December 2019 Prayer Requests

Dear Friends of Estonia!

As most of you just celebrated Thanksgiving, I would like you to know, that we in Estonia are so grateful for each and every one of you, for the friendships that we have! Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! The ministry of the UMC in Estonia would not have been the same without you! Thank you for being such a big part of our lives! Thank you for your love for our people and country!

As we move into the Advent and Christmas season, I would like you to pray for our pastors and congregations as there are many Christmas events coming up and these are opportunities to preach about the true meaning of Christmas and share the Good News. Please pray that people would respond to the Gospel. Please pray for extra strength for pastors this busy season.

On the personal note, I would like you to pray for my shoulder, which has been bothering me for weeks and I‘m going to have to go through some therapy.

Thank you for your prayers and have a blessed Advent season!

Thank you for your request for prayers.

Prayer for our matching challenge. Several donors are issuing a match challenge for the seminary. They are inspiring us to double their combined contribution of $10,000 so together we may raise at least $20,000 by December 20th. We pray that God raises up donors to double the impact of this amazing gift!

Prayer for faculty and students as we near the end of the semester. We have many amazing new and returning students who have been impacted by God’s Spirit being at work in their lives through the seminary. They now have to take tests and complete papers. Pray for them to have the strength to finish the semester strong and for the faculty and staff to grade and receive much-needed rest!

Pray for the rector, dean, and other administrators. They have a lot of important reports to fill out as the close of the year is near.

Finally, pray for the families and especially children of faculty and staff. That we may have a blessed time of rest during Christmas vacation when we celebrate Christ’s birth and rest from our labors!

May God bless you all during this time of year!

Editor’s Note: You can give now. Details can be found on the Seminary Website.

On December 13th, we are planning to visit the «Star Tower» Children’s Day Center with our youth, bless us to show their Heavenly Father’s love for children from difficult families.

On December 14th, we plan to visit the Methodist church in the village of Azeri and hold fellowship with teenagers, bless us so that the Spirit of God through us would affirm Christianity in the hearts of these teenagers.

Also, on December 14th, we plan to visit the Methodist Church in the city of Kunda, we conduct teenage services there, as far as we can, pray that the faith takes root in the children we serve, we really want Jesus to become their personal Savior and friend.

A Christmas musical will be organized on December 25th, pray please that as many non-church people as possible will can come, to hear the news of the Savior’s Birth.

A big holiday for children is planned for December 26th, we really need your prayer support, since the full amount of finances for gifts for children has not yet been collected, we expect more than 300 children at the holiday and we really need spiritual support.

Pray for all our Christmas activities to focus on Christ and touch people`s hearts. Pray for concerts and other events, when people will come to church, that Holy Spirit can do some good work in them.

Pray for our senior meeting next Sunday, that everyone could come and have a great time, that all of them shall have touched by Holy Spirit.

Pray for our Youth camp, that all of them shall grow in faith, and have an uplifting time together.

Please join us in praying for the many people who have baptized in Agape church over the years. I am trying to reach to them now, and find as many as possible.

I hope, we can help them to turn back to God and start over their spiritual life. Also pray for me the wisdom, how to fix things with people, who cannot find.

Please pray for my job. I am going to work in the factory until Dec 13 and then I am out of management job there. What will be next? I have no ideas for now. I believe God is having something for me I just cannot see yet.

Please pray for the different concerts and Christmas church services in Agape. Please pray for the people giving God´s good message as well as possible. Please pray for people coming to the church who do not feel as comfortable there. Please pray for all people can feel well together and there won´t be two groups as “we” and “they”.

Please pray for me, I can spend time with the people around me. Christmas season is always busy in the churches. I want to take time for the people who have been next to me in my spiritual ministry and have supported me.

Praise God for the Bible Study Day program with Tapa, Sakusaare, and Rakvere congregations. Pray that it would stimulate these congregations to go deeper in their walk with God in a way that would bring practical fruit.

Pray for Livia’s relationships with her co-workers, that God’s presence would be experienced even by those who do not know Him.

Pray that we would be able to rest and regain our energy over the holidays after a very busy few months.

You can contact Mark at: mark.nelson at metodistikirik.ee (replace “at” with @)

We are thankful to God for a new boy, who came to Children Center two weeks ago. We ask you to pray for him – he is living right now with his grandfather. His mother is mentally ill and father has abandoned the family. Last week, the boy told me he wants to die. He doesn’t want to go to school, he’s being bullied a lot.

There are several more boys at the Children’s Center who suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts. Please pray for them!

We ask to pray for our Christmas party in Children Center, to bring joy to children and that they can hear the Christmas message again.

Thank you for your prayers!

Editor’s Note: There is bank donation details to donate to the lighthouse on the EMK website.

Prayer Requests from Tallinn Methodist Church (Russian Congregation):

Please pray for Christmas services December 25 and 26, where we invite also non-Christians to proclaim a good message to them. At Christmas, people are more open to the gospel. We ask God for wisdom to use this time to bring a message of joy to people.

Have a blessed advent season!

Tallinn Church celebrates new members who joined on November 25th (photo from Vitali Baranov)