In my position as President and CEO of IBAT, I get to clearly see the impact that community bankers make in the places they call home. You are undeniable sources for good and we are proud to serve you every day. I can’t imagine what our nation would look like without community banking, and I know we must do everything possible to fight for the future of this industry.
To that end, I have been inspired and convicted to step up my own game in support of community banking. Earlier this year, a banker sent me the book, “Draw the Circle” by Mark Batterson. The book is a 40-day prayer challenge which, candidly, provided me a much-needed pick me up for my own faith/prayer life.
Towards the end of that prayer challenge, I felt inspired to launch a dedicated “40 Days of Prayer for Community Banking,” beginning August 7 and ending September 16th, the day that IBAT’s Annual Convention kicks off in Frisco.
I believe the fight for community banking must be fought on all fronts. I invite you to join me in this season of prayer by signing up for daily video reflections on www.prayforcommunitybanks.com. You’re also encouraged to grab a copy of “Draw the Circle” and read along for those 40 days, though that’s not required.
I know prayer is not the typical business of trade associations and that this may not be for everyone. For this reason, we’ll keep this challenge to dedicated emails outside of regular IBAT communications.
Join me if you’d like. No hard feelings if you don’t.
