Planning and Praying for Inspire 2017

When the Christian Reformed Church gathers in Detroit, Mich., next August for Inspire 2017, participants will be stepping into the prayers of people across the continent.

Plans are well under way for Inspire 2017, an event to refresh, refocus, and reimagine our shared calling and the impact it can have in local communities and around the world. Organizers across North America hope to host at least one person from every Christian Reformed congregation and are praying for 2,000 attendees.

“Prayer matters, and as we plan, we depend on the prayers of God’s people,” said Paula Wigboldy, an Inspire 2017 planning team partner, pointing out that prayer has been part of the planning for the event since the beginning. “This is [Jesus’] church and his event . . . and as soon as we decided to host the event, prayer began!”

Reinforcing this commitment to prayer, a team is forming specifically to pray for all aspects of the event: the speakers, organizers, presenters, facilitators, and all who will attend.

Brenda DenHouten, program assistant and staff developer for Christian Reformed World Missions, is gathering and leading the prayer planning team.

“Our goal is to have one prayer warrior in every classis,” she said, referring to the CRC’s regional groups of churches. People can sign on to help organize prayer in the churches around them, or they can choose to simply receive prayer prompts and pray on their own.

In the months leading up to Inspire 2017, the prayer planning team will meet monthly, with some members meeting face to face and others joining them electronically or by phone.

“We will establish a strategy together as a team,” said DenHouten, “and then it will be up to all the individual members to implement the strategies in their churches and congregations around them as well as make prayer part of their routine.”

Ideas that have come forward already to engage people in praying for Inspire 2017 include a prayer calendar, Facebook live streaming events, prayer requests online, and weekly requests related to the event.

The team seeks to engage the Church in covering Inspire 2017 in prayer before, during, and after the event.

“Our prayer is that everyone who comes will leave filled—with new ideas, inspiration, a new friend or partner in ministry, new resources, renewed energy, and a reassurance that God is walking beside each and every person in ministry,” said Wigboldy. “We want God honored at this event!”

DenHouten agreed: “Following the model of Jesus, we realize that prayer is the foundation of any and all of our work. It is imperative to have a team working to inspire churches to pray, because together we make up the church.”

Prayer will also be happening during Inspire 2017, including organized prayer initiatives such as a prayer walk, a prayer room, and stations of prayer.

“The hopes of and for the prayer team are that we will be united in prayer and in encouraging the church to pray for Inspire,” said DenHouten.

To sign on to pray for the event, or to be an Inspire 2017 prayer warrior for your classis, click here.