Originally published in the January 15, 2007 issue of The Evangel.
by Tambi Swiney, FBC member, Spiritual Emphasis Team Coordinator for The Next Door
In the summer of 2002, a group of wild, praying women at First Baptist Nashville spent the summer seeking God’s direction for using an empty building the church owned. In May 2004, we witnessed the fruit of their prayers as The Next Door, a transitional living center for women coming out of incarceration, welcomed its first resident. Over two and a half years later, The Next Door has served over 250 women, and prayer continues to be a vital part of this ministry.
The Next Door is looking for women who are willing to serve as prayer partners for our residents. A prayer partner makes a commitment to pray daily for her assigned resident and pledges to keep in regular contact with her through cards, calls, emails, and occasional face-to-face visits. Each week the prayer partner receives an updated prayer request from her resident. Once a quarter we host a prayer partner event when all of our prayer partners are invited to come to the Downtown Ministry Center for a time of fellowship.
We currently have women from fourteen different congregations in the Nashville area who are serving as prayer partners. If you would like to join their ranks, please contact me via email at tambi@juno.com or call me at 333-5847. God can use you to bless the life of a woman who is working to get a fresh start, and I guarantee you’ll be blessed in the process.
