CRC Prayer Line Goes Online

—People with a heart for the Christian Reformed Church and its ministries can now read the latest prayer requests posted on the CRC’s Prayer Line simply by checking their e-mail.

Previously, people needed to call a toll-free number or search the CRCNA Web site on Wednesday mornings to find the weekly update on whom and what to pray for.

This new service went online on Oct. 31, Reformation Day, marking the day 490 years ago when Martin Luther used a Wittenberg church door as a message board.       

“The technology keeps changing, but the needs of the church remain, so the Prayer Line continues to spread joys and concerns of CRCNA ministries to all who wish to include these in their prayers,” said Paul Faber, one of the CRC staff members who volunteers time to help manage the Prayer Line. 

Prayer Line started in 1996 when a group of people in the CRC arranged for a phone line to be dedicated to disbursing items for prayer on behalf of the many ministries of the Christian Reformed Church.

This service soon became a natural extension for offering weekly updates to the CRC's Prayer Guide, a monthly publication that goes out to CRC congregations. A few years later, as the CRC launched and developed a website, the Prayer Line expanded its reach by posting a weekly Web update.

Prayer requests that went out over the new list serve on Oct. 31 asked people to pray for wounded men and women coming back from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to pray that God will continue to reveal himself in dreams and visions to people in Africa. Requests also went out for Calvin Seminary students who are getting ready for exams and for those who lost loved ones and property in the southern California wildfires. 

Anyone who wishes to subscribe to the Prayer Line e-mail service may do so by sending a blank e-mail from their e-mail address to [email protected]

People can still also access the weekly updates by calling 1-888-CRC-PRAY (1-888-272-7729) or by visiting http://www.crcna.org/pages/prayer_requests.cfm

If you would like to order Prayer Line bookmarks to distribute at your church or elsewhere, they are available free of charge through Faith Alive Christian Resources at 1-800-333-8300 (a shipping charge may apply).