From one of our staff in NYC April 8, 2008
Last Sunday a mother was caught in the middle of a shooting and was killed. She has 3 children, Destiny (10) who comes to Indoor Sunday School faithfully, is sponsored, and went to camp; an 8 year old son, and an 8 month old baby girl. Here are the newspaper articles about it, although they don't state correctly what happened (it was a shooting and she was trying to protect the kids by getting them into the building).
FROM THE PRE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT NYC
- For wisdom and understanding for us as staff and leaders in pre-school
- To seek God and know his will for what to teach the children each week - not just business as usual
- Provision for Ministry ... which will also be provision for Prescholl needs, for toys, prizes and quiet seat 'stuff'
- Vision and creativity for the semester and for the next
- United (one mind and one heart) to see God's perfect will done in our lives, in our ministry to the pre-schoolers and in
each child and parent that comes into the Gym.
- That each staff will let their light shine before men (men women and kids) that they may see our good works adn glorify
our Father in heaven
SideWalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 4 Prayer Request:
q Immigration Green Cards for Tabea and Suzie
q K.D. has AIDS and 5 kids to take care of
q A.M. has leukemia, she is 9
SideWalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 5 Prayer Requests:
q One of my most faithful to Sunday School children passes away. He was 8 and has a younger brother and an older brother. Please keep them and the rest of the family in your prayers. (Amanda)
q One of the moms came to church and was blessed. She came irregularly. Now she is not coming at all. She has a lot of problems at home. Another family moved in with them to their apartment. There are 14 people in a 2 bedrooms. She is totally overwhelmed. Please pray that the situation at the house will become better and that she will come to church again.
SideWalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 6 Prayer Requests:
q P.C. is having a long and drawn-out custody battle for her kids. Pray that she will have the kids back ASAP. Also the father is abusive towards one of his daughters.
q E.S. (grandma) is very sick. Very crowded at home – pray for sick grandma and mom who looks after all the kids.
q J.S. can’t concentrate at school and struggles with her behavior – mom doesn’t want to put her on medication.
q M.G., F.G.,K.D., K.A., E.G. – all workers. Pray that they will be more serious with God.
q Pray for our sites in Harlem – favor, etc.
SideWalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 7 NYC Prayer Requests
q For Staff and Interns
o Spirit of wisdom & revelation (Eph 1:16-21)
o Spirit of prayer (I Thess 5:17)
o Spirit of unity (John 17:21)
q Pray that God encounters our workers as we disciple them
q Pray that parents would encounter Jesus and desire to participate in church
q Pray Acts 4:29-30 for our sites in Coney Island, Flatbush, Sheepshead Bay and Marlboro
q Pray for mother of 12 C.M.K. that her job will change so she could come to church.
SideWalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 8 NYC Prayer Requests
q Staff P.M. for English speaking to improve
q Staff B.B. for better health
q R. family – father only has a temporary job and poor health, family struggles with finances
q K.R. has had trouble in school, pray that he will get into a new school and settle down.
q For light to break through in Astoria projects, there are a lot of strongholds there
q For the group of kids who graduated from elementary school to keep following God
q Protection of boys from being drawn into gang activity
SideWalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 9 Prayer Requests
q I.Q. has bad asthma, always in and out the hospital. Her whole family suffers.
q Worker A.D. (12 years old) is very rebellious, gives her mother a hard time.
q Family of W.F.. They have 7 kids. Girls seem neglected. Please pray for the mom to start coming to church.
q Pray for L., she has an alcohol problem since her husband died a year ago.
q A.S. is 19 years old – lesbian and very rebellious
q For unity in the team
q For the people we minister to being ready to receive God’s word and for us to be spiritually open to guide them
q For people to be hungry for God – that they will not be content with just coming to Sunday School, but would want more of God
q For D.J., she went away from since her husband died
q For L.P. to make a decision for God, not say “yes” to God one day and “no” the other
q For D.R. who wants to go to the “Encounter” in August
Sidewalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 10 Prayer Requests
q People that will come to the “Encounter” to meet God
q A.J. has been on drugs and methadone for a long time and now suffers the consequences of it in her body. Please pray for healing and her being free from addictions and depression
q T.J. to stop smoking and get into a deeper relationship with God
q M.C. to be free from depression
q J.F. to stay focused on God and get baptized in the Holy Spirit
q B.M. and J.M. are little boys that have been abused. Please pray for restoration and them to experience God
q J. to be free from oppression and hurt of sexual abuse
Unit 11 Prayer Requests
q N. 19 years old – left rehab program on Wednesday for some guy she met while in the hospital, the day before she was supposed to visit her daughter. Please pray that God will protect her from harm and that she will come back into the program
q E. has been denied parental rights for her daughter. According to court she cannot appeal.
q M. family was al very close to God once. Now the family is falling apart with one child often in psycho ward, one in a group home, and others not well taken care of, and the mother so bitter that she is totally oblivious to the destruction in her family. They have all turned away from God.
q That God will give us as a team wisdom as to how to reach people better
q P. used to come to church faithfully every week. Now she cannot get on the bus because of the problems with her back. Please pray for healing
q Pray for the staff members that are in the process of getting their Green Cards
Sidewalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 12 Prayer Requests
q G.H. her husband left her after a long time of fighting. Now she has to find a job and afterschool program for her 2 girls (6 & 7). The girls don’t listen to her and she seems to have no control over them
q S.P. She lives with her mother & 2 cousins & aunt. They all live in the living room. It’s been over a year and they don’t seem to be wanting to move out
q D.R. Grandmother has spinal cancer and is in a lot of pain
q Family B. – 9 kids, a mother and no father. They are really poor and couldn’t come to Sunday School because they had nothing to wear that would keep them warm
q B.B. She is a faithful girl that always comes to Sunday School. She lives with her aunt and a whole lot of other people. The family sells and uses drugs. She is a confused girl
q K.L. Young mother of 3 kids, raises them alone. She wants to start college this fall and move out of this area
q K. & J. – brother and sister. Their dad came out of jail couple months ago. He is an alcoholic and drug addict
q Family M. – family of 9 kids. The youngest 6 faithfully come to Sunday School. I am suspecting that their oldest brother (16) is beating them. They are terrified of him, he screams at them and pulls them around all the time. Pray that their mom will get to know Christ
q Pray for the area of Mitchell Houses. The last few months there have been a lot of gang related murders and shootings. The enemy has a strong grip on these people. Pray that we continually keep walking in the presence of God wherever we go
q Pray for the unity in Unit 12. That we work together going toward one goal to bring the good news to the city. In all the business it’s easy to loose track and get irritated.
q Miss R. She’s been faithfully coming to church for the last few months. She has been on and off crack. She is trying to get her kids back. She’s been clean for 6 weeks now. Pray that she will grow stronger in Christ and that she will turn from her ways and walk in full obedience to Him
q Pray that there will be hunger for God in the areas we are preaching (John Adams, James Monroe, Bronx River, Mitchell Houses). That the Holy Spirit will bring conviction. The people are living in so much sin.
q Pray for the interns that are coming to our team. That they will find their place and that they will let God use them to the fullest. Even when they might struggle with language, culture, etc.
Sidewalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 13 Prayer Requests
q There are 2 staff members that have applied for their Green Cards. Pray for God’s favor and His peace as they send in the immigration papers and wait for results.
q Pray that Unit 13 would get a deeper revelation of the Word of God and a deeper passion for the lost souls of New York City in our hearts.
q D. – a volunteer, that God will continue to heal her body and continue to use her to reach more people for the Kingdom of God.
q Staff member Kathy, that she would be able to get her Commercial Drivers License
q L.L. – a single mom with no family in New York. One of her 3-year old twins had a heart transplant 6 months ago. The other tin is in the hospital now waiting on the heart transplant. They are about to lose their housing. Pray that God will heal the boys, provide financially for the family and give peace and wisdom to the mom. Also pray that her love for God will grow stronger.
q I.B. has been a foster mother to a 4-year old J. since birth. Now she is in the middle of a dragged-out adoption case. Pray that J. will be legally adopted and I.B. will experience God.
q E.L. is a single father that takes care of 6 kids. The youngest is 11 months old. The mother comes around about once a month. Pray for the father to come to know God. Also pray for financial provision and emotional healing for the family.
q D. is a 15-year old that is raising her 1-year old son. Her mother is in a lesbian relationship. Pray for salvation and deliverance for the whole family.
q R. family – the oldest teenager is a run-away, the 15-year old is pregnant, there are so many people in the house that the 4 younger kids have to sleep on 2 mattresses on the living room floor. Pray for salvation of the family and deliverance of the parents.
q C. is 15 and pregnant. Her mother is an alcoholic. There are 4 kids in the house and one of them is severely mentally disabled. Pray for God to take over the situation.
q G.P. – a mom of a 6-year old that is very faithful to Sunday School. G.P. is so depressed that often she draws the curtains and just stays in bed all day crying. Pray for her to come to know God and get delivered.
q Pray against the spirits of addictions, violence, fatherlessness and depression over the people of Harlem.
q C. is 14 and was diagnosed with skin cancer, please pray for her faith in God to grow stronger and for healing.
q Pray for the teenagers that used to come to Sunday School when they were kids, that the Word will produce fruit in them and they will be strong enough to stand against the temptations of drugs, teen sex, gangs, etc.
q George Washington Houses. There has been a lot of gang-related violence in the area lately. Pray for peace and God’s protection
q L.B. is a mom that raises 2 girls (ages 6 & 8) by herself, because her husband is in jail. Pray for her husband’s salvation, financial provision and emotional healing
q Pray for the volunteers in Harlem area to be trained, discipled and become effective ministers
q S.A. – faithfully attends church, she has lupus and had 2 knee replacement surgeries last year. Pray for healing and a fresh experience with God
q Pray that God will continue to bless the staff member that works with the domestic violence shelters and give her wisdom to minister effectively to the kids as well as their moms
Sidewalk Sunday School - Unit 14 Prayer Requests
q K. from Harlem has been having troubles getting back on her feet after splitting up with her husband.
q F. to come back to church
q M. has been in trouble in school, and has been referred to a psychologist
q J. & E. desire to know God. Pray that the strongholds will be broken off of their lives
q P. to fully recover after her neck surgery
Sidewalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 16 Prayer Requests
q One of the families is very needy. The mother is very sick with AIDS, the 4 kids often go without food because they are lacking money. The kids are very thin. The father has been trying to hurt the mother – he beats her. She recently got a court order of protection against him because of him being dangerous. He has a drinking problem and is mentally not well. Pray for protection & provision and that the mother would seriously cry out to God.
q A mother who doesn’t know what to do about her 3 kids. They are out of control and disrespectful to her. She feels hopeless and doesn’t know what to do.
q For the mothers at our sites to be discipled.
q In Chinatown: that we would find favor with the families, so that we can pour into their lives. That the doors that were never opened for us would open.
Sidewalk Sunday School - Unit 17 Prayer Requests:
q A couple that just started coming to church is thinking about getting married. They are living together. Pray that as they grow in God, they would do the right thing and get married
q One of the teenagers is 16 and pregnant. Pray for wisdom
q A 17 year old girl just had a baby and is having a hard time raising the baby. Pray that she would finish school, for financial and physical support in this situation
q Pray that at our sites the people’s heart would be open to receive the word of God as we go out in these areas and share the Word
q One of the mothers’ husband died and she has 8 kids to raise by herself. The mother has never worked outside the home before. Her husband was the bread winner. The youngest child is 3 years old. Pray that God would send help for her financially and would give her wisdom to raise these kids. She is all by herself. Her family and her husband’s are not in America, they are from the Caribbean
q Pray for our team that we would be powerful when bringing the Word of God
q Pray that the power of God will be manifested as His Word goes out when we preach
Sidewalk Sunday School - Unit 15 Prayer Requests
q That the new semester will be a semester of unity and growth for the team
q For our volunteer workers, that they will grow in their relationship with God and that they will step up in their responsibilities, also for their families and safety
q For a lot of fun so all the work does not seem so much J
q D. Family – that the kids will stay out of trouble, finish school and come back to God. That Ms D. will get married to her long-term boyfriend
q For D.B. that he will realize that ministry is loving others and telling others about Jesus, not about being famous
q For Farragut Houses area site to grow, for teenagers to come to the youth service and realize and see their need for God and for them to have a personal encounter with God
q C. family – that the parents will grow in their walk with God. For the sons J & S to have a personal encounter with God and grow in their walk with Him
q For staff B.’s adopted son M, that he will make good decisions with his life and for his future
q For A & J. They grew up in Sunday School and now need to make their faith in God their own. Pray for spiritual awakening in their lives.
q M.R. is involved in a court case against a teacher who injured her child. Because she is pressing charges she is receiving mail threatening to hurt her and her children. She and her family are now scared to leave their apartment, they have undercover cops knocking on their door and are outside of their building every day. They want to move, but have not been provided with anywhere else to go. Because of where the teacher injured the child there is a 20% chance that when the girl is older, she might not be able to have children. Please pray for God to bring solution to this problem, for healing for the child, and against the spirit of fear and depression that is prevalent in their home
q E.B. suffered a stroke; she is a legal guardian to her grandchildren, because the parent is on drugs. Please pray for healing, strength and support for the family
q L.R. suffers from depression, she has a love for God, but still resists coming to church. Please pray that God will break the spirit of depression and that she would start coming to church
q V.S. is having a baby in May, she has a pace maker fitted so please pray for no complications with the birth of the child
q N.R. is a teenager who comes to church, but still seeks love through boyfriends instead of from God. Please pray that God pours out His love upon her and that her heart will be opened to receive that love from God
q There are many adults that claim that they love God but are reluctant to come to church. Please pray for these adults that they will attend church
q B.C.’s wife died 1 year ago and then his mother died a few weeks ago. He is responsible for raising 5 children. Please pray for healing, strength and support for the family.
q Launching this new site spring semester, pleaser pray for favor on this site with housing and with everyone who lives here and that the children that live there come to the site.
Sidewalk Sunday School - Unit 18 Prayer Requests
q We have a sponsor child from my site that has 3 US sponsors. Her name is A. She is mentally and physically handicapped and spent 4 months in the hospital last year. The doctors don’t really know what she has. They sent her home to die. She is 13 years old. Please pray for her mother and brother that they would turn to God for love, comfort and understanding. And pray that Amanda would constantly be in the presence of God
q Please pray for unity in our team as more people join us
q Pray for our families, that not just the children would know God, but the whole families would love Him, live for Him and come to church
q Pray for the people of the Bronx and Harlem to catch fire for God
Sidewalk Sunday School NYC - Unit 20 Prayer Requests
q Pray that the adults from the Boston Secor area that used to come to church will attend again
q Pray for a teenager who has issues at home. His mom s very ill and lives with a boyfriend who doesn’t get along with him
q Pray for our worker’s family. Mom is in and out of the house. The kids are often left on their own. Grandma (70 years old) has to take care of them, she often feels overwhelmed
q Pray for the mother of 9 kids. She used to come to church and stopped attending. Her needs are many
q Pray for M. – a regular church attendee. She deals with a lot of stress at home – boyfriend, kids, health
q Pray for D. – she has sickle cell anemia. Pray for her grandma who is caring for her
q Pray for a Spanish-speaking family that has been faithful in attending church service
q Pray for N., because of her hectic relationship with her mom, she wants to leave her house
q Pray for the adults from Lyons Square that have once attended church to start coming again
q Pray for the young workers to become dedicated
q For our team
o Pray for a common desire to reach the lost
o Pray for a spirit of sacrifice, love, compassion
o Pray for openness to see God’s presence on sites and in our team
o Pray for a semester filled with testimonies
o Pray that we may be focused