Pastoral Letter: Novena & Pentecost

Hi Family and Friends,

I am soooo thrilled at what’s happening in our church. God is working among us. Faith and energy is rising. Father, pour out your Holy Spirit with great power!

What is a Novena? It’s nine days of prayer for the outpouring of God’s Spirit.

Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days after his resurrection (Acts 1:3). Then he ascended into heaven (Ascension Day is Thursday 9 May). Obeying Jesus’ instruction, 120 of his followers prayed for 9 days in the upper room, to be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Then it happened on the 10^th day: Pentecost!

We’re calling our church to 9 days of prayer for a great visitation of the Spirit, as Jesus’ first followers did in Acts 1:4-14, culminating in Pentecost (see Acts 2:1).

Vaughan Zoutendyk will teach on Sunday 5 May on the Ascension of Christ and what that means for us today. Our Novena begins Friday the 10^th and ends Saturday the 18^th. How do you pray? What do you pray for? Use Acts 1 and 2 as a means of prayer, i.e. let the verses be the content of your crying out to God.

We are asking everyone to pray at four levels:

• Individually: Cry out to God throughout the day for a mighty outpouring
• Families: Gather your family once a day (if you can) and pray
• Home Groups: When you gather that week, pray for the Spirit’s coming
• As a congregation: We’re calling as many as possible to gather at VCC main hall for corporate prayer on three specific occasions…

Times for corporate prayer and intercession at VCC main hall:

• Friday 10 May 19h00 – 20h00
• Monday 13 May 19h00 – 20h00
• Thursday 16 May 19h00 – 20h00
• Saturday 18 May from 09h00 – 15h30 (Church Day retreat at VCC)
• Sunday, 19 May from 09h00 – 11h00 (Pentecost Sunday)

The last day of our Novena will be the Church Day retreat on Saturday 18 May from 09h00 – 15h30 at VCC. All people are invited. We will begin with silent meditation, prayer, listening to God and feedback; then we’ll have two sessions of teaching and Q & A on biblical church government (eldership and deacons) and how we do leadership. We need to be on the same page in this regard in order to clarify our church vision and plan. It’s a bring-and-share lunch!

Pentecost Sunday, 19 May: The service will be experiential – a baptism with the Holy Spirit on us individually and as a church. Come with expectation!