Introducing Christ Church Citywide
What are the details for the Citywide Service?
When: Begins Saturday, August 5 at 5:00 PM, will meet every Saturday
Where: Wilson Chapel
Will the 5:00 PM Saturday night service continue to encompass quality time for prayer at the altar and prayer ministry?
The opportunity for altar prayer and prayer ministry will continue to be a feature of our weekly worship gathering on Saturday nights at 5:00 PM.
Why name the Saturday night service Christ Church Citywide?
Because our city is in crisis, we want to build a bridge for the entire city to come together and pray for Memphis, hear teaching from the Scriptures, worship through song, receive prayer ministry, and pray for revival and spiritual awakening.
With a crime rate of 81 per one thousand residents, Memphis has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes—from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 12.
Violent crime has reached a 17-year high, according to data released by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It is up 7.7% (murders increased 35%), and 73% involved guns. Property crimes have climbed by 43.8% (vehicle thefts have skyrocketed by 155%).
All these statistics reflect the brokenness around us.
Can't we pray for Memphis in all Christ Church worship gatherings?
Yes! We will continue to pray for our city in all worship gatherings. The Saturday evening service has greater flexibility for us to be creative in prayer, craft different focuses of prayer for the city, and take time to pray into revival and awakening. The Saturday evening time slot also opens the opportunity for persons from other local churches and ministries in our city to participate.
Can't the church do more than worship and pray, considering our city's problems?
Yes! We are a church that is for the city, which is why members of Christ Church have birthed and served through ministries like SOS (Service Over Self), Binghamton Development Corporation, Memphis Teacher Residency, Christ Community Health Services, Ezra52, and more. Organizations like these have empowered members of Christ Church and the Body of Christ at large to serve the homeless, live and serve underserved neighborhoods, tutor in inner-city schools, and minister to refugees and their families, and more.
Can prayer really make a difference?
Many say the last great spiritual awakening in 20th-century Western culture occurred in the Hebrides Islands. During this special visitation from God, people were conscious of the presence of God over a region and not merely within the walls of churches. Stories exist of people being encountered by God on the streets in a way that led to their transformation through the Gospel. History records, along with much Scriptural support, that awakenings are both birthed and sustained through prayer movements.
