Prayer Requests and Updates from 03/13 – 04/07/25
04/07/25 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) The family of Nathan (Nate) Berg of Keller, Texas, would like to request prayers for Nate. He is having 2 upcoming surgeries on his right foot (Charcot foot condition). The first surgery will take place on Friday, April 4, and the second surgery will take place in early May. Please also pray that a quality skilled care facility can be located for Nate — he will be staying at this facility after each of the surgeries, for 3-4 weeks each time. – Cherine Berg
04/07/25 Prayer Request Update – (Ben Faulkner, pastor, Church of the Sovereign God, Tampa, Florida) Your urgent prayers are requested for David Schemenauer, a member of the Elkhart, Indiana United Church of God congregation who had a very bad accident while skiing with his family in Colorado on Friday. He suffered a broken arm, damaged lung, and a spinal cord injury to his T6 vertebrae. He currently does not have any feeling below his waist. Doctors need to do emergency surgery within 24 hours to have the best chance of repairing the damage to his spine. Please pray for God’s immediate intervention, healing, and comfort. Thank you. Update: On Saturday night, the surgeons made two fusions in his vertebrae. One was by his neck and the other was in his thoracic spine. The surgeon is feeling optimistic he will regain movement in his arms and hands but not his legs. As of Sunday morning, he had feeling in his chest, arms and hands, but nothing below the chest. He will be in the ICU for the next week. He is on a ventilator and is breathing well (though his daughter reports “the ventilator is driving him nuts”), but the doctors are taking things slow to help with recovery. He is in good spirits. Please keep David in your prayers, as well as his wife, Crystal, and their daughters, Ally, Paige, and Sierra. Paige writes, “We are so grateful by the community who is keeping David in their prayers. Thank you deeply for your love and support.”
04/05/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Ken Swiger, pastor, SDCA) Guy and Kayla Swenson both posted prayer requests for Jon Swenson on FB. I am copying/pasting details below. Original post 4/5/25 8:00 pm: Please pray for Jon. He had an accident today with the table saw and severely cut his hand…. I am currently in the waiting room at the ER while the trauma surgeons operate on his hand…. They don’t know if they will be able to save his thumb….. I’m very stressed about all of this and we have already had a very long weekend. My nerves are absolutely shot. Just please pray. UPDATE 4/5/25 11:00pm: Just talked to the surgeon. They did not take the thumb… yet. They have a piece of metal holding things together. There will need to be a bone graft (from his pelvis) and additional reconstructive surgeries. Skin graft and tendon reconstruction. There is blood flow to the thumb – she was surprised. If it stays healthy, next surgeries can start in a week or so. Jon will be in ICU for a couple of days … We are currently waiting to hear that he is awake so that we can see him. UPDATE 4/6/25 1:30am: He is out of surgery and in ICU. We got to see him there after about an hour. He was groggy, but in good spirits… I’m anxious to get some rest. I’ll check back in tomorrow when I go back.
04/04/25 Prayer Request Update – (Ben Faulkner, pastor, Church of the Sovereign God, Tampa, Florida) Bowen Myles Sanabria, newborn son of Michael and Hannah. The update is from Grandmother, Shelly Fenwick. “I would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers for my grandson, Bowen. There’s been very encouraging news this past couple of days. By Tuesday afternoon, it had been 24 hours since the last seizure. They have started weaning him off of one medication and disconnected the monitoring of his brain. He is still connected to wires on the rest of his body, but my daughter is able to hold him now! All his tests have come back negative for problems. He’s being fed his mother’s milk through IV and his digestive system is working properly. The MRI came back negative, but they saw a possible glare or something in the image so they are doing another today just to make sure. Hannah is anxious to take her baby home, and give him the affection that he needs. We are all praying that he will continue to completely heal and be weaned off the other medication with no continued problems. The little guy has gone through a lot and it hasn’t even been a week yet! Thank you all so much!”
03/26/25 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Nauda Armstrong of Fairhope, AL requests your prayers. She was notified today that on April 30 the PT office she works for as the receptionist will be closing their office.
03/13/25 Prayer Request Update– (from Dave Havir, pastor, COG Big Sandy) Linda Avey just gave me an update about her doctor appointment last Tuesday. 1. The doctor immediately cut down the level of the seizure medication that Linda had been taking — (Linda was pleased that the doctor quickly made that adjustment). 2. The doctor has scheduled a test to check her brain waves to evaluate if she is having seizures — where probes will be attached to her head for 3 days. 3. The doctor mentioned that Linda previously had a cluster of blood vessels in her frontal lobe — so an MRA will be scheduled to see if that situation exists. Linda and family appreciate your continued prayers.
Ongoing Previous Requests
03/10/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) I spoke via WhatsApp video connection with Noé Monsanto (CGM Guatemala City, Guatemala). March 10th’s court proceedings were again delayed upon arrival due to a conflict with the courts scheduling, the discussion continues. The legal decision has been extended again to a future date to be announced. He requests continued prayers regarding a very serious situation he is still facing and needs God’s intervention and will to be done. Please continue to join my wife and me in prayer lifting Noé before our Father in heaven that His will be done in this situation with divine intervention as needed.
03/05/25 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Nila Das – (Bangladesh). “I am asking for prayers from all for my health. I am almost 7 months pregnant and it has been terrible for my health with multiple issues. Please keep me in your prayers.”
03/05/25 Prayer Request Update– (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Sherry Garrett (Lynn Haven, FL) From Bill, her husband: “They want Sherry to continue having physical and occupational therapy for her right arm and leg. Her blood pressure is beginning to stabilize. We are walking almost every day. Please continue to pray for complete healing.”
03/05/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) I spoke with Patty Graham this afternoon and she asks that we continue to pray for her husband Stan Graham. He continues to decline in health. His recent challenges have in addition to not being able to even get up some days due to lack of physical strength, but suffers from cellulitis on his hands. Please continue to keep Stan and Patty in your prayers for strength and comfort. 09/05/24 Prayer Request Update: I spoke with Patty Graham this afternoon and she asks that we continue to pray for her husband Stan Graham. “Our condition here remains difficult. Several weeks ago Stan fell, and ended up having them go in through the back of his neck to staple, screw, and wire several vertebrae in his neck that were broken. He is just starting to walk again. Stan also has cirrhosis of the liver and is very sick, continuing to decline daily. He basically sleeps, watches a little TV and goes to treatment for 5-6 hours. I truly believe trials are for the testing of our faith and when endured gives the peace and strength needed to endure even harder times. Without them, we would not need to rely on God”. The Grahams live in Pensacola, FL.
01/29/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Fires in the Los Angeles area. To date CGM has been able, thanks to generous donations, to assist and help in a substantial way specifically to those who did not have insurance. Your continued prayers and support are deeply appreciated during this critical time. *Any who would wish to donate for financial assistance to several who have lost their homes (and have no insurance) may do so at this link https://cogministries.org/donate/ . You may also send funds to our P.O. Box, and in the subject line earmark as “Disaster Relief/Church Assistance Fund”.
10/10/24 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. “In times of distress and disaster we at CGM help many who are suffering by the impact where they live. Many have asked “How can we help through you all?” Since Hurricane Helene we have been sharing resources from our “Disaster Relief and Church Assistance Fund” made possible by generous donations from those affiliated with CGM and others. You may donate here https://cogministries.org/donate/ if you wish to do so, and we assure you the funds will be only used for assistance to those in need affected by this storm and others as they come. Currently we are helping mostly folks in the Morganton, North Carolina area as having served in these areas as their pastor we are aware of specific needs and in contact with people directly. Most commonly we are helping with bottled drinking water, funds for gasoline for mobile generators, and food. Thank you in advance and blessings to you for your care!
05/11/22 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) From Larry Field, (Nebraska). “I would like to ask for continued prayers – it’s my back/pelvic area. I was badly injured in 2016 when a machine fell on top of me, breaking my pelvis in 4 places, and severing a bunch of nerves. It also cracked my tailbone and came extremely close to severing my spinal cord. I would/should have been paralyzed, if not for God’s intervention. Lately the pain in my pelvic area has ramped up to extreme levels, and it is very difficult to walk. The strongest non-prescription drug, Tylenol, is no longer effective. My body just is resistant to pain medication, for some reason. I’m not getting much done at all, and I’m falling seriously behind on everything here…please pray that there be some relief, at least for this pain, if it be God’s will”.
(These prayer requests and updates listed are partial, as there are a large number received each week, so we simply cannot list them all. These come from several fellowships of the body of Christ throughout the U.S. and world.) Any prayer requests or announcements to be shared on the CGM website and/or this weekly update should be sent directly to Scott Hoefker by Wednesday of each week, (via e mail if possible). You may also use the “contact us” page on the CGM website to do so.)