Divine Intervention
Amy Wagner, Contributing Writer
Published: December 29, 2009

Contributed Photo
Randy Peck leads prayer during a recent Pray Culpeper session at Reformation Lutheran Church.

Dr. Randy Peck stepped away from his job as an anesthesiologist in 1999 and two years later committed his life to Christ.

Peck is passionate.

He doesn’t miss an opportunity to share this passion with others, and in so doing, started Pray Culpeper in July 2005.

Pray Culpeper is an interdenominational prayer gathering. Folks come together each week to pray for concerns, blessings and transformation within our community.

Initially, the gathering was held at the Culpeper County Library every Monday. For the first two years, Christians and pastors from various churches fervently prayed each week for the needs of Culpeper.

During the summer of 2007, the numbers of attendees dropped to about eight with rarely a pastor present. Peck, a certified Life Forming Leadership Coach and Web 2.0 authority, believed that to transform a city you need to have support of both the marketplace (community) and spiritual leaders.

In July 2007, Peck appealed to God, asking if He wanted Peck to stop Pray Culpeper. That week, no one showed up.

Peck decided to have one more meeting and was overwhelmed when 20 people attended.

He testifies that, “God will provide,” and reminds people not to give up.

On Dec. 31, 2007, G.W. Dameron was fasting at the California church where he was pastor. During his fast, he was told by the Lord to relocate to Culpeper and start a church. The following February, Dameron found out Peck was one of the leaders of the transformation movement here in Culpeper and decided to call him. Dameron shared a dream he had with Peck but couldn’t remember much more than “city on a hill.”

Today, Dameron is pastor of City On A Hill Church.

While Dameron began his relocation process in California, Peck and the core folks of Pray Culpeper, decided to move the gatherings to the Christian Coffee House and again, attendance was very low.

“I asked God for another sign,” said Peck. “I asked God for three pastors to show up and soon after Pastor Brad Hales, of Reformation Lutheran Church; Pastor Baker Rigg, of Church on the Rise (formerly the Free Methodist Church); and Dameron showed up.”

Dameron continued coming, “fanning the flame,” said Peck.

Numbers remained low, however, and Peck dropped out a bit, attending only infrequently. Dameron and those who continued to gather transitioned Pray Culpeper to Christ in Culpeper. They began meeting at the Depot once a month. Peck removed himself from the group because he though more folks from the community should be involved and it wasn’t going in the direction it should.

Peck recalled a vision he had when he decided, one day, to give it another try.

“The vision was of a water wheel where people were taking water from the wheel using cups,” he said.

Peck saw that it was God’s living water that was turning the wheel and correlated that to the group. He thought the group needed to change. Soon after, he received a letter from a friend that said something about a meeting at a Reformation Lutheran Church.

Understanding this as a sign, Peck contacted Hales, and asked if they could meet there.

“The day of the meeting, Christ in Culpeper had been canceled,” remembers Peck. “God will provide – we joined forces that day,” he said, and as Hales graciously opened his doors Pray Culpeper was restarted.

Pray Culpeper continues to meet every Wednesday at Reformation Lutheran. This past Wednesday five people attended.

“God is bringing together the people who truly have a heart for prayer,” Peck said.

Peck recently started three international prayer calls and is in the process of working on a virtual Web call, a virtual prayer event. He is also recently launched Transformation Virginia, which brings top prayer leaders from across the state together online to share what is happening in their communities.

Peck is excited as the group can have up to 1,000 people connected at one time. Visit www.transformationva.com to learn more.

Peck invites the community to pray with Pray Culpeper. He challenges Christians to attend at least one Pray Culpeper meeting before Christmas or subscribe to the Pray Culpeper blog at prayculpeper.org.

Amy Wagner covers church news for the Star Exponent. Have a story idea? E-mail her at recopps2002@comcast.net.

Pray Culpeper
What: An interdenominational gathering of Christians who come together, in Culpeper, to pray for the community.
When: Every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.
Where: Reformation Lutheran Church
415 S. Main St.

For more information: Contact Randy Peck at 540-547-4240 or visit www.prayculpeper.org 

Source: http://www2.starexponent.com/cse/lifestyles/culpeper_news/article/divine_intervention/49442/