—not only with each other but also openly with the congregation. Such transparency and collaboration are essential for moving forward together in faith and service. 

This week, as you lift us up in prayer, please ask for clarity in our communication—so our message is easy to understand; for comfort—so we remain open and non-defensive; and for confidence—so we rely deeply on the Holy Spirit. Pray that our words inspire trust and conviction, guiding others with genuine faith and assurance.

Day 2: Confession - Tell

I've been hearing a common desire lately: people genuinely want honesty in leadership. Unfortunately, within the church, there's often a perception that ministry leaders are more perfect than others, which can create unrealistic expectations. To truly connect and build trust, we must recognize that honesty is the foundation of credibility. Admittedly, it's challenging because our world tends to scrutinize leaders harshly, often highlighting their faults to justify other wrongdoings. Embracing transparency isn't just preferable—it's essential for authentic leadership and genuine faith community.

For ministry leaders to grow and serve effectively, we must be given the space to fail occasionally. This requires your grace and forgiveness. Just as I have experienced your compassion and understanding when I’ve been broken, I ask that you continue to embody that same grace. Please don’t reject us for our imperfections, but instead support us in becoming the leaders we are called to be.

This week, I urge you to lift us up in prayer. Pray that we will be guided by honesty and that we are granted the grace to serve openly within the very congregation we seek to lead. It’s crucial that we all do our part—showing grace to those God has entrusted us with and extending forgiveness when we falter. Let me be clear: this does not diminish accountability. Scripture clearly defines the conduct expected of ministry leaders and the standards they must uphold. Join us in prayer and in commitment to righteousness. 

Day 3: Community - Time

I've often heard in church that cliques exist, and while it's true that the church isn't always as inclusive as it should be, I truly believe that sharing life—especially through difficult times—can dramatically strengthen our bonds. Yet, this sense of connection can sometimes feel like a barrier when the only time you see a ministry leader is on a Sunday morning. To build a genuine community where everyone feels truly welcomed and supported, we must go beyond Sunday services and intentionally foster deeper, more meaningful relationships.

This week, as you pray, I encourage you to remember that all our ministry leaders are also family members and friends—people with their own lives and relationships. Please ask God to open opportunities for you to genuinely connect with a ministry leader you feel drawn to, not just to take their time, but to invest in building a meaningful relationship. Pray that our collective efforts will nurture and support all life communities, not just a select few. Let’s open our hearts and minds to God's guidance in fostering these vital connections.

Day 4: Cooperation - Together

To truly be on the same page, it is essential that we, as a community, work together in harmony. The call to serve is deeply meaningful, and to operate effectively, we must collaborate and support one another. While each ministry leader has unique gifts and callings, our collective goal is to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to fulfill their purpose. By uniting in purpose and cooperation, we ensure the success and growth of our ministry and its members.

Would you take a moment this week to pray for two important things? First, please pray for unity among the leadership of New Life Church—that they may be perfectly aligned and work harmoniously together. Second, ask God to reveal your unique role within the church so you can actively cooperate and contribute to the body. Let’s seek God's guidance together for a stronger, more unified church.

Day 5: Christ - Truth

In John chapter 17, Jesus lovingly prays to His Father, asking that His followers be united just as He and the Father are united. This heartfelt prayer underscores the importance of unity and love among His people, for it is through our love for one another that the world will recognize us as His disciples, as Jesus Himself emphasized in John 13:35. Let us embrace this call to unity and love, ensuring that our actions reflect His love and that His name is not rejected because of our divisions.

Please pray this simple prayer for us today: that the leadership of New Life Church will cultivate a deep love for one another and for our congregation. When the people of Clatsop County meet us, may they see the visible fruit of His love in our actions. Let the truth of Jesus be more than words—let it be lived out through the way we sincerely love one another, demonstrating His love in tangible ways.

Week 2: Oneness in Families (Pastor Angelo)

We are on our second week of prayer and fasting. This week, we are setting our own desires aside and focusing on the family members God has given us. We will set our minds towards getting on The Same Page with the closest people in our lives as we follow Christ. Living in close company can be one of the most challenging things a person can do. There are personality differences. There are different schedules, assumed and expected roles, and financial and relational strains. And that’s just the adults! Once you add kids and extended family to the mix, home life can get messy in a hurry. Gratefully, our God is a good Father and He knows how each family can get on the same page in each season and situation. 

Day 1: Communication - Talk 

Key verse: “I have revealed Your Name to the people You gave Me from the world. …I pray for (those You have given Me), because they are Yours.” -John 17:6,9 CSB 

Before anything leaves our mouths towards a loved one, we need to remember one critical thing. God gave that person to you. God has given you to them. He is trusting each of us to care for that other person as He would. Imagine a man asking a father for his daughter's hand in marriage. That young man is asking the father to trust him to love, honor, and cherish the daughter as the father has. That is a big ask! Today, ask yourself, “Am I treating my spouse, child, parent, sibling, etc., the way our good and perfect Father treats them?”

Here is something we can pray today to get on the Same Page:

“Lord, I need the thoughts, the words, and the Spirit that You have towards my family members. Let me see each of them as You see them. Help me to speak to them as You do. May my spirit reflect Your Spirit in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Amen.”

Day 2: Confession – Tell 

Key Verse: “Is anyone among you sick? (If) he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect." -James 5:14-16 CSB 

When we think of sin, sometimes we can picture a person with a contagious disease; a person who repulses us and we avoid it. When God sees His children sinning, He sees brokenness. This is why Jesus’ body was broken for us. Our sins break us apart like a person who goes to the ER from a car accident. No matter who caused the crash, the point is to get everybody mended up and healthy. When we sin against the people in our home, the goal is not to place blame; it is to heal what has been broken. Here is a counterintuitive Biblical truth: confessing your wrongdoing does not make you a worse person or make the situation worse; it brings healing. Biblical confession sounds like, “I messed up when I (fill in the sinful words or actions). That was wrong. I am sorry. That’s not the kind of (dad, mom, son, daughter, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, etc.) that I want to be. It’s not who God wants me to be. How can I make this right?” 

Here is something we can pray today to get on the Same Page: “Father, grant me the courage to confess my sins for what they are; sin, darkness, and brokenness. Help me see the healing and restoration You have for me, the people around me, and my relationships. As I confess my sins, may your grace and healing be my hope as I follow Your son Jesus Christ. Amen.” 

Day 3: Community – Time 

Key verse: “'But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” -1 Timothy 5:8 CSB 

What can only you do? The Bible teaches that God has laid out plans for each of us, responsibilities that we alone are to fulfill, and burdens to carry. We live in a world that loves to fill up the calendar. We live in a culture that values and applauds activity, productivity, and success. But what is success in God’s eyes? As we look toward our lives and our households, what does God count as failure and what counts as success? Those who provide physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually for their families are actually so successful in God’s eye that He calls them to be responsible for God’s family, the church. Success is not in activity, but rather in obedience to care for those God has given us, for our own household. What does your partner, children, siblings, parents, etc need that only you can fulfill?

Here is something we can pray today to get on the Same Page: “Lord, readjust my measure of success to Your standard. Show me where my family needs me most. Show me which the things in my life that I am investing in that are not important to You. Teach me how to spend time with and care for those You have placed in my life. Amen.”

Day 4: Cooperation – Together 

Key verse: “…You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another… But we encourage you… to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” -1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 

Growing in love more and more is no easy task, but the Bible teaches a way for those who are called children of God. Lead quiet lives. Work with your own hands. Mind your own business. This kind of life, rooted in the grace of Christ, builds trust. It speaks volumes to those you live with when you take care of the things you are responsible for, when you take care of your business quietly. This quiet life comes directly from a confidence in the love we have received from God, the grace we have received from Jesus, and the power we receive from the Holy Spirit. When we have received so much, there is nothing but overflow of the life and light of Jesus Christ to those around us. 

Here is something we can pray today to get on the Same Page: “Holy Spirit, lead me to be a blessing to those I live with. Give me the wisdom to see what my business is, and the courage to live quietly, no matter what those around me are doing or not doing. Jesus, remind me of all that You have forgiven me for. Father, remind me of who You made me to be and the things You have called me to do. May my quiet obedience bring the life and light of Jesus to those I live with. Amen.”

Day 5: Christ Centered – Pushing Back the Darkness 

Key verse: “In (Jesus Christ) was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.” -John 1:4-5 

When we think of Jesus and the “Good News” there are a few different things that come to mind. This week let’s look at a simple explanation. The life of Jesus brought light and healing into a dark and broken world. When Jesus came to earth, He pushed back the darkness wherever He went. When He died on the cross and was raised from the dead, He defeated darkness. When we believe in Him, making Him Lord of our lives, we push back the darkness in our broken lives. When we receive His grace and extend that grace to those around us, we push back the darkness. There are hundreds of examples, but the powerful truth of Jeuss Christ is this; as we follow and become more like Jesus, we are given the job of bearing His light wherever we go. We push back the darkness wherever we see it, bringing healing to brokenness. That is what Jesus did for you and me. We are bearers of THE LIGHT, and the light is Jesus. 

Here is something we can pray today to get on the Same Page: “Jesus, show me the darkness and brokenness in my own life. Show me the darkness and brokenness in my own family. Show me how to bring Your light and healing where I need it, and where they need it. Show me how to think, talk, and act in a way that brings truth and grace to my home. Amen.”

Week 3: Oneness in the Church (Pastor Mark)

We are in our third and last week of fasting and prayer together as a church family. This week our focus is on how we as a church family can grow in being of one heart and one mind as the Holy Spirit leads us forward.  It’s easy to be independent and live your spiritual life as if you were flying solo; but you are not alone. You are a part of the Family of God.  You have brothers and sisters in Christ who need you; and you need them. Living in spiritual community with others takes effort. Let’s talk about how you can pray and work toward being together. As it says in Philippians 2:2, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Day 1: Communication-Talk

Key verse: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

-Ephesians 4:29

When you live in community with other believers, you need to be mindful about what you say and how you say it. We all need a “God filter” over our mouth. When we speak to others, our goal should be encouragement and saying what builds other people up. If what you are thinking of saying won’t benefit those who would listen, then don’t say it! Ask yourself this:  How can I encourage people today in my words, my texts, and my feedback? Ask God to give you a heart to encourage and teach you how to encourage in the midst of negativity.

Here is something we can pray today; “Lord knit us together as a church family that truly loves one another. As we all look to You for guidance, show us Your heart and give us unity of mind and unity in doing Your will. I lay aside my own selfish agendas, to honor You as the Shepherd of Your people. Amen"

Day 2: Confession – Tell

Key Verse: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 5:14-16

Each one of us should be a witness and light to the world for Jesus. There is something powerful that happens when we are a light together as a church. A single light on a dark distant hillside is not as impactful as a city on a hill with many lights shining like a beacon in the darkness. When the lost enter our church building, they should experience an outpouring of welcome and acceptance. They should feel a friendship overload and an atmosphere of electric enthusiasm for worshipping God with genuine joy. When someone walks into that kind of atmosphere, they say to themselves, “I want this!” When we come together, let’s not hide in our small comfort corner. If you knew that our combined effort could make a difference in where someone spends eternity, we would all be front and center waiting in line to make people feel welcome and letting Jesus shine though us all. 

Here is something we can pray today: “Lord Jesus, You are working in hearts throughout our community, calling the lost close to You. Make us Your arms that embrace the hurting, Your hands that welcome the lonely, and Your mouth that speaks words of hope and healing. Lord let people see You and feel Your presence when they walk through the doors. Thank You for allowing me to reflect Your light and love. Cause us to shine together and amplify Your love in people’s darkest hour. Amen”

Day 3: Community – Time

Key verse:  “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” -Hebrews 6:10

Love for God and His people is hard work. It’s hard to serve one another from your easy chair in your living room. Serving people often means we have to go out of our way and we have to sacrifice time. But the rewards are great. Unless we work together, how will we meet all the needs of the Body of Christ? Who will teach the young ones? Who will pray for the sick? Who will encourage the lonely, and who will look after the weak? No one person, and no pastor can meet all these needs on their own. We must work together, each one doing our part to help others. 

Here is something we can pray today: “Lord help me to see how we are a great force of good when we work together using our individual gifts and talents to help each other. When I think my contribution is too small, remind me that You are my strength and that You multiply even the smallest effort I place in Your hands. Give me a heart to look for the good I can do, and together as a church, give us Your grace to be doers of the Word of God and not hearers only.  Amen.” 

Day 4: Cooperation – Together

Key verse: “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” -Nehemiah 4:6

I love the Book of Nehemiah in the Bible. God gave His people one mission in that season of time. That mission was to rebuild the walls around the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah rallied the people behind the cause that was close to God’s heart. He cast the vision, then He assigned the work. Everyone worked together. Even if it wasn’t their skill set, then all cleared rubble and build a wall. Every family rebuilt the section of the wall closest to their home. They didn’t let discouragement stop them. Prayer and perseverance kept them going. We as a church family can learn a lot from this story. If we are divided by our different opinions and goals, we will never build anything lasting. What I build in my effort must join with what you build with yours. We must build from the same plan – God’s plan. Together with God’s help we can do the impossible. 

Here is a good way to pray today: “Lord help us together as a church see the plan You have for us. We lay down our own human agendas in favor of following Your footsteps. Unify all our efforts by giving us one heart and the will to work together. Amen.”

Day 5:  Christ Centered – Truth

Key verse: ”There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” -Ephesians 4:4-6

In a world that blurs the line of Truth and in the name of tolerance attempts to join all religions into one – there is really only one truth, and one Savior, Jesus. The Bible is the source of our teaching and Christ is the center of its message. Together we must hold the line of what we believe. We can’t water down the message of the Gospel. The Gospel is the only hope for our world and Jesus, the only way to eternal life. 

Here is a good way to pray today: “Lord, keep us following the light of Your Word.  Help us to be a church that unashamedly preaches that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Bless our leaders with insight to teach us, and boldness to proclaim the word of life to a dying world. Amen.”