May Prayer Team Update

A lot has happened for us here at Ascent since the last newsletter in April. I am excited to share some of the praise reports and prayer request for this upcoming month. Time is moving so fast and my task list seems to be ever growing as we approach launch Sunday on September 15th. These newsletters are great for me, because it forces me to slow down and reflect upon how God has provided for us!

​You would think I would learn to quit worrying after seeing God continually take our request and turn them into praises, but I so easily forget! I pray that you would take time to reflect upon all that God has done for you recently also. With that said, here are the May praises and request. ​

Praise Reports

1. We have had two amazing interest meetings. 
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On April 14th we hosted our first interest meeting and God blew me away! It was our first public event for Ascent and I wondered in my heart if anyone would show up - boy did they! We had 87 people attend our first meeting and then on May 5th we had about the same amount come out for our second. The best part is that our team has grown to over 40 adults! God is doing something big in and through Ascent. I am just glad that He lets me play a small part in it all.

2. We have OFFICIALLY secured our meeting location.

In March, I told you that we had tentatively secured the Woodward Event Center for our meeting location. I can now say definitively that we have secured our location. I signed a contract earlier this month with the Event Center. This is a huge praise report! One of the most scary parts of this journey was trying to find a place that was a good fit for us and affordable. God gave us exactly what we prayed for. We will be launching weekly services at the Woodward Event Center on September 15th at 9:30am and 11am. If you live in the area or want to be a part of our launch we would love to see you there!

3. We have found a worship leader! 

As we got closer to the summer months I was starting to get nervous that I was going to be the worship leader for Ascent and that would of been a disaster for everyone involved! I tried everything in my power to find a leader for our worship ministry and kept running into dead ends along the way. Every time I felt like I had a good idea it fell flat. The people I thought would be perfect ranged from non-interested to just flat out non-responsive. I was getting discouraged and then God showed up. There is a pastor who receives these newsletters and prays for Ascent who just happened to tell another pastor about us who just happened to know a worship leader that just happened to be moving to the area and just happened to be looking for a church to be a part of. :) It is safe to say with that many coincidences that God was moving in a powerful way for us!

I am excited to announce that Jennifer and Chad Blocker along with their three daughters are going to be a part of Ascent Church. We are beyond excited to have Jennifer as our worship leader. I was reminded through this process that all good things come in God’s timing! I want give a special thanks to pastor Nathan Howard for supporting, praying and telling others about our ministry - I also want to thank Duncan Blackwell for connecting us with Jennifer and Chad even though he had never even met me! God is good my friends.

​Prayer Request

1. Please pray for our team attending the LIFT worship conference.
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​May 10th through the 12th a group of us will be traveling to Atlanta for the LIFT Worship Conference at Passion City Church. This conference is designed to train and equip worship leaders and to promote creativity within the church. Will you pray that our team comes back refreshed and full of practical ways we can lead our church in worship of Jesus through music and creativity? ​
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2. Please pray for our last interest meeting.
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​Our last interest meeting for the summer is on June 2nd. Please pray that God does amazing things again! We are so overjoyed with how our first two interest meetings have went and are praying for more of the same. Please join us in praying for connections with new people in Northwest Oklahoma as we gear up for weekly launch team meetings beginning in July.
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3. Please pray for our ongoing fundraising efforts.
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​We have made so much progress in every way possible. It is truly amazing that at the end of December we had 4 committed adults, $2,000 in the bank and a dream in our hearts. God has blessed us greatly on this journey and provided for our needs in the most unexpected of ways. Those who I expected to support us financially haven't in a lot of cases, but others who I never in a million years would of expected to support us have. God has provided for us and I have faith that He will continue to do so.

As we move into the summer months we are in the season that will require the most finances up to this point. We will need to make large purchases for lighting, sound, staging, rent fees, insurance, outreach, children’s ministry, team development, and many other day to day needs for Ascent church.

Over the next 129 days we need to raise $164,489. There is a sense in which that number causes anxiety in my heart, but there is an even greater sense of calm in my soul because I know that number is nothing to my God. I truly believe He will provide more than enough to accomplish all that He wants to accomplish for His namesake. Would you consider praying about the following in regards to our fundraising?

Ask God to raise up churches that are interested in partnering with us in prayer, kind words, AND considerable financial support.

Ask God to raise up individuals who would be willing to make large one-time gifts and those who will give monthly.

Ask God to give me courage to fund raise without fear of man.

Finally, would you ask God how He might want you to be a part of this vision?

I am just asking that you ask Him how you might be a part of this journey. His Spirit might lead you to give $5 a month or write a $50,000 check. I am just asking that you ask Him and obey His Spirit. I know He will provide - I am just excited to see how He will do it. 

If you feel so inclined to invest in Ascent Church through a one time gift or recurring monthly gift you can do so here: myascent.churchcenter.com
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Or you can mail a gift to: 205826 East County Road 49; Sharon, OK 73857
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Thank You

Thank you so much for your generosity. Your generosity with kind words, time, prayers and financial support. I am so proud to be a part of this with you! As always, I’d be honored to pray over any request you might have. Please let me know how I can be praying for you by emailing me at pastorblakefarley@gmail.com

If you’d like to read prayer reports from previous months you can do so by clicking, here.

​Until next time,
Blake

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