January Prayer Requests

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a blessed holiday season celebrating our Savior’s birth. January brings anticipation of a new year of opportunities, and as we look ahead, we bring the following things before our Heavenly Father:

• Food Center: Continued prayers for God to supply the resources and food needed to serve our neighbors. Prayers for the families we serve as they face a number of challenges.
• SWAG: In January the focus is on how to apply for jobs and conduct oneself in an interview. Pray that students will be engaged in the conversations and willing to learn. Pray for a good start to 2023 and for more students to attend. Pray for support and wisdom as we seek to expand the program.
• Tutoring: Tutoring is launching a new format this month. Pray for that transition to go well and be a positive change for both the students and tutors. Pray for the program to grow and more tutors to join.
• GEMS Girls’ Club: Prayers for a good launch to this program at the end of the month. Pray that elementary girls in our community will be excited about the program and want to attend.
• We are grateful for God’s provision in 2022 and pray for his guidance in 2023. Pray for continued support for our capital campaign as we are still in need of funding.
• God has worked in great ways to bring Streams and Catherine’s together as partners. Pray for the community to embrace Catherine’s Health Center and utilize the services they provide. Pray for awareness for Catherine’s and Streams to grow in our neighborhood and community.

Current Volunteer Needs

• Tutoring: We are in need of more tutors as our program keeps growing. Anyone who has or has had a teaching certificate is welcome! If you know someone who may be interested please reach out to myself or our education director, Sue sue@streamsgr.org.
• SWAG: Our new building now has a formal front desk. So, we are in need of volunteers who are willing to be present on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:00-4:45 pm to check in students as they arrive. Additionally we are always looking for more people to come hang out with our students during SWAG.
• Food Center: We could always use more volunteers to help shop with clients and sort food. Additionally, we can always use donations of healthy food.
• GEMS: As we launch this program we are in need of craft supplies to get us started. If you know someone who may be willing to donate please let me know.

Resolve to Remember

Joshua 4:4-7, 21-24

New Year’s resolutions are quite popular this time of year and can cover a variety of goals. Some resolutions are easy, others more difficult. Oftentimes they are meant to be motivational tools. While they can be beneficial, sometimes I wonder if we get so focused on what we resolve to change that we forget to remember.

In the Old Testament God calls the Israelites over and over again, to remember (See Deut. 4:9,15:15, 16:12). In Joshua 4 he specifically commands them to set up stones as a reminder to remember. Whenever they look at them they are to recall God’s faithfulness in splitting the Jordan. This call to remember continues for generations. God wants them to remember that he sustained them and provided for them through every trial in the past. Through remembering they are given hope for the future.

As we think about this new year, I invite us to remember 2022. Remember how God was faithful and worked in unexpected ways. Recall both the challenges and the joys. Ask yourself; where did you see God work? How did he challenge you and help you grow? What promises is God revealing to you as you remember the past year?

Prayer

Father, we praise and thank you for the new year. We are excited about what it may bring and where you are leading us. As we look ahead may we also spend time remembering. Reveal to us the things you want us to learn from. May our time spent remembering bring us greater hope and trust in you for the coming days. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Blessings,

Makalah Scholten
Spiritual Care Coordinator

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