Hello EMCC,

Today, I considered the way Jesus was invited in (and in some ways invited himself in) to Zacchaeus' story in Luke 19: 1-10.

5"When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus was willing to be in the company of Zaccheus, to receive his hospitality, and it was transformational for Zaccheus' life. In our interview with Church Engagement Facilitator, David Benjamin, he helps us consider Jesus' posture and to consider our Way of Jesus statement two: I am being sent by Jesus to bless others and invite them to follow Him.

As you consider David's encouragement, and pray for the requests below, I pray Jesus speak clearly to you. And, may you be obedient if He invites you in to consider the newcomer in your midst.

Prayer Together

• We want to be moved with compassion like Jesus was. Pray for our eyes to be opened to the need for connection of the newcomers in our neighbourhoods and to welcome them into our lives and homes.

• Pray for our EMCC churches to consider avenues of engagement with refugees and newcomers and to connect with them in tangible, practical ways. May they experience followers of Jesus as welcoming people, generous in building and extending relationship.



• We’re eager to see more of our churches participate in sponsoring refugees. It can be such a beautiful experience of serving others, hoping that Jesus is evident through our actions. Pray that our churches would respond to the call of refugee sponsorship, recognizing this is another opportunity to participate in global mission, as the nations come to Canada.

• Some refugees are counted as part of the persecuted church. They’ve had to escape their home because of their faith in Jesus and are still living precariously, without any set future in view. Pray for their protection, tangible needs and future, as they cling to Jesus for life and hope.

• Pray for our church members currently invested in sponsoring. May they find opportunities to express the reason for their sacrificial service to these newcomers and be able to share about Jesus with those who haven’t heard before or who follow other faiths. May the Gospel be shared and received with gratitude.

For our regular Prayer Bulletin subscribers, here's a special prayer request coming from David Sloss:

"On May 30, Marian and I were in an accident demolishing our car and causing us each severe trauma. Thankfully we are both at home now but still painfully recovering from the events of that day. Marian is suffering from both a fractured sternum and a lumbar compression fracture. My left hand has two broken fingers and I underwent surgery last Sunday [June 2] to repair the more severe of those two breaks. Rib soreness from the abrupt stop are still very painful. Thankfully friends in the area have come to our aid and bringing food and offering help as needed. We have a son and daughter and their respective families in the area as well, so we are being cared for through this painful exercise. Both of the groups with which I am involved in Uganda, know of our mishap, and are sharing before the Lord in earnest intercession. We are thankful for their partnership at this time, and we invite you to continue to lift them up for the many needs which they are facing themselves. Marian and I are told that we probably are facing a number of weeks of recuperation until we are back at some semblance of our previous ministry levels. We covet the prayers of the [EMCC} friends during this time and know that God in his faithfulness is answering those prayers on our behalf."

Every two weeks, we publish a Prayer Bulletin featuring updates and prayer items for our EMCC affiliated Global Workers. If you’d like to receive these ongoing, you can sign up here.

Register below to join us as we pray together, consider the stories, and connect with those in the EMCC involved in this important work.

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