Central Filipino church hosted a mini-camp meeting featuring 25 speakers from across the U.S. the last weekend of March. Themed, “Prepare … for the Final Crisis,” the weekend was sponsored by the church’s women’s ministry department and its Southern California Connection Women’s Prayer Line ministry.

“For women’s ministries, I suggested a prayer line for the church,” recalled Gwen Shorter, director and mini-camp meeting coordinator. “Both Pastors Simeon Rosete and Alvin Maragh agreed and urged us on. So we set it up, using http://freeconferencing.com.

“For a while, three to five members called in each time. We really didn’t have much to pray about, so I suggested that we invite friends, no matter where they live.

“Since then, the prayer line calls average 50 to 70 callers. When we added volunteer speakers from all over the United States, the ideas for what to pray about started coming.”

“The prayer line is so inspiring and enlightening,” posted Donna, from Ohio, on the prayer line website. “By the way, I'm going back to church and getting stronger day by day, and it’s helping me to grow in my spiritual relationship with Christ.”

“The prayer line had been functioning for a while, but the people participating had not seen each other,” said Rosete. “The mini-camp meeting was an opportunity for them to meet.”

“We opened every possible room for the various seminars and classes,” Rosete said. “They met in the lobby, in my office, in the hallways. We ordered portable dividers and divided the entryway so various classes could meet there.”

“We could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence,” said Shorter. “People didn’t want the discussions or speakers to stop. At 11 p.m., we had to flick the lights. On the final evening, a speaker from Bakersfield was amazed to find the church still packed for his 9 p.m. message."

Guest speakers stayed in the homes of members, with one doctor offering to house 14 guests for the event.

When the weekend was over, the team found that all expenses had been covered, with $4,000 left over to be used for ministry-related needs at the church.

For more information about the prayer line, visit www.socalwplm.sdawebs.com.