Prayer Sheet October / November 2007 - St Cuthbert's / St Mary's

St Cuthbert's

• Special services during the autumn: Bible Sunday, Celebration, Prayer Focus, Remembrance Sunday, Remembering Loved Ones, visit of Noel Proctor
• Our Week of Prayer for Global Poverty & the Suffering Church 12 - 18 November which concludes with a special service
• Preparatory thinking & planning for HOPE '08
• Guidance about Monday @ Two - still at the consultation stage
• Further progress in 'systems review' & organisation
• A sense of unity & purpose along with good communication as we seek to move forward together as a church.

Other Churches

• The ongoing success of the Upper Room project at St Mary's
• St Augustine's, Cheadle Heath esp. for FUSION and the Gorsey Bank 'Drop In', project both of which we support
• All Hallows, with whom we share a Confirmation in November

The Community

• Local schools inc. Meadowbank where Andy & Patches help with lunchtime football & act as role models for the older lads and The Kingsway, where local churches & Christians in Schools are working together to run lunchtime Christian clubs
• All those who work so hard to serve us in local government & community organisations including the voluntary sector

People

• Those children being baptised / dedicated along with their respective families: Gemma Rigby & Amelie Rodgers
• Young people trying to find their way in life
• The bereaved, ill, housebound & dying and our Pastoral Team as they care for them.

Remembering Loved Ones

• 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes I me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.' John 11:25
• Remembering those we have lost, maybe recently, maybe long ago. Perhaps they were very close, perhaps relationships were not so easy
• Remembering those who lived long lives, and those for whom life was cut short
• Remembering those who gave their lives selflessly, maybe in times of war
• Remembering those who have touched our lives and helped us by their example

In remembering

• pray for the friends and families of those who have recently died
• pray for those who offer support to the bereaved
• pray for those who are suffering, whether physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually
• pray for those who care for the suffering, particularly young people whose own lives are stifled by the responsibilities of caring
• pray for those in the emergency services, police and military personnel who take risks that we might be safe
• pray that the worldwide church may be a source of strength and practical support to all who suffer or who are oppressed or persecuted

Remembering to thank God that he always remembers us!

Crosslinks

Dean and Paula Finnie, our mission partners in South Africa, with children Joel and Eli.

Pray for their health as they all recover from flu and the children from ear and chest infections too.

Dean is working with a predominantly Cape Coloured community which is struggling with many social problems, particularly alcoholism, domestic violence and child abuse. Dean's aim is to see key men in the community saved and discipled, enabling them to influence their own families and their community for Christ. This work is now bearing fruit - Michael and his wife Joyce, for example, have taken in their first baby on a place of safety order. This is a very big undertaking for anyone and it is humbling to see a family that have so little doing this and giving that baby 100% love until it is time to go to adoptive parents.

Paula has just launched her small home-based care team. The ladies were thrilled at the bags packed full with essential bandages, lotions and potions etc for their patients. Six people have been identified as most in need of care and it was a privilege to visit them to ask permission to start caring for them. Please pray that the ladies of the team will remember what they have been taught and that the emotional strain won't be too much for them. Please also pray for good opportunities to share the gospel as the team read and pray with these people and journey with them through their illnesses.

Please keep praying for Dean and Paula as they visit the community daily and build friendships. Whilst it is at times exciting, it is also sometimes daunting, and is also thoroughly draining. Pray for them as they are both looking at ways to recoup their energy.

Christian Love
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:16-20