2021 Winter Newsletter
Date Published
*Merry Christmas!*
~Christmas design by Sarah Barnes
*Matthew Barnes Statehouse Chaplain *Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy this year-end review that gives a small snapshot of some of God's handiwork. October 31 completed our family's 17th full year of ministry in the Indiana Statehouse. Public Servants' Prayer is continuing to grow in amazing ways that can only be the result of the Lord's favor. Miriam and I are evermore grateful for the team God has sent our way. The newest member, Vicki Maughmer, is leading a fruitful venture in praying for the judiciary. (See her update below.) Here are some of the PSP team efforts this year: -Statehouse Prayer Service -Women's Statehouse Day -Pastors' Statehouse Day -Indianapolis Prayer Service -8 Bagels and Books Events -47 Legislator Bible Studies -50 Ladies Bibles Studies -48 Staff Bible Studies -24 City-County Building Bible Studies -4 City-County Prayer Caucus Meetings -365 Days of Prayer for legislators nationwide -Several Statehouse related funerals attended and one City Councillor's wedding officiated -Numerous individual counseling sessions provided -Each House of Representatives' session day opened in prayer by Matt and Pam -Many international Bible studies taught in Asia through Zoom -5 online teaching opportunities with ministry partners from Europe, Africa, and South America -Weekly legislator dinners at Fairhaven through session -Weeks and weekends hosting legislators, missionaries, and ministry friends at Fairhaven The Capitol building is the nerve center of society. People from all over the state and from every walk of life conduct business in this building. We see this as an opportunity to impact numerous spheres of influence with the Good News. Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we seek to fulfill the mission of praying for leaders and sharing the love of Jesus in an arena that the devil claims as his own. While we have many good reports from the Statehouse, please know that any time an advancement is made for good, evil is present. Your prayers are vital as the front-line ammunition in this battle, and we are so thankful for them! Please keep praying for us! *Pam Russell* Statehouse Women's Chaplain As you can tell from the pictures below, we love doing ladies' teas! These teas have been a great time to get together, to feel like refined and cultured ladies, to enjoy great fellowship, and to share what the Lord is doing in answer to your faithful prayers for your leaders!
Thank you, Sue Myers and Kelly Hassler!
Thank you, JoAnn Crum! God is very much at work. I am astounded at the favor, support, and appreciation we receive in return for our love and care for our Indiana public servants. It is an honor to come beside our leaders with encouragement and prayer as they make hard decisions for their districts and, as several have recently experienced, endure the final decline and loss of their own dear ones. Please continue to pray often and by name for those who represent you. God hears, God sees, and God moves in response. If you would like to host a tea and get the latest news and updates, please contact us: jessica.ray@thepsp.org. NOTE: Please mark your calendars for the upcoming event **Women's Statehouse Day, March 9, 2022. *(To receive more information in the coming months, contact Jessica at the email above.) Thankful to God for you! *Vicki Maughmer Judicial Prayer Director** *Colossians 4:2-3 - **“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ…” It has been a privilege to attend several “Tea with Pam” events in the past weeks. The women in attendance have been interested in hearing about the ministry to the Indiana judiciary. As I have presented the names of their local judges and how to effectively pray for them, I have received great responses. Judges and justices must remain impartial to fairly decide the cases before them. Therefore, their lives can be somewhat isolated. Yet their personal lives are much like any other human being. They have families, and with that comes challenges, conflicts, stress, grief, health concerns, and a myriad of other issues. Often there is no one with whom to share these concerns. Sometimes these men and women are harassed and may even find their lives being threatened. Every day someone walks away from the courtroom pleased with the judge’s decision, but some leave the courtroom unhappy. I ask for your partnership in prayer for all of the Hoosier judiciary. Pray that God would surround each one with His hedge of protection. Pray that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Daily pray for them to have strength and courage to dispense justice and fairness. *Jessica Ray * Administrative Assistant O Come Let Us Adore Him As I reflect on all the miracles that God has done during my time with PSP - the answered prayers, the lives touched, the stories He's writing, the growth in my life and in the knowledge of the Scripture - I am amazed and thankful. But most of all, I am ever more aware that the greatest giftI have ever received is that of Christ Himself. No earthly thing can compare. As I ponder this truth, I stand in awe of the miracle of Christmas when the King of all kings stepped down from His throne to reveal the humble and loving heart of God that stoops to save us. I am richly blessed and forever changed by the "good will" that He has toward me and "all men." (Luke 2:8-14) This Christmas, I pray that we each have quiet moments to spend with the Christ-child: to kneel at the manger and bring gifts of praise, faith, love, and adoration; to kneel at the cross, thank Him for His sacrifice, lay down our burdens, and be clean through His blood; to kneel at the throne, knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us in this life or in eternity. The message of the angels was truly one of "good tidings of great joy for*all people.*" What a miracle and joy to the world! O come let us adore Him!
P.S. Save the Date for our upcoming:
We hope to see you there!