Crosslinks prayer news May 2009 |
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UNITED KINGDOM
1 Simon Dowdy is the senior minister at Grace Church Dulwich. Please pray for him and his church as they study Hebrews in their small groups this year that they would "pay more careful attention" to the one through whom God speaks and be those who live not by sight but by faith.
2 For Phil and Louise Keymer and John and Flick Hindley working at The Plant in Manchester. The Plant recently had its annual weekend away, where Paul Baxendale taught them from Revelation. Pray that the church would live out what it has learned and overcome every trial and trouble as they wait for Christ's return!
CROSSLINKS
S3 Please pray for the Ireland operation within Crosslinks. After a long period without a team leader they then had a year with two and now are without again. Pray for the existing team of Pam Smyth, Hazel Coulter and Val Ellis, supported by volunteer Brian Blacoe, and that God would raise up the leadership they need.
4 The Crosslinks Camps in Northern Ireland this summer have teaching by Mike Morfett and Geoff Haugh at the Junior camp and Tim Anderson, Mark Smyth and Peter Bourke at the Senior Camp. Pray for faithful teaching and prepared hearts.
5 Pray for the new Church and Member Team (CMT) in England. This team has undergone the biggest changes in blending members of two teams into one new one. Pray for Alan Purser, Team Leader, in the many new challenges he faces.
6 The Means of Mission Team (MMT) has experienced less change in terms of role but more change in terms of personnel. Antonia Instone has joined recently to cover the Smile and Project programmes. Krista Potts is taking on the administration of the Schools of Biblical Training programme. Pray for Jo Sayer as she gives leadership to the Team.
7 Pray for the small Finance and Administrative hub with Lynda Blake, Peter Cottingham, Peter Gordon and Yemi Lawal, that they would seek to provide a good service to the other staff teams. We are grateful for improvements in this area already.
8 Pray with thanksgiving for Giles Rawlinson as Operations Director as he seeks to guide and steer the CMT and MMT as well as the Ireland staff and the finance and administrative hub; that he would have the right priorities and know what is important and what is urgent.
9 Pray for the trustees, the General Council, under the leadership of the Chairman, Matthew Payne; that they would explore different ways of working between trustees and staff and know their different respective roles. Pray for good candidates to be elected to the General Council this year and that the Lord would provide for the society's financial needs in times of recession.
SOUTH AFRICA
S10 Nat and Helen Schluter ask that we pray for closer walks with the Lord as they read and pray together every morning and as they encourage their children to read their Bibles and pray too. Pray for family time as they live life and work for the Lord - that they would know the love of God, and that they would love one another as a result.
11 Please pray for Johannesburg Bible College where Nat is the principal. Give thanks for the new building and offices. This has been a huge blessing and has arrived at just the right time as student numbers increase dramatically.
12 Pray for the mid-week church home group led by Jamie and Helen Read in Port Elizabeth. They plan to invite some of the BIEC (Bible Institute of the Eastern Cape) students along - so pray that the Bible studies would stimulate Christian growth and meaningful fellowship.
13 Jamie and Helen are preparing to welcome a team from their home church in Sevenoaks in July. They hope that the team will gain an insight into the work of BIEC and take Bible classes in Walmer township primary school and assistsPastor Zolile Dayimani's church in some practical work.
14 Alun and Debbie Burt are working in Heiderveld, outside Cape Town. Alun is working with U Turn, a project for homeless men and women, and Debbie is working with vulnerable children. Pray for protection for them in their work, and for opportunities to share the gospel and see both children and adults come to a living faith in Jesus.
15 Ray and Rebekah Brown are working in a team setting up a new church plant in Durban. The aim of the plant is to reach students at the university with evangelism and discipleship. 15,000 of the students are from different parts of Africa. It is also aiming to bridge-build into the surrounding community. Please pray for Ray and Rebekah's role in this, and the church's financial situation during this economic crisis.
ETHIOPIA
16 Please pray for Hazel Maunsell and her team as they write and publish their books. All books are written from an Orthodox perspective and aim to bring Biblical truth and clarity to their readers.
S17 Jenny Merritt would appreciate prayer for her old colleagues and students at Nekemte School for the Deaf. Pray for commitment, unity and integrity in everything the Mekane Yesus Church and its staff are doing there.
18 Pray for Karen Salmon and her team at Mekelle Youth centre. They need to recruit long-term computer, English and sports teachers. Jon and Karen lead six Bible studies and four Bible clubs each week, but could do more with others to share the load.
19 Karen, Jon and Kristi have dreams of expanding youth work into the countryside. An initial step in this has been Karen's English Bible Club at Romenat School. Pray for major decisions that will be made this month regarding the future of Mekelle Youth Centre.
20 Last year's early rains failed and the main rains in the winter failed in a number of places around the country. Please ask God to send rain to Ethiopia over its winter months from June to September. Farmers are desperate for a good harvest this year.
21 The Ethiopian government introduced new legislation for non-government organizations. Pray for the implications of this on fund raising and involvement in issues of justice and human rights.
22 Over the past ten years mission has changed with more short-term teams and individuals getting involved. Pray for wisdom in how to use the skills and gifts of many offering for service in Ethiopia for two weeks or up to one year.
WEST AFRICA
23 Ulric and Annabel Gerry live in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria with their children; Meriel, Caitlin and Iona. Ulric's works largely with expats who tend to find it difficult to integrate into the local churches, and Annabel is working as the Senior Governance Advisor for DFID (The UK Department for International Development). Please pray for them with busy and varied workloads.
S24 Sena Ounate Lare is President of the Advisory Board of the Local Bible Translation Association in Togo. They are promoting the New Testament in Moba, doing literacy work so that people can be able to read the Bible in their mother tongue and preparing to start translation of the Old Testament into the local language (Moba). Please pray for the 12 current literacy classes, and pray for wisdom for the board while Sena is on UK leave.
25 Plans are currently being made for a SMILE team to go to The Gambia later in the summer and take part in Christian outreaches there. Pray for the young people making up the team, and for Antonia Instone as she co-ordinates this.
EAST ASIA
26 Pray for Graham and Alison, Harry and Samuel working in a big city. Graham is busy balancing team responsibilities with being an accountant and looking after several groups for students who have returned from overseas. Harry is starting a new school this year, and Alison is helping a local leader's wife to start a study group for mums.
27 Pray for David and Jenn, Caleb and Jemima continuing with language study but also becoming more involved in the work with returned students. Ask that they will be able to have a good impact on the members of the beginners group that they are leading, and for progress with training up local leaders to help with the work. Think of Jenn establishing better links with Mums in her community.
28 Give thanks for Nia busy doing language study and meeting up with lots of ladies who have returned from overseas. Pray that her one to one times would be fruitful and that the local ladies she is training will grow to become effective study group leaders. Ask that Nia will make the most of her second year in Asia and that she will have wisdom about what to do next.
29 Matt is continuing to work hard at his language study, and looking for new accommodation now that Josh has married and moved out. Pray for the small group that he has started to outreach to the students. Ask that Matt will get the right teaching job this autumn, and ask that his co-operation with Joy in reaching out to local students would be blessed.
30 Give thanks for Josh and YeYing married on April 11. Pray for them as they make preparations to come back and go to college in North London this autumn. Ask for a good start to their marriage and for healthy relationships and opportunities with YeYing's family and friends, most of whom have no faith.
S31 Pray for wisdom for the Chinese government. It is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the communist republic and the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen "disturbance". Pray that both events will be marked with peace and reconciliation. Ask that the effort to spread the benefits of wealth and development to the countryside would be effective, and that the on-going talks between the government and the leaders of the country's house church movement will bear fruit.