The big college football game of the year will be here soon. Every year, in the month of November die-hard fans with friends and families gather around their TV’s in anticipation of the big game between Ohio State and Michigan. We shout in joy when our teams score a point or lament when the other team pulls ahead. In some homes it can get a bit heated, when you have fans from both teams living under the same roof. But in Van Wert County, Ohio State and Michigan fans come together to pray for one another and our county. Pentecostals and Catholics, Methodist and Nazarenes, Baptists and Presbyterians, Quakers and Independents, churched and unchurched come together to seek the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ for Van Wert County and area.
Among our Van Wert County Ministerial Association, we have pastors and members of our churches, who support their opposing team with zeal and enthusiasm. But as churches, once a month, we come together with one heart and desire to support and pray for one another and seek the mercy of God for our families, churches, our leaders local, state and national, those struggling with alcohol and drug addictions, broken families and lives and to thank God we still have the freedom in America to gather in prayer. Pastor Bill Watson does an awesome job of leading prayer.
The foundation of our prayer time is Second Chronicles 7:14. God’s message for His people is if “My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. That message is as important today as it was written thousands of years ago. We have learned that the church down the street is not our enemy and we can do so much more together than alone.
“America desperately needs healing. Our country is in the midst of one of the most divisive times in our history. The very fiber of our nation is being pulled apart. No longer can we sit on the sidelines and watch our nation fall apart,” states Pastor Paul Hamrick.
Since the beginning of 2018, we as a Ministerial Association have focused on being active and pro-active of coming together in prayer to support one another and to address the opiate epidemic that is ravaging our county, state and nation. We were, by the favor of God and working together as individuals, businesses, churches able to touch over 3,300 lives with a message of Hope this spring and the Van Wert County Ministerial Association continues to search for ways to build up their families, communities, and county.
The big game will soon be here on November 24, but before that on Sunday evening November 18, Christians and Churches gathered together in prayer for the Countywide Prayer service at Convoy United Methodist Church located at 207 North Main St Convoy. The Ministerial Association sends out a warm welcome to all to come and join them in prayer to make Van Wert County a better place to live and raise a family. For more information please contact Pastor Paul Hamrick at 419-771-9378.
