February 20, 2012
The Pastors’ and Partners’ Commission to the Capitol is fast approaching! This annual gathering in Annapolis is for anyone who is a friend of Capitol Commission Maryland or anyone who would like to know more about us. This year’s event will be on Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 a.m. at the Doubletree Hotel (210 Holiday Court) where’s there is free parking.
I’m excited that we will hear a testimony from Delegate Justin Ready, as well as a challenge from the Word from Bob Lewis. Bob is currently the State Director for Capitol Commission Pennsylvania, but will soon be starting the same ministry in Dover, Delaware. Another yearly highlight is the chance for pastors and friends to physically stand beside those leaders attending, lifting them up to the Lord in prayer.
Go to http://www.capitolcom.org/registration/630 for the online registration page. If you would rather register by email, contact me at brent.alderman@capitolcom.org and I will be glad to give you the details.
Please pray that this breakfast and program will encourage the legislators in attendance and that we will all be blessed by the fellowship and all that is shared.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
January 4, 2012
Happy New Year! Here are some situations that need to be bathed in prayer with the start of another year of ministry:
- The new legislative session begins January 11 and our relationship-building, Bible studies and one-on-one prayer and counseling will hit high gear again. I’m excited about our new series from the book of James, titled “Wisdom for Leaders”.
- I am looking forward to speaking at Covenant Baptist Church on January 8. This is the first time I’ve been to a church on the Eastern Shore and trust the Lord to raise up many churches and believers to care for their leaders in that area of the state.
- The SALT program (Serve a Legislator Team) will launch this year to encourage and equip Maryland Christians to connect with a representative in their district for the purpose of direct spiritual ministry and care. Let's pray that every district will have a member on the team!
- The third annual Pastors’ and Partners’ Commission to the Capitol is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, but it’s not too early to start praying for it! I’ll send more details soon.
Thank your prayer support in the year to come!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
December 3, 2011
Tracy, Megan and I certainly want to wish you and your family a super Christmas season and purposeful New Year’s celebration as we all look forward to new opportunities to serve and share Jesus Christ in the year to come.
2011 was a year of encouraging ministry with many rewarding relationships started and deepened. Through all the challenges, you have been a partner in our work with your faithful prayers and giving. We are grateful to you and thank the Lord for you!
Next week (December 6 – 10), I’ll be meeting with the other Capitol Commission State Directors at our National Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. This time of training and fellowship is always a highlight of the year and it’s a blessing to gather with colleagues to hear how God is working in our ministries around the nation. Please pray for these important days of information and planning.
With the end of our calendar year, please consider a year-end gift to Capitol Commission Maryland. The donate link is on the right sidebar. We are under budget for the year and while the Lord has moved many to give generously, we would be honored to have you on our financial support team. There has never been a time when this ministry has been needed more!
Next year we will have another crucial election in America and politics will be on everyone’s mind. However, the question is will the Great Commission be on our minds as well? You can be a part of this gospel-centered effort to see God change the hearts of our leaders to desire Him and His ways. Let’s keep investing our time, prayers and resources in 2012 to share God’s truth in such a dark place.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
November 9, 2011
My friend Brian Weigelt is the Protestant chaplain at the Naval Academy. He has crucial spiritual ministry to hundreds of midshipmen, faculty and civilians who attend church at the Academy’s Chapel. I receive Brian’s weekly email that highlights the upcoming events and service information, and each time I read it I am struck by the prayer request section. One heading is “Combat deaths”.
Each week there are about eight to twelve names and ranks of service personnel who recently died in combat. When I saw this for the first time, my initial thought was, “My prayer list isn’t nearly that intense.” But the more I’ve been involved in ministry to politicians, I’ve realized that prayer for our leaders should be no less intense. Lives are at stake. A battle is being waged and there is an Enemy intent on keeping the good news of the Gospel from impacting the hearts of those in government.
I’m grateful that you read this reminder to pray each month, but can I impress on you today the urgency of the ministry of Capitol Commission? All of our lives are like a mist, so time is short. Prayers for leaders need to be driven by the understanding that the battle is spiritual and must be fought with spiritual weapons. Our unseen Enemy is very active, with the goal of devouring (1 Peter 5:8), stealing, killing and destroying lives (John 10:10).
Thank you for lifting up elected officials in prayer. Please keep it up! Pray that the Lord would use us to bring life to the fields of spiritual combat, for His glory.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
October 9, 2011
Here's an encouraging update from our national ministry office:
CAPITOL COMMISSION RECEIVES THE GUIDESTAR EXCHANGE SEAL
RALEIGH, NC – CAPITOL COMMISSION today received the GuideStar Exchange Seal, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability provided by GuideStar USA, Inc., the premier source of nonprofit information. The Seal demonstrates to CAPITOL COMMISSION’s vast support-base our deep commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability.
"We have worked hard to showcase our progress toward our mission, and our long-held belief in being transparent about our work, to our constituents," said Jim Young. "As a GuideStar Exchange member, we use their platform to share a wealth of up-to-date information about our work to our supporters and GuideStar's immense online audience of nonprofits, grantmakers, individual donors, and the media."
In order to be awarded the GuideStar Exchange Seal, CAPITOL COMMISSION had to fill out every required field of our nonprofit report page on www.guidestar.org, including our annual report, photos, videos, etc.
"I encourage you to check out our profile on GuideStar to see what we're all about," added Jim Young. "We are engaged in exciting initiatives, and we are thrilled to have another platform for communicating our advancement and progress." Click here to see the profile
About the GuideStar Exchange: The GuideStar Exchange is an initiative designed to connect nonprofits with current and potential supporters. With millions of people coming to GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations, the GuideStar Exchange allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with GuideStar's many audiences. Becoming a GuideStar Exchange member is free of charge. To join, organizations need to update their report pages, completing all required fields for membership. The GuideStar Exchange Seal, acknowledged as a symbol of transparency in the nonprofit sector, is displayed on all Exchange members' report pages.
Praise the Lord for this added accountability to benefit our ministry!
Grateful for your friendship and partnership,
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
September 3, 2011
“Brothers, pray for us.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:25
There are months when sending a list of prayer requests is easy. Maybe I just look at the calendar to share praises from the past month, then look at the next month’s events to mention upcoming prayer needs. This isn’t going to be one of those updates.
There are times when a missionary just needs to echo Paul’s request to the Thessalonians: pray for us. You may not always be aware of every detail or need. You may not have a recent prayer letter nearby to remind you of the list of requests. Pray anyway, even if it’s vague. Acknowledge that at that moment when the Lord brings a missionary to your mind that prayer is needed.
I was reminded of this in August because I spent the entire month dealing with an unexpected surgery and recovery. The prayers of God’s people, whether they knew the circumstances or not, were a tremendous encouragement through it all. They still are.
And if you would rather pray for something more specific when you don’t have particulars, pray these words from Paul’s next letter to the Thessalonians: “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). That’s a prayer request that always applies.
God bless you for faithfully lifting us up to the Father. We’re humbled to be your partners that the word of the Lord may speed ahead.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
July 11, 2011
In this month’s update, I’d like to share with you one of the most rewarding aspects of the ministry. Although most of our efforts at Capitol Commission center on serving political leaders, I also love the interaction I have with pastors and churches.
An important function of our ministry is to equip and involve believers in having a relationship with, serve and pray for their leaders. One way we do this is to teach from God’s Word from passages that show God’s heart for those in authority. Last month, I enjoyed preaching at Fellowship Bible Church in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia. Thank the Lord for kind invitations to focus believers on the truth of Scripture.
I also love meeting with pastors. In the past month, I have had the privilege of gathering with pastors’ groups in Westminster and Hagerstown, Maryland, as well as Martinsburg, West Virginia. What an encouragement it is to fellowship with and hear these shepherds pray for their churches, communities, nation and leaders!
Why is this connection to local churches so vital? Because missions begins and ends with the local church. Since the first missionaries were sent from the church at Antioch until today, God’s design has been for missions to flow from the church. We can’t improve on that plan!
I’d love to speak at your church or get to know pastors in your area. Let me know how I can serve your church with the excitement of taking the gospel to our leaders!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
June 4, 2011
Your prayers are such an encouragement as we head into the summer! Below is a list of several items to keep you informed of the most pressing needs right now. God bless you for your partnership in our ministry to Maryland's political community!
The calendar is filling up with meetings with legislators, pastors, donors, and other interested friends. Please pray for effective times to share in the lives of these the Lord has called us to serve.
Pray as well for Bible studies that are still being written and sent out to legislators and staffers even though the session has ended. To see the study that will be sent out this week, click on the link to the right of this email ("Jesus, In His Own Words"). Pray that these notes will be a spiritual help to those who read them.
While we're grateful for God's financial provision for this ministry, would you pray for more monthly donors to join with us? The need is great and there is more to be done as we are able to cover the expenses. We are currently operating at a significant deficit, so we appreciate your prayers.
Pray for our State Director in Missouri, Paul Meinsen. Paul was in Joplin the Sunday those tornados came through but was kept safe. He is now organizing an effort with churches and legislators to help with the many needs for those who lost so much. Let's all lift up Paul and others to the Lord who will have physical and spiritual impact on the devastated families in Joplin.
What a blessing it is to have confidence that friends are supporting us in prayer. As always, keep us in the loop with what you and your family are doing so we can pray for you as well!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
May 2, 2011
With the National Day of Prayer coming up, I thought these were good words from Shaun Lewis, Capitol Commission State Director in Illinois.
It's no secret that our political leaders pray. Almost every state legislature opens in prayer, and every U.S. President from Washington to Obama has openly affirmed faith in God. Lincoln called our nation to find strength through prayer and fasting. Truman designated a day of national prayer, and Reagan later set its date as the first Thursday of May. All of this sounds encouraging, doesn't it? Yet, something isn't quite right.
A year ago, I met with a legislator who spoke of his faith in Jesus Christ and said he prayed reguarly. Good start to our meeting, but it soon became apparent we didn't believe in the same Jesus. Like Jefferson, this legislator would pray "through Jesus Christ our Lord" while rejecting all of the Lord's miracles.
Everyone prays. Not everyone believes.
Public prayers for our nation may be sincere and well-crafted, but not all are heard. Why? Because not everyone who prays submits to the Jesus of the Bible, God as revealed in Scripture.
The National Day of Prayer is this Thursday. Amidst so many prayers that will never reach the ear of God, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, will you pray for our nation? I plan to do so and will take part in the National Day of Prayer service at Wakefield Valley Bible Church (2206 New Windsor Pike, New Windsor, MD) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Several churches are coming together for this special service of prayer and you are welcome to join us. Pray for wisdom and strength for our leaders, protection and safety for them and their families. Above all, as Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, pray for their salvation.
God bless you for praying in belief that God will work in the hearts of people in our land.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
April 29, 2011
William Donald Shaefer is a name many Marylanders would know well. A former mayor of Baltimore, Shaefer also served as governor of Maryland from 1987 – 1995. He died last week at the age of 89 and the state media swelled with memories from his storied political career. From all accounts, he was quite a character!
Anytime a governmental leader passes away it serves as a reminder to all of us that no matter how long a life, no matter how illustrious a career, no matter how powerful a person may become, all will eventually stand before God. At that point, what will count? Good policies brought about by good intentions? Massive initiatives that bettered the lives of millions of people? Funerals may recount these accomplishments, but when a leader stands before God the only question will be, “Did you believe and receive Jesus?”
Thank you for praying for our ministry to political leaders. The 2011 General Assembly has ended, but our outreach to them has not. Please continue to pray for open doors to meet with legislators and staff individually through the interim.
Also pray for speaking opportunities in churches. One of the most important aspects of this ministry is to share with God’s people and point us all to the biblical teaching regarding how we should view government. If you know of a pastor or church in Maryland who may have interest in this work, please let me know!
Your involvement in our ministry keeps it going, so thank you for your encouragement, prayers and giving!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
March 25, 2011
One of the new Maryland delegates elected last November looked at me over his desk recently and said, “Brent, when you have the chance, it would be great if you would do what you’re doing right now – come by the office, sit down and talk about the Lord.” The one-on-one contacts I have had these past few months have reminded me of several things:
First, personal time like this is some of the most effective ministry I have. People open up or say things differently than they do in groups. I can focus on them more as individuals and ask more pointed questions. Our conversations go deeper.
Secondly, the book of John emphasizes the one-on-one encounters Jesus used to minister to needs. Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the royal official with a sick son and the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda are examples of those Jesus spent time with individually, carefully directing the conversations to the most meaningful topics we can discuss. Click here to see this week's Legislators' Bible Study about the paralytic in John 5.
Also, I’m reminded that these encounters can happen at any time and in unexpected ways. That means I have to be dependent on the Lord for His appointments and be ready at a moment’s notice to have a word for questions people have. Every walk down the hall is an adventure.
Pray for these opportunities to point those in the capitol community to Christ. These last couple of weeks of the legislative session are hectic, so sometimes the conversations are just a few minutes long. I can tell you that having a continuing presence in Annapolis is resulting in more trust and deeper sharing in some of our relationships. Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, too, for an encouraging week in March with Capitol Commission state directors from all over the country, along with our national board at the Shepherds’ Conference at Grace Community Church in California. What a blessing it is to be on this team of committed men of vision and integrity.
Thank you for praying for our ministry and for your leaders. We’re seeing progress as a result of those prayers, so please don’t stop!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
February 27, 2011
I wanted to wait until the end of the month to report to you on our Second Annual “Pastors’ and Partners’ Commission to the Capitol”. The pre-registrations were encouraging and we ended up with more than double the attendees we had our first year. What a blessing to look across the room and see old friends reunited, new friends meeting and all fellowshipping and gathering for the same purpose.
We hold this event each year to spread the word about Capitol Commission Maryland and challenge believers with the importance of taking the gospel to our leaders in government. We intentionally choose to meet in Annapolis during the legislative session so that we can invite legislators to attend and ask those coming from out of town to set meetings with their representatives to pray with them in their offices. In 2011, these goals were met and the Lord gave us a fantastic day!
Mark Anderes, from Bay Area Community Church (Annapolis), shared beautifully in music. Tom Schetelich, a believing Baltimore attorney, related how judicial rulings can be respectfully challenged and reversed by believers. Delegate Andrew Serafini (Washington County) gave a moving testimony to how Jesus has changed his life and what that means to his approach to lawmaking in the General Assembly. To wrap up the morning, Tim Webster, pastor of Uniontown Bible Church (Union Bridge), brought a biblical exhortation from Acts 13, focusing on the impact the gospel can have on those in the political community. Praise the Lord for new as well as deepening relationships that resulted!
The session continues until April 11, so please keep praying for divine appointments and open doors to share Christ’s love. Contentious debate lies ahead for the legislature on major moral issues and we must all remember our struggle is spiritual, not against flesh and blood.
Before the next email update the Shepherd’s Conference will have already taken place. Each Capitol Commission State Director and our national board meet for this conference each March in Los Angeles for training, vision casting, prayer and encouragement. Please pray for a good time of renewal and strengthening for each of us.
God bless you for remembering us in prayer. I wouldn’t want to make that drive to Annapolis without knowing God’s people were holding me up. You make this ministry possible, so thank you!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
January 22, 2011
The new 2011 Maryland General Assembly has been sworn in and the busy days of the 90-day legislative session are upon us! Thanks for your interest in our ministry and for your prayers. Below are some items for prayer.
- Our Bible studies have started and expanded this year. Pray for growth and fruit as I meet with staffers each Monday and legislators twice each Thursday for our times in the book of John. Pray for good times of study and writing of the study notes which are sent out by email and hand-delivered to the offices each week.
- There are about 30 new legislators who were elected last November. I need to meet them and their staffers, so pray for good opportunities and open schedule times for these introductions.
- Many have already been invited to our Pastors' and Partners' Commission to the Capitol on Thursday, February 24. This is a day we set aside for breakfast, fellowship, music, prayer with legislators and a challenge from God's Word. Our speaker this year is Tim Webster, lead pastor at Uniontown Bible Church in Union Bridge. Anyone who is interested in or wants more information about the work of Capitol Commission Maryland is welcome. For more details and access to the event brochure and registration form, click here.
Thank you again for remembering us during these hectic months. There are many great stories to share with you, so you can be sure that your prayers and support are resulting in open doors to share the love of Christ in the political arena. God bless and I'll be in touch.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
December 26, 2010
2010 will be remembered as the “Year of Stretching Faith” for the Aldermans. Our first full year of ministry under the Capitol Commission name started with some uncertainty about the future of our ministry, but God showed Himself faithful in so many ways and reaffirmed His calling to us over and over again.
We’re mindful (and grateful) that you stood with us during this challenging time in our work. Thank you so much for your prayers, giving and encouragement. God has blessed us with growing opportunities to reach the hearts of the political community in Maryland under a ministry president and board with integrity and vision. God kept this ministry going. There is no other explanation.
Our faith-stretching year also included the First Annual Pastors’ Commission at the Capitol, the First Annual election Eve Prayer Walk and the beginning of our interim Bible studies for legislative aides (which will continue during the legislative session). We weren’t always sure how these events would get off the ground, but again, God did it.
By the way, we just studied John 3:1-21 in December – a great Christmas passage! You can find it here.
Many have graciously asked about our financial situation this year. While it was a struggle some months, we had more donations than in previous years, for which we’re thankful. Some activities had to be canceled or changed due to funds, though, and as we head into a new year we obviously want to be on stronger footing financially. We are behind around 40 percent right now. Would you pray that our budget would be met in 2011?
You can also help with a tax-deductible gift this week to end out the year. I’d be honored, too, to partner with you in spreading the gospel on a monthly basis. We have donors who share anywhere between $20 and $200 each month. What a key part of our team and blessing they are! As you can imagine, it becomes easier to budget our needs when we can know what is coming in monthly.
Contributions may be made securely by credit card on our newly designed website www.capitolcom.org, or by mailing them to Capitol Commission, PO Box 63118, Charlotte, NC 28263-3118 (please indicate that your gift is for ministry in Maryland).
January will be exciting with the start of the new session and introductions of the new legislators who were elected in November. Thanks for standing with us in this crucial ministry!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
November 11, 2010
On Monday, November 1, forty-three people gathered from five churches in front of the capitol building in Annapolis to publicly acknowledge the King of kings and pray for healing in our land. We confessed our own sin, asked for God’s will to be done the next day in the elections and lifted up our leaders to the Lord.
The First Annual Election Eve Prayer Walk in Maryland was a powerfully moving night of fellowship, friend-making, information-sharing about Capitol Commission and close to an hour of focused prayer in obedience to 1 Timothy 2:1-4. How exciting it was to see each small group move around from station to station to pray for all three branches of our state’s government, our nation, other leaders and the election. If you came, will you invite others next year? If you missed this time, will you join us for this important time of serving our Lord and our society through prayer?
Now that the results of the election are in, the focus for our ministry is taking shape for the next four years. Out of 188 seats in the Maryland General Assembly, 32 will be new members to be introduced to Capitol Commission. It will be great to welcome these folks and present our work.
Please pray for all who will serve as governmental leaders of Maryland for the next term. Pray for the staffers who face an uncertain future after their bosses lost their races. Pray for solid connections to form between new office holders and me. There’s much to do before the new legislative session begins in January.
As always, thank you for reading these updates and for praying. May you and your family enjoy the rest of this month and share special times of thanksgiving to God for His many blessings. You are a blessing to Tracy and me!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
October 17, 2010
A month from now we will know the results of the elections and the role of Capitol Commission Maryland will enter “post-election mode” as we head toward the 2011 session with some new faces in Annapolis. For now, though, we are in “pre-election mode” before the November general election as we seek to minister to those in Maryland’s political community.
As I interact with officials and their staffers, some common themes always rise to the top – overly busy schedules, little family time, need for strength, uncertainty about the future and general overall stress. Would you take some time today to pray for the personal lives of these who run for office that their hearts would be drawn closer to the Lord?
The main Capitol Commission event to pray for is the First Annual Election Eve Prayer Walk scheduled for Monday, November 1, in Annapolis. Pastors and churches are being contacted now and we would love to see many participate with us that night! This will be an evening focused on prayer for our leaders’ spiritual lives, for the election the next day and for our nation as a whole.
Other ministry opportunities are scheduled in the next few weeks. The legislative aides' Bible studies continue to meet each Tuesday and we send electronic copies of our weekly notes to the whole General Assembly. We will participate in the Wakefield Valley Bible Church Missions Conference in New Windsor (October 24-27), where I look forward to sharing updates from the ministry. Also, I hope to connect with some pastors for the first time at the Mid-Atlantic Bible Fellowship’s Pastors' Conference on October 30, in Columbia. Then from November 5-7, we'll be at Central Chapel's Missions Conference near our home in West Virginia.
What a blessing it is to know that you remember us in prayer. The fields are white and we’re honored to be partners in the gospel with you!
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
September 21, 2010
Last week, two of my Capitol Commission teammates, Matt Barnes (Indiana) and Shaun Lewis (Illinois), flew to Washington D.C. to meet with several of their congressmen and staffers. Since I’m so close by, they let me tag along. The result was a God-blessed three days of seeing His hand work in miraculous ways to put us in right places at the right times. What an encouragement it was to fellowship with these guys and minister alongside them.
I was able to meet with my West Virginia representative and one of her aides as well as the Chief-of- Staff for a Maryland congressman. A North Carolina congresswoman who is a good friend of our ministry graciously took us with her into the Capitol and helped us contact some of her colleagues outside the cloak room where they gather between votes. There were many opportunities to introduce ourselves for the first time to some of these members of Congress as well as follow-up for Matt and Shaun for several they already knew. Praise the Lord with us for a fruitful trip!
In this next month, we’re looking forward to continuing our Bible studies for the legislative aides each Tuesday. Also, the upcoming Missions Conference with our friends at Wakefield Valley Bible Church in New Windsor, MD will be a great time of teaching and challenge, I’m sure.
Also, please pray for our Election Eve Prayer Walk scheduled for Monday, November 1. This will be an evening focused on prayer for our leaders’ spiritual lives, for the election the next day and for our nation as a whole. We also hope there will be some attend who may not know much about Capitol Commission Maryland so we can share our work with them. Pastors and churches are being contacted now and we would love to see many participate with us that night!
Your prayers and support keep us going! Thank you for standing with us.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
August 20, 2010
Thanks for reading these monthly prayer updates and more importantly, for actually praying for us. We deeply appreciate your partnership in the gospel.
Last month I told you about the launch of our new Bible study for the legislative aides. Now that we are five weeks in to this study, I’m grateful to report that we are having a great time in the Word, are growing in our relationships with one another and are seeing new faces come each week! Tracy and Megan have been with me for some of the meetings and we love being there together. What a blessing this has been for all of us.
Please pray for us as we keep this study going into the fall. We are in the gospel of John and are, of course, coming across massively important doctrines for people of all levels of spiritual understanding. Our group is diverse, as you can imagine, and the truths we’ve already discussed do not line up with some of their denominations’ teachings. Pray for openness to the Word and for hearts to be illuminated to the real meaning of the Scriptures.
Another matter of prayer would be for solid chances to have one-on-one conversations to follow up with the staffers to go deeper in applying this study.
In the past few days, we have also launched our new prayer blog, The Free State Prayer Slate. This is an effort to equip believers and churches throughout Maryland to follow 1 Timothy 2:1-4 by remembering to pray for their leaders on a regular basis. Each day lists several leaders by name, their position, a link to their web page, and a link to send an email of encouragement. I pray this will be one more way we can keep our minds biblically focused when interacting with those in authority.
You can access the prayer blog at www.mdprays.wordpress.com. Again, let me encourage you to pray for and care for your leaders. God bless!
Brent Alderman
State Director
July 14, 2010
Thank you for your prayers for Capitol Commission Maryland through these hot summer months. I wanted to wait until today to update you on the latest news from Annapolis and other parts of the state.
Yesterday marked an important step for our ministry as Tracy and I met with legislative aides for our first organized Bible study gathering. We have been building relationships among the staffers for many months, but it was so encouraging to finally get into the same room, feed them an amazing lunch (thanks to Tracy!) and begin to share more in each others’ lives. More have promised to attend in weeks to come. Please pray for strong times in the Word with these aides every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. as we study the book of John. Many are hurting, facing personal struggles and come from a widely diverse spiritual background, so it will be a challenge to prepare.
Another area of praise is the continuing opportunity to share from pulpits around our area. We had a great time last weekend with the flock at Forge Road Bible Chapel in Perry Hall, east of Baltimore. Here is a link to that message: "Submission – Omission or Our Mission?". The folks at Forge Road are in the middle of a series in 1 Peter, so they asked me to take the passage in chapter two that deals with submission to God by submitting to government, bosses and facing suffering with Jesus as our example. I hope it’s an encouragement to you.
We’re finding much joy serving the leaders of Maryland and pointing them to the gospel of Christ as the only hope for every person and for any society to thrive. You prayers and giving uphold us in that mission. If you have time, please let me know how you have been doing and how I could pray for you and your family.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland
June 18, 2010
In my monthly email prayer updates, I often focus on what’s happening in the political community in Maryland. Those are the dear folk I am are called to minister to, but another large part of my task is to teach and encourage the church to think and act biblically towards their leaders. I’m grateful for several opportunities I’ve had this year to speak to various groups in different settings and locations. In these meetings, my goal has been not only to share the mission of Capitol Commission Maryland, but also to fix our thoughts on what we can do as citizens to live out the commands of Scripture to love our authorities and care for their spiritual lives.
You’ll find one of those messages here from a sermon on May 16, 2010, at Abingdon Bible Church in Abingdon, Virginia (“A Declaration of Dependence”). It will load, just give it a little time. In the next five weeks, I’ll be speaking in three other churches. Please pray for effectiveness as I share and for believers to be encouraged and challenged to pray and express their spiritual concern for those who represent them.
By the way, there are days that are open on my calendar to come to your church, group or class through the rest of this year. Let me know who to contact or have them call me. I’d love to come to minister there.
Another avenue to get the church thinking about how politicians fit into the Great Commission is my blog, The Paphos Paradigm. It’s name is taken from the capital of Cyprus where Paul’s teaching led to the conversion of the governor, Sergius Paulus in Acts 13:12. Check back there every few days for new posts related to how God can change society when leaders’ hearts are changed by Him.
As always, thank you for praying. God is opening doors and answering those prayers. We need partners like you to stand with us against the waves of unbelief and corruption in America. One soul at a time, great change can follow our God-blessed efforts. I think you would agree that it is needed now more than ever.
Brent Alderman
State Director, Maryland