Thursday, September 11, 2014

Men's Prayer Breakfast and Recap

It's been almost a week since our first Men's Prayer Breakfast, and I'm still riding on a high from the awesome time we had together.

We had about 25 guys show up who were ready to pray - Black, White, Hispanic, young and older, all ready to tap in.

The breakfast was delicious and our servers did a great job setting things up and serving.

The Worship Band was phenomenal! We could've stayed in worship for hours but enjoyed the sweet moments with the Lord.

FaithWorks Fellowship Ministries is located in a really cool area of town (Midtown) near Saint Louis University, the business district and Grand Center. Their church is this dope loft-style space that was perfect for us. Everyone felt free and comfortable.

I couldn't have pulled this off on my own. So many people helped make this men's breakfast a success.

First, I gotta thank God for entrusting me with the vision to gather the men of St. Louis together to fellowship, spend time praising and worshipping our Great King, interceding for our city and being empowered to go back and change our communities, one relationship at a time.

Secondly, I thank my wife, Christia, for being a true helpmeet. When we got married, I mentioned to her that I felt like God placed a special burden on my heart to encourage other married couples and to empower men. She has covered me in prayer and supported me wholeheartedly, even to the extent of asking our Hope Church friends, Christelle and Christina, to assist with serving breakfast that morning. Babe, I love you to the moon and back! :)

3C (Christia, Christelle, Christina) 

I gotta thank my Pastor Greg Bruce and our Hope Church Family for praying and supporting me with the prayer breakfast. Several of the guys from our church, including some of our youth, came out and were mighty soldiers that day, assisting with setting up and cleaning up afterwards.

A big shoutout to my brother from another mother but the same Father, Mark Grimes, Pastor of FaithWorks Fellowship Ministries, for opening his doors to us as the host venue for the prayer breakfast. I had a vision of having it at a loft style event space in the city. The Lord brought Mark to my mind. I reached out to him. He loved the idea, let me check out the place and it was perfect! We really appreciate you and your family, bro!

Pastor Mark Grimes, Christia, Kenny

I knew I wanted the breakfast to be free but didn't have the funds at the time to pay for everything. I reached out to a few people and I wanted to thank them again for donating their time and gifts to this cause. Thank you Mama Thelma Parker for making an ANOINTED breakfast casserole, as Mark David Goins so eloquently stated. LOL! Thank you to Jamie of LaCosecha Coffee for providing a tasty Guatemalan brew for us and to Freedom of Panera Bread for providing bagels. Thank you to LaTonja Flowers, Kristen Linares, and Shirt Kong for providing some really cool goodie bag items for the volunteers.

Kenny and Jamie of LaCosecha Coffee

Kenny and Chelsea of Shirt Kong

Kenny and Latonja of SahGol Appareal & Jewelry

Mother Thelma Parker

Kristen Linares (not pictured) Thirteenth &Washington

Everyone knows how much I love music, and there's nothing like anointed, skilled musicians who know how to flow and lead others into the presence of God. Mark David Goins, Tony Mallory and Harvey Lockhart, thank you, thank you, thank you! I really appreciate you guys. You helped create that atmosphere of expectancy for us to go further into the presence of God. I love y'all and really appreciate you for helping out. Gotta thank my bro, Pastor Todd Genteman, of Apostles Church and Lloyd Nicks who weren't able to play/sing with the worship band at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. Love you guys.

Worship Band (Harvey, Tony, Kenny, Mark)

And lastly, thank you to the men who were able to attend and for those that wanted to but couldn't make it. I know God wants to do something mighty in the city of St. Louis. I know it's supposed to start when the men take our rightful place in the Kingdom of God and be led by the Spirit of God. When we do, we'll see our marriages stronger, our children and families on fire, our communities strengthened and our nation devoted to God. I don't want to imagine what will happen otherwise...


Men's Prayer Breakfast Group Photo

This is just the beginning. My mother-in-love, Thelma Parker, asked me a few times what was next after this prayer breakfast, and honestly, I didn't know for a while. After the breakfast, I knew what the next step would be.

We're going to do a prayer walk in Ferguson. We'll need representatives from the community who live there who believe in the power of praying the word. If you or know of persons who would like to attend, let me know. I gave the men a handout that I found that provides insight on praying specifically for communities. Feel free to check it out here. I'll have more details soon.

Keep me in your prayers. I don't want to do this alone. I want to see others burn with the desire for prayer and change in our city. If that's you, leggggo!

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