Week of Prayer for North American Missions
March 6-13, 2022
National Offering Goal: $70 Million
The North American Mission Board serves a diverse and complex region comprised of the United States, Canada and U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
Here, the North American Mission Board sees a mission field that needs the hope of the gospel. With your partnership, we’re committed to taking this hope to cities, small towns and college campuses.
Your prayers and gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® provide support for thousands of missionaries. These men and women are planting new churches in unreached communities and meeting needs through compassion ministries. Every day, lives are being impacted and transformed.
The needs are great, but the living hope of Christ is greater. Thank you for reaching out with hope to your own community and for your passionate support for North American Missions.
Week of Prayer
The Week of Prayer is annually observed by SBC churches to pray for missionaries, their ministries and their families. Prayer is the fuel for spiritually sustaining missionaries in places where the gospel is greatly needed, but often opposed.
The official date is the first Sunday in March through the second Sunday. Your church can choose this date or another time during the Easter season to participate.
In addition to downloading these items, if your church needs additional prayer guides or envelopes, please contact us at the Helpdesk at helpdesk@brnunited.org.
Day One
United to Reach the Nations in our Neighborhoods
275 million people are estimated lost in North America. That’s men, women, young adults and children. Among that population is more than 40 million people living in the United States who were born in another country. That’s about 1/5th of the world’s migrant population—more than any other country.
Almost every nation in the world is represented in North America… Read the full story
Pray:
- To have eyes open to see the people around you in need of the hope of the gospel.
- For the thousands of missionaries across North America working to reach new people even in the most challenging circumstances.
Day Two
Michael & Traci Byrd
St. Louis, Missouri
More than a decade ago, Michael and Traci Byrd moved out of a rough inner-city neighborhood of St. Louis, swearing they’d never go back.
But God called them to return and plant Faith Community Bible Church. Their mission is to care for people who feel abandoned, Michael said. The neighborhood, which is 95% African-American, has a high poverty rate, a high crime rate, and mostly single-parent homes… Read their story
Pray:
- For the Byrds to have wisdom in creatively reaching their neighbors.
- For God to open hearts to the gospel through Faith Community Bible Church.
Day Three
Itamar Elizalde
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Itamar Elizalde says Puerto Rico is an island that just can’t catch a break.
In the past seven years, it’s faced an economic crisis, two major hurricanes, a political scandal, six weeks of non-stop earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic. But God is using that great need to open doors for the gospel… Read her story
Pray:
- For Itamar’s teams to share boldly as they meet physical needs.
- For hearts to be open to the gospel and for more missionaries to join the work.
Day Four
Jared & Jennifer Huntley
Washington, D.C.
Jared and Jennifer Huntley had a heart for military personnel long before they launched Pillar Church of Washington, D.C. Jared had served in the Army and knows firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate the unique challenges of the military culture—especially without Christ.
Now the couple is discipling and equipping military personnel and their families to follow Christ… Read their story
Pray:
- For Jared and Jennifer to have favor on military bases and in the community.
- For God to open hearts among military personnel and grow them in their faith so that they can go as missionaries to their future assignments.
Day Five
Steven & Cindy Martins
St. Catharines, Ontario
In the past couple of years, Steven and Cindy Martins have become good at inviting themselves to other people’s houses. They’ve got thousands more they want to visit, but that number is getting smaller.
In the area where they live – the Niagara region of Canada – 89-90% of the population of 400.000 doesn’t believe in God… Read their story
Pray:
- For Sevilla Chapel to continue making disciples in a challenging community.
- For Steven and Cindy to have favor as they knock on doors and share the gospel.
Day Six
Brianna McKinney
Denver, Colorado
Brianna McKinney says for many people Denver is a lonely place. For community, they might go to a coffee shop where they’re surrounded by others — but they’re still alone.
And the chances are slim the gospel will make it into their personal space. The city only has one evangelical church for every 32,000 people. To put that in perspective, there’s one marijuana dispensary for every 2,000 people and one brewery for every 7,000… Read her story
Pray:
- For more workers to feel called to Denver to work alongside missionaries and expand their ministries.
- For perseverance for Brianna and her team in Denver who are working to love their city well.
Day Seven
Amer & Vicky Safadi
Cincinnati, Ohio
Amer and Vicki Safadi weren’t sure at first that Cincinnati was where God wanted them to plant a church. They’d been there before, just after leaving the Middle East, and it hadn’t been easy.
But then they met Travis Smalley, lead pastor of Lakota Hills Baptist Church, who said his church wanted to come alongside them. And then when the Safadis moved there from Milwaukee… Read their story
Pray:
- For the Safadis to have favor with the Arabic-speaking people they meet and for God to orchestrate those meetings.
- For the Arabic church in Cincinnati to continue to grow in reaching its city and beyond.
Day Eight
United in Prayer
Millions of Southern Baptists like you have faithfully prayed this week for the featured missionaries, their families, their churches and their communities. They are only a few representatives of a larger missionary force.
Because of your faithful prayers and giving, every day, throughout North America, there are thousands more workers reaching people across the divides of culture, language and ethnicity with the gospel. Read more here
Pray:
- For Southern Baptists to faithfully support their missionaries through prayer.
- For God to show you a missionary family or families you can uplift and encourage through your intercession.
