National Prayer Initiative
“I am excited with the spirit of the teams and the length of time spent praying for Bethel,” says Marie Schultz, coordinator of this effort.
Marie, a former director of church ministries at Bethel, is a longtime member of the President’s Prayer Council. “It is exciting to see how God is honoring the prayers of teams. Whether in groups or on their own, we hope to connect all who want o be part of the National Prayer Initiative.”
The National Prayer Initiative exists to connect individuals and teams of people across the country to pray regularly for Bethel University.
Now entering its third year, the initiative has 43 team leaders who believe in the power of prayer and strongly affirm Bethel’s mission. The leader’s task is to enlist eight to 10 of their friends and form a prayer team. The team decides how often they wish to schedule their prayer time (no less than once a quarter) and the time of day. To keep in touch, team leaders are sent Prayer Points, a monthly publication that lists items of praise and requests for prayer.
- National Prayer Initiative Teams
Prayer team leaders and members are individuals with various Bethel connections: family related to current and former students, alumni, and friends. Our prayer team leaders range from young hockey moms to grandparents of current students.
- Staying in Touch
For some National Prayer Initiative teams, there are times when getting together can be difficult. When that happens, the leader simply distributes the monthly Prayer Points via email or regular mail. Circumstances may vary, but bottom line? Enlisting people to pray for Bethel! Recently, prayer team leaders and President Brushaber participated in a live teleconference call with prayer council members.
- National Prayer Initiative Prayer Partners
There are many individuals who are unable to participate on a prayer team, but are faithful in praying for Bethel. Many have prayed for Bethel for years, while some have just begun to intentionally pray for the university. Bethel’s Prayer Initiative has more than 400 individuals who have committed to being Prayer Partners. They too believe that Bethel University is fulfilling the mission to which it has been called—the mission of God changing lives through a ministry in Christian higher education. We are grateful for those who participate in this way.
- Praying People Make a Difference
- “We often spend an hour in prayer—and that hour goes by so quickly.”
- “In our sessions, we pray through the Scriptures as it relates to Bethel requests and praises.”
- We thank God for Bethel and have prayed for it for many years.”
- “It’s interesting to be in a small group where all of the prayers are focused on one institution and mission—Bethel.”
Your participation in the National Prayer Initiative is an encouragement to Bethel’s leadership, as well as to faculty, staff, and students.
- Interested in Praying for Bethel University?
If you are interested in being a part of Bethel’s National Prayer Initiative please contact Marie Schultz at m-schultz@bethel.edu or Julie Tutt at j-tutt@bethel.edu.