Local church congregations are gearing up to start fires throughout Summit County that they hope will ignite a spiritual revival.
“There is so much unrest throughout the world, in our country and right here in our own community. We want to actively do something as a Christian community to help bring some healing,” said the Rev. Mark Ford, executive director of Love Akron. “We are starting with prayer, asking God to please come and help us because we know that God is still able to change hearts.”
On Sunday, Ford launched a yearlong prayer initiative, called Summit Ablaze, by handing off a prayer torch to the Rev. Michael Kraynak, pastor of St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Fairlawn. Kraynak’s congregation, which gathers for Sunday morning worship services in the fellowship hall at St. Thomas Eastern Orthodox Church, has committed to praying for the people of Summit County throughout the first week of the year.
“Our goal is to pray with a faithful expectancy that God will do something,” Kraynak said. “We may not know exactly what it is that God will do, but we know that whatever it is, it will make a difference.”
Summit Ablaze, which is being organized by Love Akron, aims to cover Summit County in prayer each week during 2012. To reach that goal, churches, organizations and groups are being asked to commit to praying for the county for one week. Each group will determine the amount and method of prayer.
The torch, which was specially made for Summit Ablaze, will be passed to the pastor of the congregation or leader of the group that has agreed to take on the prayer task for the week. The goal is for the torch to travel across the county.
Next Sunday, Kraynak will pass the torch to the Rev. Mike Rybka at Community Church of Portage Lakes. Rybka said that although his church has done similar prayer activities in the past, this one is different.
“This time, it’s more than our church; it’s ‘The Church’ leading the county in prayer,” Rybka said. “The fact that it is a unified effort in the Christian community — not one church or one denomination — is a sign of God moving. I believe God’s vision for the county is a lot bigger than mine.”
The idea for Summit Ablaze was sparked during a conversation between Rybka and Ford. During the dialogue, Rybka shared information from a book he had read about an international, nondenominational 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week prayer movement that grew out of one prayer room in England.
Rybka and Ford also talked about the 1857-1860 Revival in America that started when a New York businessman, Jeremiah Lanphier, began a series of noon prayer meetings in the financial district of Manhattan. That prayer movement started in September 1857 with six people, who showed up 30 minutes late. But by the beginning of 1858, published reports indicate there were more than 6,000 people (mostly businessmen) attending various meetings in New York.
The prayer movement spread to other cities, including Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. It is credited with bringing a million converts to the Christian church in America.
“Almost every revival is preceded by prayer,” Rybka said. “Things change because God moves and changes people’s hearts. God has brought revival before, and he can do it again.”
Summit Ablaze organizers said the prayer initiative is rooted in the biblical passage of Jeremiah 29:7 that reads: “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (NIV).
Ford said the name for the initiative was derived from prayer being symbolized by fire throughout the Bible. He noted that in Leviticus 6:12, God instructs Moses to keep the fire burning continuously on the altar.
“We are challenging the churches of Summit County to attend the altar for one week,” Ford said. “We believe that by coming together in prayer, we can have a positive impact on our county, its leaders and its people.”
Anyone interested in joining the prayer movement is asked to call 330-384-8124 or email loveakronoffice@gmail.com. For more information about Love Akron (an organization that works to unite church leaders), visit www.loveakron.org.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com
