By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
ALEXANDRIA – Amid those New Year’s resolutions of losing weight, spending more time with family and watching less television is another one that Louisiana Baptists leaders have issued as a challenge – start the first 21 days of 2016 praying intentionally for the Next Generation.
To help make that happen, the Louisiana Baptists Evangelism & Church Growth Team in partnership with the Pastoral Ministry Team has released the journal “Pray It Forward: 21 Days of Prayer for the Next Generation.” Each day of prayer focuses on three areas – reading God’s Word, reflecting on God’s Word and responding to God’s Word. Every day of focus has a verse, devotional thought and action steps to follow.
Louisiana Baptist Convention team members along with pastors and Baptist Collegiate Ministry directors authored the prayer guide. Louisiana Baptist Evangelism and Church Growth Director Wayne Jenkins hopes those attending the Evangelism Conference at First Baptist Church in Lafayette will complete the journal by the time the event takes place on Jan. 25-26. A focus of the Evangelism Conference will be reaching the Next Generation.
“Pray it Forward is the latest in a series of 21 day prayer and devotional books developed by Louisiana Baptists,” said Wayne Jenkins, evangelism and church growth director for Louisiana Baptists. “It is written by some of our finest Louisiana Baptist leaders and edited by Keith Manuel. It is designed to be used for a period of prayer and fasting for the next generation. It is undated, but the desire is that many will use this 21 days before the evangelism conference that begins on January 25.”
The Next Generation includes children, college students, young adults and youth who make one-third of Louisiana’s population, or 1.4 million people. Manuel, evangelism associate for Louisiana Baptists, wrote in the preface of the booklet that while Louisiana Baptists are struggling with making disciples of this group, the good news is that this generation is open to the gospel.
“The better news is, when we reach this younger population, it opens the door to reach their mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and extended family and friends,” Manuel said. “If we reach them, Louisiana Baptists will baptize and disciple more people than ever.”
Prayer guides are available for purchase at LouisianaBaptists.org/PrayItForward. The cost for each journal is 65 cents with a generic cover, with a minimum required of 25 per order, and 1 dollar with a personalized cover that contains one’s church information, with a minimum of 100 per order.
For more information, contact Dianne York at 318.448.3402 or email Dianne.York@LouisianaBaptists.org.
