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| Craig Clark |
County Economic Developer Craig Clark will provide an assessment of the area's current economic situation, including the recent announcement by Dresser Rand to cease operations in Wellsville and new development opportunities that are emerging throughout the county, and what churches and their members can do to help.
This public gathering, scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 11, at Wellsville Bible Church, 2908 Andover Road (State Route 417), will include prayer for workers who will lose employment as a result of the shutdown and their families, others in the county who are unemployed and underemployed, guidance for the developer and county leaders as they seek to enhance the area's business and employment picture, and more. Free childcare will be provided.
The session is part of an ongoing twice-a-month Sunday night praise, worship and prayer series, with live music, that started last year at different locations to seek God's direction for all sectors of the county, including churches, individuals and families, government, human services agencies, business and more. The initiative also includes shorter Friday night rotating site prayer gatherings in various parts of the county and weekday and weekly prayer at specific locations.
Many county churches underwent training in January of last year to learn from the national Sentinel Group about localized and more expansive revivals that have occurred in various areas of the world over the centuries and how to seek a movement of God in areas that are spiritually poor.
This was followed in May by a Solemn Assembly of some 120 church-goers participating in worship, declaration of community needs, corporate repentance, and prayer. In addition to daily, weekly, and twice-a-month prayer gatherings, county families also have joined together for unity picnics, drawing overflow crowds for praise and worship, prayer, prayerwalking, family strengthening activities and more.
Last month, churches gathered at Yorks Corners Mennonite Church for a renewed call for prayer for communities in the Genesee Valley, to hear about some of the miraculous actions God has been doing in various parts of Allegany County and beyond over the past year as it relates to people and situations, view a video on "Awaken the Watchman," and seek God together in prayer for revival and transformation.
Individuals will be able to join Friday night prayer gatherings this month from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 9 at Genesis Bible Church, 4193 State Route 19 South, Belmont/Scio; March 16 at Gil's Hills Ministries, 2526 Brown Road, Wellsville; and March 23 at the Andover Alliance Church, 5 Rochambeau Avenue.
These sessions are directed at renewal of minds and hearts of individuals and families for county and communities transformation through prayer for the host and other churches and Christian organizations, individuals, the community, county and more.
Another Sunday night session will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 25, which also is Palm Sunday, at Wellsville Bible Church. The primary focus of these gatherings often involves particular subjects such as families, veterans, the current prescription drug and heroin crisis and other substance abuse concerns, and schools.
These events are designed to provide a communities focus on combating issues of addiction, abuse, racism, suicide, poverty, family dysfunction and more that pastors say are extremely serious issues throughout this area, the United States and the world.
In a third venue, public prayer sessions also are held from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. each weekday morning at Knights Creek Evangelical Methodist Church, 2987 County Road 9 (Knights Creek Road), Scio; 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesdays at the Belfast Free Methodist Church, 11 Chestnut Street; and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays at the Powerhouse Youth Center, 23 West Main Street, Fillmore.
Further information on all of these prayer opportunities and the multi-church Journey to Transformation initiative is available at www.facebook.com/
