May 2025 Community Spotlight
The Generosity Trust is pleased to share the incredible work being done by local ministries and non-profits. This month, we focus on the role of prayer in our community.
Nonprofit Highlight – Pray Chattanooga
May is known for prayer, with the National Day of Prayer celebrated on May 1st. Pray Chattanooga has played a key role in getting churches and individuals to come together in prayer during events such as the National Day of Prayer.
Pray Chattanooga (founded in 2010) is a Christian nonprofit in the metro Chattanooga area with the aim to resource more people praying more often together for our city. Over the past year, they have gathered with around 100 churches through their collaborative prayer events, such as 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, and the National Day of Prayer. These powerful times of corporate prayer have gathered people and churches from over 25 Bible believing denominations over the past 11 years. Jesus prayed, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” These gatherings are a tangible expression of his vision realized!
Beyond corporate gatherings, Pray Chattanooga facilitates 11 networks of pastors and three networks of creatives, hosts over 100 prayer retreats annually for groups and individuals, and cares for those in the spiritual direction space. Out of the relationships formed through events and networks, churches have undertaken collaborative projects, such as the “Back 2 Life” event that involved over 20 churches serving 500 kids with backpacks, medical exams, haircuts, and food as well as a gospel presentation that saw nearly 50 people come to Christ.
As a convener and collaborator, Pray Chattanooga cares for those who care for others. Multiple research organizations, including the Barna group, have been sounding the alarm about the collapse in pastor well-being for the past several years. The numbers are staggering with 60% doubting their call to ministry, 25% seriously doubting their faith, 20% considering self-harm, and 42% of them considering leaving the ministry at any given time. A huge contributor to this problem is pastor isolation, with few people they feel they can trust with their issues. Data has also demonstrated that pastors who have mentors or colleagues to talk to have reported lower levels of emotional exhaustion, depression, and anxiety. This is why Pray Chattanooga’s simple work of hosting prayer networks so that pastors can share their ministry challenges, exchange best practices, and pray for one another is so vitally important for the long-term health of the churches in our region.
Want to learn more?
You can check out their website or their “A Beautiful Church” podcast here.
Did you know that Pray Chattanooga also serves creatives? The Union is a community of creatives (musicians, worship leaders, writers, visual artists, and more) in Chattanooga building deep and real relationships, joining together to worship God, and providing opportunities for creatives to be known, loved and celebrated. Together, they lead worship at Pray Chattanooga events, host multi-church worship nights, and on occasion have a multi-church Gospel choir. They have even written some beautiful songs you can find here (Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Music)
Learn more about Pray Chattanooga and check out their upcoming events here.
Pictured Above: Union Worship Night
Prayer in Nonprofits
The role of prayer in launching and sustaining a nonprofit is an unseen and often underappreciated facet. Yet, nonprofit leaders remind us how key it is to sustain them and their ministries. Here is how some of our local nonprofits are leaning into prayer:
– One local Executive Director confided in how difficult it was to start a ministry, financially and emotionally costly, but the spiritual warfare was real. The leader reiterated how critical prayer is to their programming and how they wish board members understood the importance of prayer.
– One local ministry is founded on prayer. More than 100 women pray for their members each month.
– Another local organization is training others to implement prayer strategies within their own organizations and developing customized plans for each.
– Here at TGT, we come together in prayer once a week and regularly pray with and for each other, our donors, and our nonprofits.
In 2024 Hope International came to Chattanooga to share a resource “Lead with Prayer.” It weaves in powerful examples, along with practical ideas for integrating prayer into the fabric of an organization. You can read more here.
Upcoming Events & Resources
*Please contact these organizations directly to register.
Chattanooga Entrepreneur Week – May 5-10
Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast – May 20
Paths to Recovery Conference – May 29-30
Global Leadership Summit – August 7-8
ArtsBuild Grants – Organizations can apply for art-focused projects that are open to the public and secular in nature. Or it can be a church serving an underserved sector of the community. Faith-based organizations are recommended to talk with ArtsBuild first before applying. Or, you may attend an upcoming community meeting to learn more about ArtsBuild and ways to partner or engage.