McLean Presbyterian Church supports in prayer and with finances approximately sixty individuals and ministry organizations. On this page you will find access to information about each of them, from a ministry highlight of one missionary, to a brief overview of updates from several missions partners, to a downloadable directory that contains information on all of our missions partners.
Each week throughout the year, one of our missionaries is the center of focus for prayer as the “Missionary of the Week.” We encourage you to get to know this missionary better by reading the information below and join us in praying for our missionaries, their families, and their mission field.
Once per month a volunteer compiles notes from our missions partners’ recent correspondence to give us an overview of their ministry. These are mostly prayer points to help us connect with our partners in a relevant and dynamic way. Please review these “Notes from the Field” to keep current with our missions partners and lift them in prayer.
Our “Prayer Diary” is a complete list of our official missions partners. It includes a brief overview of each partner, contact information, a photo, and general prayer requests for each ministry. The diary is divided into 31 ‘days’ so that it can function as a prayer guide for individuals or families who would like to pray through it on a regular basis. The file can be downloaded or viewed online and hard copies of the guide are available at our Information Center in the Tower Entrance. The Prayer Diary is updated annually.
For more information, contact Vanessa Oliver, Missions Coordinator, at 703.394.0590 or missions@mcleanpres.org.
STEPdc, Strategies to Elevate People, serves the educational, relational and spiritual needs of children and youth in northwest Washington DC. Through STEPdc’s efforts children and youth find mentor relationships in a variety of extra-curricular programs that enable them to broaden their horizons, rise above their circumstances and make positive life decisions. STEPdc partners with Bruce Monroe Elementary School at Park View and Raymond Educational Campus. STEPdc offers four programs for children and youth: STEP Tutoring, STEP PALS, Life Skills and STEP Bible Club. The MPC Harvest community has a faithful PALS team which supports a teacher and her students at a local elementary school. In addition to the youth programs mentioned, STEPdc also has Parent Support groups at both schools. Short-term mission trip opportunities hosted by STEP are available for groups interested in community-based ministry. Please pray for STEP’s fundraising efforts, for the entire STEP staff and for the children and youth they serve. Email Vanessa to get involved.
Bruce and Karen Alwood (Campus Crusade for Christ, Southeast Regional Director). Bruce and Karen will leave Campus Crusade for Christ in mid-2010 to join Eric and Karen Brauer in supporting church planters in Ireland. Please pray for smooth transitions both within Campus Crusade, which must replace Bruce, and also as the Alwoods enter the field in Ireland.
Eric and Karen Brauer (World Harvest Mission, Ireland). Eric and Karen led a coaching/mentoring session with potential church planters in Ireland. They received much positive feedback including this comment: “World Harvest staff have been people with whom I could relate… I knew more of the Irish way of thinking, but you did know about church planting… Your helping and mentoring me has been so helpful over the years.”
Gerry and Ruth Gutierrez (Mission to the World, Peru). A need for church discipline has arisen among some local church leaders whom Gerry has been discipling. This is a very painful development for all concerned. Gerry reports, “For all practical purposes, we have failed.” Yet he also says, “I consider this to be my hour of witness.” Please pray that Gerry would have the wisdom, compassion, and courage to confront this situation with Christ’s grace.
Dave and Esther Miller (World Harvest Mission, Chile). Dave and Esther are still in the process of selling their house in Philadelphia and they have finished language school in Costa Rica. That means they will finally arrive in Chile soon. Please pray that God will empower them to hit the ground running in Chile where they will be part of the team with Brad Wallace.
Rose Marie Miller (World Harvest Mission, at large). Rose Marie will travel with Bob Heppe (also supported by MPC) to India on September 23. They will be speaking at a Sonship week and then Rose Marie will do a woman’s seminar. Please pray that God will use her talks to touch hearts and bring people to Himself.
Lois Ooms (Mission to the World, Africa). Lois will travel to Lesotho for most of October. Please pray that the workshop she leads for a group of pastors and farmers will be effective. Please also pray for church leaders in five other countries, including three “sensitive areas,” who are discussing if they are ready for Lois to lead similar workshops in their countries.
Brad and Janelle (Frontiers, closed countries). Brad participated in a ministry conference in Thailand where workers could share ideas of how best to minister in various closed countries. Brad’s project, creating a sort of centralized repository of lessons learned and good ideas, received great reviews. Please pray that Brad’s Knowledge Stewardship Team would greatly facilitate the proclamation of Christ in these closed countries. Brad also reminds us that Ramadan, the obligatory month of fasting for Muslims, began on August 22. There are prayer guides available as either 1) a daily e-mail, or (2) a downloadable PDF booklet.
Paul and Liz Meiners (Mission to the World, Missionary Mentors and Care Coordinators). Paul and Liz will start a 6 month Home Ministry Assignment in October. Please pray for rejuvenation and for support-raising so that they can return to the field on time.
Tom and Lisa (Mission to the World, closed countries). Tom reports that a Christian who works with a Non-Government Organization (NGO) was brutally murdered in June when he arrived at work in one of the closed countries where Tom ministers. The local “branch” of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility. While he was not with any of Tom’s teams, there was an obvious impact on the man’s family and field colleagues. Tom asks for prayer for the grace of God for those dealing with the aftermath of this horrific event.