November 10th—December 20th

Update:  Thank you to everyone who prayed.  God answered our prayers in some incredible ways.  We now have a balanced budget for the first 6 months of 2010 and God has given some very clear guidance for what this next season of ministry will look like.

The Vision
From the beginning, Grassroots has had the vision of planting a self-sustaining and multiplying gospel movement that brings spiritual and social renewal to Puna and the world.

God’s Past Faithfulness
Over the last two and a half years we have moved slowly but consistently towards this vision. We have been blessed by a strong and unified leadership team, favor in the community, fruitfulness in gospel ministry, and consistent financial provision.

Our Present and Future Need
Grassroots Church is coming to a very significant crossroads as a young church. The support from our sending church expired in 2009 and in 2010 we will be on our own for sustaining the financial side of our ministry. For 2009, our budget was almost as tight as it could be without giving up either our full-time pastor or our sunday meeting location. In 2010, our budget will be even tighter and we are estimating that if the giving of the present Grassroots people remain the same, we will still need an additional $1,700-$2,000 a month to make budget.

The Possible Consequences of our Budget Deficit
The honest reality is that ministry costs money and if we cannot make budget we will need to give up our building and/or the blessing of having a full-time pastor. While the church is so much more than a meeting location and a pastor, our concern is that this downsizing will cost us dearly in momentum and ministry opportunities.

A Solemn Call to Prayer, Fasting, and Mission
We are calling everyone who considers Grassroots to be their home church to join us in a focused season of prayer, fasting, and mission for 40 days.

Beginning: Tuesday November 10th and Ending: Sunday December 20th.

Prayer Gatherings Wednesday Evenings @ the Grassroots Office 7pm-9pm during 40 Days.

Prayer, Fasting and Mission Details
Our heart is to be united together as we seek God and so we would encourage everyone who participates to use the prayer and mission guide on the back of this sheet for direction and accountability. No one else will see your sheet but we would encourage you to fill it in throughout the 40 days.

We are asking people to choose one day a week for themselves in which they will fast from 1-3 meals and spend the time they would normally be eating in prayer. We would also encourage people to consider fasting from TV, Internet, movies, etc. and to instead spend this time in prayer and Bible reading. For more on fasting, see Hunger for God.
We will be having group prayer gatherings at the church office once a week during the 40 days and we would ask that everyone who participates make it a priority to attend at least one of these gatherings.

For help on fasting, download A Hunger for God intro by John Piper: Hunger for God Intro