The Role of Prayer in Making Jesus Famous
Matthew 6:5-15
Prayer is an essential part of a Christian life. Jesus himself prayed when he was here on earth. Prayer was an integral part of Jesus’ time on earth, and he prayed regularly. He lived only with the thought of obedience. His joy was to do the will of the Father. If Jesus the Son of God incarnate found it necessary to commune with the Father frequently, how much more do we need to do so?
Jesus Himself said in John 15:5 “….apart from me you can do nothing.” The only way Jesus said to be connected with God is through abiding and abiding implies praying. Apart from prayer, nothing eternally significant happens. Now ‘nothing’ is a pretty all-encompassing word and Jesus chose it deliberately. Those who don’t know how to pray will see little of lasting significance remain in their lives. What kind of lasting work are we going to leave on earth, in our families, if it’s not saturated and birthed in prayer. The Gospel shows us that Jesus’ life was saturated with prayer. As a man, Jesus depended on communion with the Father for his strength and the fullness of the Spirit for his power. Prayer was not an optional add-on for Jesus, some best practice that he wanted to model for us. Prayer was a non-negotiable daily staple in his life, more essential to him at times than eating or sleeping.
THIS WEEK
Monday, May 29
8:00 am - 9:00 pm Election Poll
9:30 am Men's & Women's Prayer
Tuesday, May 30
7:00 pm Youth Study
Wednesday, May 31
9:30 am Keenagers Study
7:30 pm Young Adults Study
Thursday, June 1
3:00 pm Prayer for Ukraine/Russia & Beyond
7:00 pm Men's Floor Hockey
Friday, June 2
7:00 pm ALPHA Meeting offsite
Saturday, June 3
1:00 pm Growth Group #8
Sunday, June 4
8:15 am Praise & Worship with Flags
9:15 am Worship Service
11:15 am Worship Service
1:00 pm Filipino Study
CHURCH LIFE UPDATES
The Worship Service will also be on Facebook and YouTube at 9:15 am this Sunday. For more information please visit our website or or watch for The Loop - our weekly e-newsletter. If you do not receive The Loop you can download it here from our website. Click HERE to sign up to receive The Loop in your email weekly.
ARE YOU NEW TO SGAC? We want to help you get connected. Fill out a connection card and stop by the Welcome Centre so we can meet you & give you a small gift to say thanks for joining us. We hope SGAC will soon start to feel like home!
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING is available for nursery to Grade 6. Please visit the Check In Kiosk foyer to sign in your children.
SPRING MINI GROWTH GROUPS start this week & it’s not too late to register. There are 7+ adult growth groups to choose from including activity groups, men’s and women’s groups, couple’s groups & more. on Click here to register or register with Kim at the Welcome Centre today. Consider being part of this 4-week spring semester where you’ll make new friends, get connected & grow in your faith.
PRAISE & WORSHIP WITH FLAGS - Join us to worship and praise God using flags and dance. Each pre-service session will start with prayer and scriptural references and run from 8:15-8:45am in the Sanctuary. Mark your calendars for June 4, June 11, and June 25.
VBS REGISTRATION is now open! VBS will run August 8 - 11 from 9:15 am - 12:15 pm. Register on our website or at the Check In Kiosk today. A variety of volunteers are also needed. Let us know where you can help out!
PRAYER WITH A&J – May 30 at 7:00 pm there is an opportunity to join from the comfort of your home in a Zoom prayer meeting for Soli Island with A&J. If you are interested in participating in this, contact Pastor Joel for details.
ALHPA TEAM BUILDING MEETING (offsite) June 2 at 7:00 pm. All current and interested ALPHA volunteers are invited to attend. Contact Bernie Schotte at 780-722-1896.
GRACE’S TABLE - We all go through tough times. If a warm & nutritious meal would be helpful for you or someone you know, click here to register on our website or by calling the church office by noon on Monday, June 5. Meal pick-up is Friday, June 9 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at SGAC.
PARK PLAY DAYS – Connect with other SGAC parents on Tuesday mornings in June, as you watch your children play together in the park. On June 6 they will be meeting at Jesperdale Park starting at 10:00 am. Watch the SGAC Women’s Facebook page for updates/changes. For more information, contact Pastor Karen.
YOUTH RETREAT - June 9 & 10 at SGAC. Cost is $45. Click here to register on our website today!
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY SUMMER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Summer is coming and we are searching for people who love kids and want to make a difference in their lives, either on Sunday morning or at VBS. Contact Pastor Coreen if you would like to help out in either of these areas this summer.
TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION on these & other events check out the following:
Website - sgac.net
Facebook - @sprucegrovealliancechurch, @sgacwomen, @sgacyouth, @sgackeenagersgroup,
@sgackids
Instagram - @sga.church, @youngadults.sgac, @sgacyouth, @sgac.women
YouTube - @sprucegrovealliancechurch
Are you in “The Loop”? Don’t miss out on Pastor Brent’s weekly e-newsletter which comes out every Wednesday afternoon. If you have not subscribed to SGAC’s e-newsletter, you can do that at
“SGAC Downloads” on our website where you can also read this week’s edition of The Loop.
Giving Update
Weekly Giving - May 15 - 21, 2023
General Fund Giving $ 21,727
Weekly Budget Required $ 23,963
Borrowed funds to date $ 1,650,000
Interest Rate 7.20%
Please note the following options for giving:
ONLINE GIVING
Whether it is a one-time gift or you would like to schedule a recurring donation, you can give online to Spruce Grove Alliance Church. This option allows you to give using a Visa debit card or the traditional Visa or MasterCard credit cards.
PRE-AUTHORIZED GIVING
Pick up a pre-authorized debit agreement form from our church office or download one here. You can fill it out and then with a voided cheque - you can either scan it and email it to the office, or drop it off during regular office hours.
INTERAC/DEBIT
During office hours, you can drop by and use the INTERAC/DEBIT machine at the Welcome Centre, then fill out your donation envelope as normal including your name, address, giving number and insert your debit receipt so we can disburse funds as directed in the Box on the counter.
E-TRANSFER
Use E-Transfer to give at SGAC, using give@sgac.net. Please include your offering envelope number and contact information. In the notes section please indicate how you would like your donation designated, ie. General Fund, Canadian Ministries etc.. The money is deposited directly into the church account and does not require a security question. (This method of giving is not to be used for registrations.)
IN PERSON
During office hours, you can stop by the church office and drop off your donation in a sealed envelope. Mark it Finance / Confidential
By MAIL / CHEQUE
Mail your donation to:
Spruce Grove Alliance Church
Attn: Finance
250 Century Road
Spruce Grove, AB T7X 1W6
Thank you for your generosity in giving to SGAC.
Questions: Please contact the church office at 780 962 4700 or by email corina.langdon@sgac.net. You may also visit our website at www.sgac/Give
PRAYER
Please pray for:
Our Christian Workers -Kyle and Maggie Ibsen live in Atlanta & work with Amoveo mission who have projects in Haiti. Kyle’s parents attend SGAC.
Our Pastoral Team Staff Member - Pastor of Adult Ministries, Karen Houcher. Pastor Karen is married to Dan and they have five children.
Our Support Team Staff Member - Joanne Fehr. Joanne is married to Bruce and they have two children.
Our Elders Team Member - Rob Young. Rob is married to Camille and they have two children.
We want to pray with you. If you have prayer or praise requests contact us at prayer@sgac.net or fill out a Connection Card & place it in the offering plate.
FAMILY MATTERS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to pack up a room in Spruce Grove and ship the contents out east due to a change in a family member’s medical condition. The family will pay for shipping. Call the church office if you are able to help. Thanks!
CONGRATULATIONS to Pastor Coreen Frey and Pastor Joel Marquez for being recognized at the recent District Conference for being 15 years workers with C&MA.