Day 20: Wednesday 1st April pray for Christ Central.

Community Church Blackburn is part of a wider family of churches called ChristCentral.
Being part of a larger family of churches is a great privilege and its been wonderful to be blessed by members of the Apostolic team teaching and preaching at CCB over the years. We’ve had Jeremy Simkins, Graham Anns Ginny Burgin, Rob Coleman, Graham Web and the list goes on.

As an Elder and a leader at CCB I also feel like we’re well supported by our family of churches.

Please pray for the ChristCentral Apostolic team. Give God thanks for their wisdom, their vision, their care and their faith.

Please also pray for the other ChristCentral churches in the area, Preston, Blackpool, Barnoldswick, Westhoughton, Bolton, Manchester, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Stockport, Lancaster and Cumbria. These are churches of different shapes and sizes many of them being church plants. Please pray for favour for them and Gods Kingdom to advance in their area

I find being part of wider family of churches lifts the vision of the church and we have a wider breath of view of what God is doing in the wider church and nations. Please pray for all those involved in ChristCentral and all it feeds into mission and the church.

Please also pray for the team who lead and organise the Devoted festival as I’m sure it’s a complicated time. With no one being sure whether it will take place or not. Please pray that the team, have wisdom and endurance and blessing.   
 
Helpful Bible Verses

Ephesians 4:11
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

1 Corinthians 12:28
And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
​
Titus 1:5
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you

Day 19: Tuesday 31st March pray for God to move in our worship
(By Pete Smith) 

​First, please do give thanks to God for all he has done in putting together a wonderful worship team in CCB. He put it in our hearts in late 2018 and since then has brought new musicians in, brought another to faith, and called others from among us to new roles and responsibilities. God has built a team of hard working, worshipping, skilled people, it is a delight to see and a pleasure to be a part of.

Please pray for ongoing and increasing humility and servant heartedness among the team. It is hard not to let being up front at church go to your head. We are there to serve the Lord and the church. Our gifting is for other people. Please pray for continued and increased servant hearts all around.

Please pray for continued and increased delight in God among the team. We are foremost *worship* leaders, so pray for continued and increased wonder and joy among us in God, in his great power and might, in his stepping down among us to serve and die for us, and in his secure promise of eternal glory.

Pray for an increased depth of knowledge of God in his word. It helps in any serving role to know well the Word of God, the deeper we go in his word the more we can be useful to others. Pray for us all.

Pray for our Sunday gatherings as a church that the weight of the presence of God among us would continue and increase. Scripture instructs us to eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy, pray for this and for yourselves that your voice might be heard more. Pray that no matter what happens on a Sunday that we would remain God focussed.

Pray for the worship leaders. It would be good to establish I guess four or five or six different leaders so we can have a breadth of styles and songs. We are well on the way there with a few different voices being heard over the past months. Pray for the leaders and for me (Pete) and the wider leadership team as we support and develop new worship leaders.


Useful bible verses:

On serving: Philippians 2:3,5-8, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves…Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross.

On worship: Luke 7:44-47, the sinful woman forgiven, “She has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair…she has not ceased to kiss my feet…she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.

On worship and keeping our focus on God: 1 Timothy 1:17, “To the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Day 18: Monday 30th March pray for Alpha.

We have been running Alpha almost ongoing for the last 12 months and I have to say it has been a real blessing.

I love Alpha because it really works and we’re seeing people coming to faith or start to make a journey to faith through it. If you don’t believe me have a look here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBMMD5C0k-s

Over the last twelve months we’ve developed a fantastic team, between guys from Reignite church and Community Church Blackburn. I just want to publicly thank them here for all there, time and effort. You are awesome!!  

I just want to thank everyone who’s has provided food for the Alpha over the last 3 months. It has been well appreciated and Tricia’s Chicken was a very special thing!!

Please pray for Alpha. Particularly pray for the guys who are presently on, it as we were just about to do the Holy Spirit away day section before we went on lock down. Please pray for these guys, because God was and is moving in their life. Please pray for wisdom about how we continue with this group to finish it.

Lastly please also pray for the future as I suspect people now are asking lots of questions about the meaning of life as what they thought were important has been significantly challenged. That may be you family, work colleagues or friend. So please consider inviting them or coming with them in future.

The answer is Jesus!! But a great way to give that answer is Alpha  

Helpful Bible Verses

1 Peter 3:15 
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

John 14:6 
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
​
Mark 16:15 
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Day 17: Sunday 29th March pray for church unity and RISE.

God is working in Blackburn and Darwen.
Something special and significant is happening. God is working and building the unity of His church!
That doesn’t mean conformity, I don’t think Jesus wants the church to be like that! He loves the fact that church comes in all different shapes, sizes and flavours.

Jesus wants unity of purpose and Lordship.

For all our differences and there are many! We honour and follow Jesus and we want His kingdom in this town to be advanced and His name to be Glorified and honoured.

RISE is the church unity movement in Blackburn ad Darwen

If you are not aware of RISE please have a look at the website here:
http://www.riseunitymovement.org/
Or you can follow on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/RISEunitymovement/

God has done amazing things over the last 12 months via RISE and these are just a few:

• There have been six prayer meetings taken place over the last 12 months. Where the church has come together, at different locations, worshiped together and prayed for different areas of life such as education, health, further education, asylum and refugee work, the countryside, social cohesion etc. They have been brilliant, and the church has really come together through it.
• Relationships, love and friendship have grown between the RISE steering group and I believe the Holy Spirit has really given the team a greater clarity of purpose and guidance around the way forward.
• Relationships, trust and cooperation has been significantly increased between church leaders across the area particular through meeting and working with each other on the J. John event.
• Church leaders have continued to come together and pray for each other every month.
• RISE is now a charity in its own right, with its own bank account!! Which has been a huge complicated task pioneered by Alastair Murdock.
• Finally, the J. John event which seem impossible and improbable to take place in Blackburn 12 months ago!! Happened whith 61 people making some form of commitment to follow Jesus on the night. God is good!!

 
So God has done amazing work over the last 12 months and Blackburn with Darwen is spiritually an exciting place to be.

As I’m writing this I’m just finishing the minutes to the last RISE steering meeting held on the 19th March via Zoom. I can testify there are lots of plans and a lot of exciting things coming in the future via RISE so watch this space!!

Please pray for all these plans, for wisdom, humility and the team to be reliant on the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Please pray for churches and particularly. Church leaders we’re funny creatures! Please pray that there is greater unity, trust and love throughout Blackburn and Darwen.

Finally, pray for the RISE steering group. There was a real sense of tiredness at the last meeting where there was so many things that it we felt God wanted to do, but as a team and individuals,  weren’t sure where the time or capacity to get these things done was going to come from.  (God of course!!). So please pray for fresh energy, help and solutions!!

Helpful Bible Verses

Psalm 133:1
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Ephesians 4:16
​
from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Day 16: Saturday  28th March pray for Ministry with strangers and refugees
(By Lisa Norcross)

Blackburn has been welcoming asylum seekers for over 15 years, and we see the result of this in the amazing diversity of Christians from all over the world brought together in our church family. 

The asylum seekers you will meet in church and around the town have been forced to flee their home country because of persecution, war or violence. Within Community Church Blackburn we have brother and sisters who have had to leave behind everything, home, work, family and friends because of their Christian faith. What a privilege it is to be able to offer them a warm welcome and belonging to our community.

Once they arrive in Blackburn, they face a stressful and complex legal battle to convince the Home Office of their right to stay. There are individuals in our church for whom this has gone on for considerable years.  If the process goes well, they have just £5 a day to live on and are not permitted to work.  If their legal case fails, they face homelessness with no right to work, claim benefits or even access a homeless hostel. You know the names of individuals in this situation although they are probably too humble to have let you know of their daily struggle to survive.

Some of these individuals have a language barrier to overcome too.  I know sometimes we may be nervous of trying to strike up a conversation with someone with limited English but think how much more nerve racking it must be for them! While we are all currently housebound, why not send a text, pick up the phone or even try a zoom or video chat with some of these fantastic individuals. 

Prayer/Action Points:
Make the first move!  Be brave and strike up conversation and friendship with our brothers and sisters from around the world.
Pray for healing from the trauma that has forced them to leave their home country, the horrors of the journey here and the challenge of their legal battle to stay here.
Pray for successful legal battles with fair and compassionate judges.

Bible verses:
The Bible is quite clear that God’s heart is for the marginalised and poor. He tells his people, both in the Old and New Testaments, that we are to:

Treat foreigners as if they are native-born (Leviticus 19:33-34)
 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Show hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Welcome the stranger, clothe the naked and feed the hungry (Matthew 25:31-46)
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute (Proverbs 31:8)
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
    ensure justice for those being crushed.

Give justice and help to the poor and needy, because that’s what it means to know God (Jeremiah 22:15-16)
But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king!
    Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink.
But he was just and right in all his dealings.
    That is why God blessed him.
He gave justice and help to the poor and needy,
    and everything went well for him.
Isn’t that what it means to know me?”
    says the Lord.
​
Further Reading: refugeeresourcecentreforchurches.org.uk

Day 15: Friday 27th March pray for Wisdom in finance.

Do you know that everything you have God has given you! Your family, your friends all your possessions, your work, even your church.

Down to every breath that you take. Take a breath now!! God has given you that breath. Its extremely precious.  God gives us every good thing by his Grace and His Mercy.

This is one of my favourite Hymns and it’s probably yours as well. It reminds us of Gods provision.  Sing it through this morning and consider its words

"Great is Thy faithfulness, " O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--
"Great is Thy faithfulness, " Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--
"Great is Thy faithfulness, " Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--
"Great is Thy faithfulness, " Lord, unto me!

One of the huge themes in scripture is trust and faith. Reading through the Old Testaments God is crying out for his people to trust Him.

• In the garden of Eden God just wanted Adam and Eve to trust and rely on Him.
• Noah trusted God at his word and built an ark costing, wealth and reputation.
• God wanted Abraham to trust Him and He did!!! (Some of the time)
• God wanted the people of Israel in the time of Moses to trust Him
• I’ve been reading, whilst walking through the Bible that Saul struggled to trust God particular for Provision.
• David trusted God and followed him through the hard times in the cave of Adullam even when things were going wrong, he continued to trust Him
• The prophets trusted God even if it meant death!!.
• Jesus taught to trust Him as he is the Way the Truth and the Life even if that is difficult!!

I want to ask how much do you trust God with your income, finances and provision?

Last year I told personal stories of how when I’d trusted God for His provision, God always honoured it. Not always through finances directly but in all provision. Most of you will have stories of your own. If you have can I encourage you to bring them to mind now to encourage yourself!!

Great is Gods faithfulness! If you have decision to make around income and finances. Can I encourage to honour God first? I promise you God will not let you down. Pray for more faith in you finances.

Pray also that as a church we have more faith in finances over the coming years. I’m always stunned, humbled and shocked when I think how much money is given, often Sacrificially to Community Church Blackburn and it’s a huge weighty responsibility having to consider how this is used.

Please pray for the leadership team when making decisions about how church money should be spent. Please pray that we are wise but full of faith!!  Pray that the leadership and future Eldership team will continue to be filled with more of the Holy Spirit and Gods kingdom is built!!

God is Good!!

Helpful Bible Verses

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Malachi 3:10 
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Proverbs 3:9
Honour the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.

1 Chronicles 29:14
But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

Matthew 6:19-21
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” 

Day 13: Thursday 26th March pray for Newday and Devoted.
(By Geoff Shanks) 
​
​Over the last few years Newday & Devoted have been fantastic!

The experiences of our Youth at Newday have inspired them, and all of us, as we have seen them grow in their faith and gifting.

The same can be said about our Fellowship, as a whole, after our experiences at Devoted. As I write this, one or both, of these precious events could be cancelled due to the current Coronavirus outbreak.
So where do we look for answers and reassurance?
 
Isaiah 55 v8-10
 
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
 
Will Newday and Devoted happen this year? Honestly, I don’t know.
​
But I do know that God is sovereign. As there is a purpose for snow and rain,  here is a purpose for all things.
 
So if Newday & Devoted happen, be blessed. f they don’t, also, be blessed! Because God loves you!
​
Geoff Shanks

Day 12: Wednesday 25th March pray for 20’s to 30’s young adults.

I’m so proud of our 20’s to 30’s at CCB. When I was in my early 20’s I wasn’t half as responsible as our guys.
​They are all holding down incredible responsible jobs and have been growing stronger and stronger in their faith.
I see great leadership qualities and potential in them and am amazed how they conduct themselves. I thank God for them!!
They are also incredible funny, a little zany and inventive and Like eating food!!

Check out Dining with Dan, supporting compassion (With Dan Hamilton) to see what he's eating each day and lets see how many we can follows we can get him!!  https://www.instagram.com/diningwithdanofficial/

Quite recently they have started their own small group, working their way through Isaiah and am so encouraged by what they are doing. If you want to Join them Zooming, give them a shout!! 

Please pray for them. Please pray that they are protect from the evil one. Please pray for them at in their work. Please pray for them during what often can be a lonely and formative time where large life decisions are worked out!  

We’d love to see this age group grow in our church in numbers and in faith so please pray for Growth!!
​
If you don’t know them, get to know them. They are cool!!. In normal times invite them for a meal. A lot of them are away from close family geographically now so please pray for them, particularly for wisdom.

God is good!!!

Helpful Bible Verses

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect

Jeremiah 1:7
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Day 11: Tuesday 23rd March 2020 Prayer for Eldership

As a church we believe that the spiritual life of the local church is led by groups of elders
 
This is a very specific role in the church and as succinctly as I can they have the responsibility for the following:
 

• Caring for the spiritual life of the church, keeping the church true to God.

 

• The church’s teaching and doctrine

 

• They hold the responsibility for vision and direction of the church

 

• Discipline and protecting the flock from spiritual wolves

 
 
Over the last year we have been in the process of building an eldership team and a group of our men have been going up once a month to an exploring eldership course in Ambleside.
 
This course has been around exploring calling, character and gifting and challenging individuals, asking if they feel called to Eldership or not as this involves huge sacrifice, is often stressful, time consuming and a great weighty call.  
 
Over this year we have been meeting together as a group and been discussing lots of things and different topics in the church and hopefully as a group of guys we will continue to do this over the next year while we pray and consider together.
 
Please pray for this group of guys and our church that God will make all things clear and he will speak to them.
 
Please pray for love, understanding, friendship and faith to grow in this groups as any Eldership team needs bonding with deep bonds of love!!
 
Again also please continue to pray for me as I pray, work and guide this process as it still is possibly one of the most important things I do in my present role as singular elder of our church.
 
Finally, please also pray for me as I lead Community Church Blackburn as its elder. Pray that I am totally reliant on God and faithful to him, heeding the bible and continuing to heed the advice which Andy Parr gave me. “Lean heavily on God, be gentle and humble, seek to be full of grace and love, be merciful and forgiving and you will be God’s man” Andy Parr 25th April 2017

 Helpful Bible Verses
 
1 Timothy 3
 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honourable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife.  He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.
 
1 Peter 5:1-4
 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
 
Titus 1:9
 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
 
Hebrews 13:17
 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be.

Day 10: Monday 23rd March 2020 Prayer for ministry to the poor

Last Saturday, whilst doing Healing on the Streets, I sat down and spent around an hour talking to one of the rough sleeper guys sat outside HSBS bank.

He was a young guy, really personable and I just asked him what his story was and how he’d ended up in the situation. He was really candid, open and honest about himself including his drug habit etc. He was really lovely and let me pray for him however his story went something like this:

From an early age his mum, due to various reasons, had not been able to look after Him and his younger brother and sister had ended up in a neglected situation. His dad had then taken the children and done his best however, his father passed away when he was in his teens, leaving him to be the carer for his brothers and sisters. They had all gone into the care system, but due to grieving, bereavement and other issues struggled to adapt. In fact he was still struggling with grief when I talked to him.

He’d eventually got put into the hostel system where over the years had been beaten up, stolen from and in the process to numb everything started taking various drugs. He told me he preferred to stay on the street rather than go into some of the hostels or rental establishments that were available to him.

Now I agree with personal responsibility and bad life decisions have consequences, but this guy had started from a much tougher set of personal circumstances, in his childhood, than me or most people I know. If I had been dealt his deck of cards in life, I’m sure I would have played a similar hand in fact probably worse!!  

When I have come across rough sleepers recently, I haven’t given them money, but I have tried to start spending a small amount of time (which I uniquely have in my situation) and ask them the same question. How did you end up here? All  their stories are pretty similar to the one above.

On my travels I’ve also come across Stephen and Trudy Barnes, who have attended CCB a few times. They have an amazing ministry of going around on a Saturday morning from rough sleeper to rough sleeper, making these guys a brew, giving them a butty, but mainly taking the time to talk,  pray for them, show real care for them and demonstrate the love of Jesus.
It’s truly amazing to behold!

Please pray for them in this ministry and if you interested in joining or helping them. I can get in contact and I’m sure they would be appreciative.

Recently a church member commented to me that they didn’t think, as a church, we really had a ministry to the poor!

Although I believe we do an amazing job of welcoming and caring for the poor, needy, messy and the stranger into our church. I would tend to agree with their assessment.  I am praying for dreams, vision, prophetic direction and a heart within our church for this area of ministry. Please pray for this today as I believe that this should be in the core DNA of any church.

Finally pray other individual who are struggling and poor. The guys on the street are often visible but a lot of poverty happen behind close doors, for many, many reason not only financial.

Please pray for all the people who work in this area both inside the government and the charity sector.

We are all made in the image of God, all loved by the a father and if you’ve been journeying with us through Luke you will know how much compassion Jesus had!!

Helpful Bible Verses

Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Isaiah 58:6-11
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Luke 6:20-21
Looking at his disciples, [Jesus] said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

1 John 3:17
Then Jesus said to his host . . . When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

​Romans 12:11-13
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.