About 150 people gathered on Zoom and YouTube Live for Advent UNITED Prayers on 29th Nov 2020… to take a look, please CLICK HERE.
We’ll be back again in Spring 2021 for our next UNITED Prayers…
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It was great to share together in UNITED Prayer on 1st March – 23+ churches and about 300 people praying around the South West Baptist Association, all linked together by modern technology. Many thanks to all who made this possible, especially the Host Centres at Hope BC – Plymouth, Pinhoe Rd BC – Exeter & Creech St Michael BC in Somerset!
A recording of the presentations from the YouTube Livestream is still available to watch – CLICK HERE
If you’d like to send prayer requests and/or if you have words, pictures or scriptures that you’d like to share with others in our family of churches, please email them to Carl at carl@swbaptists.org.uk
Lets expect God to work amongst us as we join together in prayer…
PRAYER REQUESTS
Plymouth
Home Mission supported Ministers
Michael Shaw, Devonport Community Baptist Church
- That our move to our new premises for Sunday gatherings would enable new fruit
- For more workers to join the harvest; we need people of faith who are able, stable and available
- For financial security
- For Rachael Warnock (Minister-in-Training) as she completes her training – and for her future
- For the many mental health, physical health and unemployment issues we face as a congregation
Sara & Barney Barron, LOVE Looe
- We have now announced the lease on a building for us to use as a youth centre primarily but could give opportunity for much more.
- For volunteers to get involved so we can make the most of the building.
- For the new coffee shop about to open run by Christians who have asked us to give pastoral support to the customers.
- For the opportunities that Looe Live Music Festival is giving us in the community.
- For Cimarron, our small group meeting on a Sunday evening around food.
- For God’s continuing guidance in what to be involved in.
Osee Ntavuka, All Nations – Plymouth
- Prayer for our work with the homeless and vulnerable in the city that they may experience God’s unconditional love through our dedicated volunteers who serve them at the Drop In and social evangelism evenings
- Prayer for the Unity Festival taking place in the summer this year on Plymouth Hoe (4-5 July). Please pray for finances, God inspired planning and for good weather and for many people to come to Christ.
(hear more from these Ministers and others in our ‘Home Mission Stories’ on our Vimeo channel here www.vimeo.com/swba)
Prayer Requests from other churches in the Plymouth Cluster…
Salisbury Rd BC
- For our engagement with the community in all that we do for toddler groups, childrens work, café.
- For the ongoing work of fundraising and grant applications for enhancements at the entrance of the church which will make the premises more inviting.
Mutley BC
- we are seeking God’s leading and guiding for the future as we prepare to seek a new minister. We would love our brothers and sisters to join us in praying for this, and for a strengthened sense of unity and purpose as we seek God together.
Creech St Michael
Chaplaincy
There are huge opportunities to join in God’s mission across the South West through Chaplaincy. Tonight’s presentation illustates just a few areas that those from our family of churches work as Chaplains. Please spend some time praying for these Chaplains and others who you know…
Most Chaplaincy roles are voluntary involving people from churches who are not ordained Ministers. If you’d like to know more about Chaplaincy opportunities in law courts, hospitals, sports, education, amongst older people, in the military, in town centres… or many more sectors(!), please email Steve Reed, the SWBA Chaplaincy Champion – details here.
Prayer requests from churches from the Wessex Cluster
Chard BC
- thanks for the Alpha Course that has just finished and that people’s lives will be transformed
- that our newly launched Forest church will reach out to those who struggle to engage with more formal gathered worship
- that plans for launching a Renew Wellbeing Centre in the autumn to help with mental health care go to plan
Stoke St Gregory BC
- for the re-launch of Messy Church on a Sunday morning. The first one is 8th March. Prayer for families from the community to come and experience something of God’s love. Future dates: 3rd May and 5th July.
- for the village community project ‘Heart of the Village’ for the community to raise money and run a shop, pub and cafe as a community. Please pray for those currently training to run the shop including members of the church who are getting involved in serving our community and getting to know more people.
Halcon BC
- God’s leading and guidance as to how we can make greater inroads into the community on the estate – sharing the love God has for us with them using the limited resources we have.
- The possibility of working together more with the Parish Church and the School alongside Asda as well.
Ashill BC
- for monthly Messy Church which continues to flourish
- for growing partnership with other local churches – St Mary’s, Broadway Hill Methodist, Monks Yard. We have initiated a quarterly united praise service and are looking to jointly run an Alpha Course in the spring.
- for growing links with our village school – opportunities to speak at assembly, and hope of starting ‘Open The Book’.
- for developing links with our community – eg the newly-formed ‘Green Ashill Community Group’.
Bridgwater BC
- are seeking to complete the renovation of their premises for mission and community use in the Energise Project. Looking at repurposing three floors of our large town centre premises including a new wellbeing coffee bar in the cellar. Further details on our website. Looking to raise £575,000 to fulfill this project and now starting to apply for grants. Pray for wisdom and success in how we raise these funds and to ensure we keep our focus on the people we are seeking to reach.
- for a short mission we are planning in June called “Korea Spirit” hosting a small team from South Korea celebrating Korean Culture and Christian faith. With open air events and Korean Evening planned. From 10th-12th June.
Taunton BC
- Thanks for Richard Matcham’s ministry over last 5 months. He has brought a new desire for God to work amongst us. Coming together to worship and serve is seen as a privilege and joy.
- We would request prayer for our youth, and their leaders. May there be growth in every sense of the word. We pray particularly for leaders to work with this precious group.
- We pray for several of our members as they serve in a variety of initiatives and ministries set up to serve the people of Taunton, particularly the marginalised
- We pray that our baptistry will soon be needed to be used.
Wellington BC
- Prayers for the outworking of our Motto Text this year of “Building Bridges”. We want specifically to ensure that we are mission geared as church members and strategically as a church.
- Give thanks that our Messy Church once a month continues to reach out to new families.
- We also give thanks that our downstairs new church hall windows are fitted, but we are only half way done and our funds to do the rest are low. We’d like to get the job done and out of the way and need wisdom for grants and any other funds access.
Watchet BC
- For the upcoming training event on personal spirituality – that disciples will grow in their faith and their confidence in God.
- For the young people from Spring Harvest who will come and take part in social action project hosted by WBC after Easter.
Exeter
New Housing Areas – please pray for those who are moving in to the many New Housing areas across the South West;
- that they will receive a warm welcome from Christians in the area and an invitation to be a part of local church communties.
- that a new start moving to a New Housing area might lead to new life in Jesus.
- There is a New Housing Hub Conference in Exeter on Sat 14th March to which all those from local churches with a heart to engage with those moving to New Housing areas are warmly invited – there are a few free tickets left for this event if you’re part of an SWBA church… for details please click here.
Prayer Requests from churches in the Exeter & CHALKS Clusters (East Devon/Dorset)
Sainthill BC
- For God’s leading into a future needing vision, courage and obedience…. a willingness to look at ministry and mission in new ways for a new day.
Budleigh Salterton BC
- Please thank God with us for significant growth over the past couple of years.
- Pray for wisdom at how we manage the needs and desires of our established members with the needs of those who are younger or newer to faith.
- Please thank God that we are able to use our local school for Sunday morning worship now that our chapel is too small. Pray with us for more hands to set up and take down each week and wisdom to know where God would have us worship in the longer term.
CHARD BC
- praise God for the Alpha course that has recently been completed. Praise God for the fruit that has already been borne from this and can you pray that the seeds planted continue to grow and blossom as people enter into transformational relationships with God.
- Pray also for the newly launched Forest Church which aims to reach out to those who struggle with more formal modes of worship.
- Finally, as plans progress for the opening of a Renew Wellbeing cafe in the autumn, pray that God will open the right doors, and continue to offer guidance and wisdom in the planning and preparation.
HONITON BC
- the church family are celebrating the end of a pastoral vacancy. Please do pray for the church as they begin this new and exciting chapter with their pastor Tim, his wife Becca and their young family. Pray that God will shower that church family with blessing upon blessing, and give them wisdom and listening ears as they begin this journey together.
- Pray also for all churches in our region who are experiencing pastoral vacancy. Pray for God’s presence, wisdom, guidance, peace and comfort.
- We have members in Cullompton, Ottery St Mary, Wimple, and many other local villages, so this is a prayer for all of these communities – and more – to be impacted.
AXMINSTER
- Pray for the Life Community as they set out on the next phase of their shared life together.
- Pray also for the continued and powerful ministry of Pippins community centre.
LYME REGIS BC
- the church family request an Acts 4 type of prayer.
- They are seeking God for a greater boldness to share the Gospel, and also that as they step out in faith, the Lord would accompany their witness with powerful signs and wonders.
KILMINGTON BC
- Likewise, we are excited to be seeing fresh, new, and mighty movements of God, and we request that you pray for us as we set out this year with a new vision to take the gospel beyond the four walls of our church.
- Pray that we would see more people come know the love of Jesus, and pass through the waters of Baptism in 2020.
- Pray also for wisdom and guidance as the church explores a church plant on the Millwey estate in Axminster.
SEATON BC
- Pray for the church family as they flesh out their restore vision, based on Isaiah 58, as they seek to see lives restored to the lives which God has designed them to be.
- Pray for God’s leading as they work with the local council as they seek potential partnerships to create a space for health and wellbeing in the town.
- Pray also for a new community gathering which will begin meeting in March at a local Cafe. Pray that God would draw those in who are unlikely to visit a more traditional church service.
Other Prayer Requests from across our family of churches
Breathe Communities, Penzance
- for smooth transition and moving forward while we are away from the team. Planning for them to continue on without us, but it’s very early days for this really.
- Praise: 9 churches represented in our recent talk on disability and the church (not bad for West Cornwall!) Partnership with Special needs school doing well.
- Recent: man with special needs became a believer about 6 weeks ago and is faithfully coming to do discipleship.