Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Elders and deacons on call for prayer at all times

By Stephanie Byrd

Published June 27, 2009 in This Week

The Session has approved the creation of a new prayer ministry by our elders and deacons. Rotating teams of four men are now continually available to pray for your needs as church members.

Since the late 1990s, there has been an intercessory prayer ministry praying for PCPC members between Sunday worship services. Russ Miller, who along with John Vanderveld has been active on this team from the beginning, remembers former PCPC pastor Elliott Greene initiating the ministry almost 15 years ago. Numerous men and women have been involved throughout the years, and Women’s Ministries and the Pastoral Care staff have also coordinated their own specific prayer ministries.

The new ministry, called the 24/7 Prayer Ministry, is breaking new ground because of its 24-hour, seven-day-a-week availability and because of the Session’s direct involvement.

The idea formed one Sunday earlier this year when some of the elders were standing around the Sanctuary after the 9:30 am worship service, waiting to serve communion again at the next service. A PCPC member approached elders Tracy Taylor and Doug Horn and asked them if they could come and pray at the hospital for a family member who was in intensive care.

That afternoon after church, six elders came to the hospital to pray with the family and to lay hands on the patient. The patient, who hadn’t been awake for several days, woke up and was able to hear their prayers. She died later that week.

“We are hopeful that the Lord used that in her life,” says Tracy. The family was blessed by their presence and their prayers, he says, but “it was a greater blessing for us elders to be able to pray.”

After that day, Tracy said, “I had several Sunday afternoons where I was sitting around watching football or basketball, and I would think, ‘I’d be much happier going up to the hospital and praying with someone.’”

At the January Session retreat, the elders discussed the five statements of identity that Mark Davis has led our church in defining. One of the main items of discussion was that the elders needed to connect better with the congregation. Particularly, the men focused on the third statement of identity, “Our people pray boldly and dependently.”

Russ said that when our members are really in need of prayer, they call the church, and their needs are taken care of. “Our congregation needs to know their Session is there to love on them, and more is needed to get that message across,” said Russ.

The elders met with Jeff Barber and Mark to discuss this. When Tracy presented a preliminary plan for the prayer teams at the May Session meeting, there was no discussion (which he says is unusual). Every man there thought it was a marvelous idea, and the vote to proceed was unanimous. That night he presented it to the diaconate and got the same response. The result was the 24/7 Prayer Ministry, which began operation on June 22.

Russ spoke of Tracy’s great willingness and eager desire to serve in this new ministry. He also credits our senior pastor with the firm implementation of the plan: “I think it was Mark’s intent to really put a cattle prod to this.”

Two elders and two deacons are now on call weekly, available to go where people need them to go—to homes, hospitals, or wherever necessary, to pray about illnesses, family problems, urgent decisions, or other difficulties. Sometimes prayer can simply occur over the phone. In addition to responding to calls and e-mails, teams will also make hospital visits on Sunday afternoons and assist with other pastoral needs.

Calls to the hotline will be kept confidential; prayer requests will appear on pastoral care e-mails only if requested. Each prayer team is on call for one week, from Monday to Sunday. A dedicated phone line is routed to the weekly captain, and the team members have access to the e-mail account to find out if anyone has e-mailed a prayer request. The phone number for the prayer hotline is 214-224-2680, and the e-mail address is 24/[email protected].

Russ pointed out that there are also prayer cards in each pew and prayer boxes where members can place confidential requests for the intercessory prayer team. Again, the privacy of the requests is carefully guarded.

Tracy’s hope for the 24/7 Prayer Ministry is to build connectivity. “We elders and deacons are responsible for the hearts and souls of our congregation,” he said. “It is an awesome responsibility that is spelled out in the Bible.”

“There is never a time when our church is off duty, and all members of this wonderful church family need to know that,” Russ said. “Prayer is life-changing and life-sustaining, and growth within our congregation will come when we each give over to the Lord our lives and joyfully share in one another’s praises and burdens.” He spoke of the mandate of the church body to come alongside hurting members and “wrap our arms around them,” and he hopes that “over time there will be a true humbling of our church” in prayer.

“There’s nothing more powerful than prayer,” Tracy said. “We’re strongest when we’re on our knees.”