By Dorothy Brotherton

TWO Kelowna prayer leaders, asked to evaluate the city’s prayer climate, expressed widely different views. Depending on which side of the coin you look at, prayer is alive and well in this Interior city; or it’s shallow and not very effective, with lots of room for growth.

Josh Smith of Kelowna Gospel Fellowship (KGF) is the drive behind an event called Sanctuary, which took place March 12 at KGF, and drew people interested in prayer from several churches. It’s the first of what Smith hopes will be a quarterly event.

“Sanctuary will be a place where all generations can come together and worship God. I feel there is so much importance in having young and old – in both age and life experience – together worshipping our awesome God,” said Smith.

Besides Smith, the first Sanctuary was led by Mike Weiss, Marshall Heppner, Ashley Sherbino and Michaela Burger. Smith hopes the idea and the event will spread to adjacent cities – and maybe as far as Vancouver.

Smith moved here three years ago with his wife Sarah, from Nova Scotia – not exactly knowing why. “Quickly, I found that I was to help leaders across Kelowna and lead worship musically,” said Smith.

He reflected on the many outlets in Kelowna for seniors and youth to worship separately, concerned that there seemed to be little happening outside Sunday mornings for all generations to come together in worship.

“God laid this idea of multi-generational worship on my heart, and I felt a need to call the evening ‘Sanctuary’ – a place of safety, even just a night, for all generations to celebrate, reflect, recharge and be together.”

Sanctuary leadership will be shared by the city’s churches, with the venue rotating.

“I want to create a strong community within the leaders, from church to church,” added Smith, who is a lay leader in his church.

As for the prayer atmosphere in Kelowna, Smith calls it healthy. “From what I see and have experienced, prayer is strong in Kelowna. Personally, I have taken part in multiple prayer-a-thons, and know of numerous weekly citywide prayer groups that pray over Kelowna.  Kelowna is a place of prayer.”

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Mike Penninga, lead pastor at KGF, sees the Sanctuary event as a time when “worship leaders of the community come together in a spirit of love and community.”

Scott Burke and Ken Faust lead a city-wide prayer group called City Church Intercessors, that meets twice a month, and draws praying people from four or five churches. It started at a request from the Kelowna Ministerial two years ago.

Burke, a lay leader at Willow Park Church, reflects some discouragement, saying: “Are we effective? That’s what I’m asking. Our city appears to be going more into darkness. There are not a lot of positive spiritual changes happening.”

He worries that many pray in generalities, so effectiveness can’t be gauged. “If we say bless this group and that group, how do we know if it’s answered?”

He added, “I don’t see passionate and heartfelt prayers. There are aspects of prayer that we haven’t even touched.”

He cited the story of D.L. Moody, who heard Charles Spurgeon preach – and was asked if it was amazing. Moody said it was, but added: “I heard him pray, and that was better.”

Burke said he and Faust evaluate the prayer situation in Kelowna as “like a frontier.” He clarified: “There are a number of prayer groups that are very diligent in praying and seeking God, but the average Christian is not. The burden of prayer has been placed on a few select people – mostly older people.”

Still, Burke has not given up on the city’s prayer spirit. He is helping organize a Global Day of Prayer, May 23, tentatively located at City Park, at 2 pm. It was started in 2000 in Africa by businessman Graham Power, and is now in 220 nations.  The movement includes prayer gatherings for 10 days leading up to the day, and encourages people to expect blessings for 90 days following.

Global Day of Prayer is interdenominational and endorsed by many groups, including World Vision and Trans World Radio. The liturgy includes written prayers from South Africa, that all groups around the world are encouraged to use in the spirit of unity.

April 2010