One Prayer for One Church
The ministry of bringing other ministries together
There's something Curtis Carr and Joseph Cheetham can't get out of their heads: Jesus' prayer in John 17.
This prayer appears right before Jesus goes to the cross. It's the darkest night of his life, just hours before he faces our greatest enemies. And what does he pray for? Unity.
Jesus uses some of his final breaths to ask the Father that his people would be “one.” Not a general unity, not simply good feelings toward one another, or simply an absence of conflict — but a closeness that mirrors the unity of the Trinity itself.
"Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one." — John 17:11
This passionate plea from the Son to the Father, on the night before he died, is what inspires these two men to lead One Prayer, an organization with a singular mission: repeating Jesus' prayer for church unity, in Greenville.
Though it is clearly an ecumenical endeavor, it is also a gospel-rich one. To participate in One Prayer, churches agree to a statement of faith built on 10 fundamental doctrines the church has historically held dear.
One of those 10 statements reads: "We believe Jesus atoned for the sins of the world through his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, which is a gift of God that no man can earn."
At Griggs Church, we say amen to that wholeheartedly.
One Prayer invites churches to pray together regularly in a variety of settings. Each year, they host a large worship night as well as prayer rallies on special occasions like the National Day of Prayer.
Additionally, on a monthly basis, they alternate between two formats: every other month, they host a free pastors' lunch at City Range on Haywood Road, where church leaders gather to eat and pray together; on the remaining months, One Prayer selects a host church and opens a one-hour prayer gathering to anyone who wants to attend, from noon to 1 p.m.
This year, Griggs Church had the privilege of serving as one of those host locations. People from all walks of life came together to pray for revival, unity, and church health across Greenville. It was actually our second time being selected as a host, and it was a joy each time.
Curtis and Joseph want us to remember that "One Prayer isn't just an event — it's a movement of unity, worship, and love for our city." They believe that "when believers gather in love, the world sees a glimpse of heaven: many parts, one body, one Spirit."
We at Griggs couldn't agree more. We deeply long to see church unity take root, especially here on the West Side. That's why, on the fourth Sunday of each month during our worship service, we set aside dedicated time to pray for another mill village church by name. We want to keep before us the truth that there is not a single ounce of competition in the body of Christ — only completion and cooperation.
We want our Saltbox readers to be able to join us in that prayer. So in this issue, we're naming several West Side churches along with a specific prayer request for each one.
Calvary First Baptist — Pray for their food pantry ministry as they feed the hungry every Tuesday morning and share a devotional with those who come.
Park Place Church of God — Pray for their continued outreach to the surrounding neighborhood, and for spiritual power and growth in their vibrant kids ministry.
Woodside Baptist Church — Pray for their West Side Crisis Center, which serves those struggling to meet their most basic needs week in and week out.
Dunean Church — Pray for their church revitalization as they grow and stabilize with the help of a partner church sending new families their way. Ask God to move powerfully in the Dunean neighborhood and raise up new disciples.
West End Baptist Church — Pray for their new assistant pastor, Adam Vasquez, and his family as he steps into this role and invests himself in reaching the neighborhood.
Reconcile Community Church — Pray for their FCA clubs in some of Greenville County's most underserved schools. Ask God to bring students to faith and connect them to them to the church.
Sans Souci Church — Pray for the Sans Souci Academy, their community preschool. Ask that it would continue to grow and shine as a gospel light to the children and families it serves.
