A Note From Pastor Cowser
| A Note From Our Pastor |
 A Call to 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting They will rebuild ancient ruins on your account; the foundations of generations past you will restore. You will be Mender of Broken Walls, Restorer of Livable Streets. – Isaiah 58:12 (CEB) I write to invite those who are physically able and called by God to participate in our “21 Days of Prayer & Fasting” beginning Monday, October 18th and ending Sunday, November 7th. During our prayer and fasting, we will seek God for opportunities to reach our community. The COVID-19 Pandemic has drastically changed our world and everyone has been affected in some way—physically, emotionally, economically, and/or spiritually. As we make our way through this time, I believe God is calling us to remain faithful in proclaiming His goodness and demonstrating His love in the world. Our communities are yearning for hope and direction and the church must stand like never before as a beacon of light and love. So, what does this mean for Center Grove? It means that as a result of our prayer and fasting, we believe that God will begin to reveal new and renewed ways that we can effectively minister to and with our community. Our hope is that by the time we end our prayer and fasting, we will be prepared to develop concrete steps to engage and serve our community. Above all, we desire to develop a laser-focused ministry plan to reach our community for the glory of God. When people hear the name “Center Grove Church,” we want them to immediately know what we are about and what God has called us to do in this season. Prayer and fasting are two spiritual disciplines that keep our attention on the Spirit of God at work in our lives. In prayer, we seek to directly communicate with God. In fasting, we deny our bodies of certain necessities such as food and liquid, enjoyments or pleasures, for a specified period of time for the purpose of building and strengthening our relationship with God. According to Biblical scholars, fasting as a way of connecting with God is mentioned at least 70 times in the Bible. Reasons for fasting vary, but there are three primary reasons for fasting: repentance (Deuteronomy 9:15-18), interceding for someone (2 Samuel 12:16-23), and preparing for something significant (Esther 4:16). Fasting was also an important discipline in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-4; 6:16-18) and the apostles in the early church (Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23). If you are in poor health or if you have concerns about your ability to fast, first consult with a qualified medical professional. The type of fast you choose is up to you. You could go on a full fast in which you only drink liquids, or you may desire to fast like Daniel, who abstained from sweets and meats, and the only liquid he drank was water (Daniel 1). Others may decide to give up something like television, social media, the internet, etc. Remember to replace that time with prayer and Bible study. To help guide us through this time, our Pastoral Staff will present live video devotionals on the Center Grove Facebook page each Wednesday at 12:00 noon. Our scriptural focus will be Isaiah 58:12 (CEB): They will rebuild ancient ruins on your account; the foundations of generations past you will restore. You will be Mender of Broken Walls, Restorer of Livable Streets. Our prayer focus will be different for each week: Week 1 (October 18-24): See the need; Week 2 (October 25-31): Find opportunities; Week 3 (November 1-7): Take action. I am excited about entering into this time of prayer and fasting with you. I pray that God’s spirit will move among us in a powerful way. May you and your family be blessed! May Center Grove be blessed! May our communities be blessed! Above all, may God be glorified and the world be transformed! Grateful to be your pastor, Pastor Cowser |
Worship Celebration
Oct 17, 2021
Join us for our Worship Celebration on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. via In-Person, or Facebook Live on the Center Grove United Methodist Church Facebook page.
You can also join our live streaming celebration via the following media outlets:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFfMEFeWdt294sXw_EOH7jA
Church Website: https://centergroveumc.org/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/event/51681
Click the link below to access the 78th Harvest Ad Form. The ad deadline is Friday, November 5th, 2021. 78th Harvest Celebration
Remember The Sick & Home-bound
Mrs. Gladys Jacobs
Mrs. Madgie Jamar
Ms. Marjorie Ewing
Mrs. Cora King
Ms. Theresa Hope
Mrs. Zena Love Hill
Mr. Carl Bradley
Mrs. Barbara Baker
Mr. Bobby Readus
Mrs. Ollie Gilliam
Pastor Ruth J. Smith
Mrs. Carla Larry
Mrs. Marion Hall
Rev. Carolyn Hillard
Community Information
Words of Encouragement
