Case study

"This church hardly ever prays together," complained Joan, a 40-something church leader. "The only times for congregational prayer are during the services and 30 seconds before our committee meetings." An older man named Bill chimed in, "Whatever happened to our midweek prayer service? The pastor dropped it five years ago, but that should be the lifeblood of our church."

As the conversation continued, a clear consensus emerged among the leaders that Grace Church desperately needed a prayer awakening. Unfortunately, the traditional midweek prayer service hadn't worked. They all looked to Pastor Mark, but while he longed for a prayer awakening in the church, didn't know where to start. Sadly, the whole conversation left Mark feeling defensive and burdened with yet another program to organize and sell. And the church leaders felt disappointed with Pastor Mark's apparent lack of enthusiasm.

What Would You Do?

Who is responsible for the prayer life of the church? What is the pastor's ...