Churches in Newport
E-Bulletin February 2021
www.churchesinnewport.com
This Bulletin helps all the churches be more aware of our shared activities, news and events.
News and prayer points from around the city (from the end of January)
Eden Gate 1. As we are not doing night shelter, we are seeking the Lord’s direction for future projects and how best to serve the needs of homeless community. 2. Pray for staffing as they’re currently two staff down due to shielding. 3. Katie is soon going on maternity leave – please pray for her and the new season she is approaching. 4. Pray for us as we connect with rough sleepers through our new weekend breakfast run.
Amazing Grace Spaces If you could keep the Emergency Sleep Pods in your prayers. They have started to go around the U.K. (to Bradford, Bridgend, South Devon, Ilfracombe, Plymouth, Runnymede and Birmingham). With lots of enquiries please pray for strategies to get the pods out to the different areas around the U.K. Pray for Stuart and Phil, a small team, as they build the pods. Pray for others to come and build pods as more are asking for them.
Bradford had two pods before Christmas paid for by the council; six churches are running them. They have just ordered another one to go into church grounds; the church family will look after the individual and the pod. Funding from the pods will support the work being done at Grace House which is important when funding is so hard to get. We thank God for what he is doing – it’s more than we could ask or think as he brings this project together; we trust him.
Sanctuary 1. For our staff – Sarah, Mark, Claire, Stephane – as we continue to try to support vulnerable and isolated asylum seekers and refugees despite the challenges of the pandemic. Sometimes we feel run-ragged by the challenges. It has been a long relentless slog.
- For our accommodation projects – as we continue to acquire short term accommodation to tackle the routine homelessness experienced by newly granted single refugees in Newport
- For the emotional wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees in our city who have fled war and persecution in their own country.
- For an end to racism in Newport, and to the resentment towards people born overseas.
Diverse Manners Pray that God continues to inspire this group of Christian artists.
Street Pastors We praise God that we’ve found a new base after St. Paul’s closed their building in the city centre. We look forward to a time when it is safe for people to go out and about and for us to be present on the streets, helping and serving where and when we can.
Newport Foodbank Please pray that we can work well with other agencies to provide the best service possible in these times. We appreciate prayer for safety for all our volunteers.
And that we can be a means of grace in what we do as contact is now very minimal
If you would like to donate: https://newport.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-money/
Bridge Counselling Bridge is settling in well to on-line counselling and the office hub is handling the paperwork very efficiently. COVID means we are unable to have people apart from Chris Wood coming to the Bridge Centre. Chris can work from home a lot of the time. Three new students start their placements with us on February – all three from the Uni of S Wales. Prayer is needed for more clients and for blessing on our counselling and counsellors. Prayer please too for Chris.
Olive Branch “It is with great sadness that I write this message to let all our followers and supporters know that The Olive Branch Day Centre will be closing permanently on 12th March 2021, the day centre will be closed to clients from 19th February 2021. It has been a very difficult decision to make, but unfortunately in these unprecedented times we have not been able to provide the services we have been offering over the last 12 years. Thank you to you all for your support. Kindest regards. Alison.”
Raven House Trust (RHT) Prayer points: 1. Currently the RHT shop is closed which means that we are unable to supply the free furniture to those in need and of course have reduced income because of the shop being closed. 2. Due to the increased infection rate we have also had to ask volunteers not to come into RHT as we ensure we stick to government guidelines of people staying at home and also we want to ensure everyone remains safe. The staff are furloughed once again. 3. We continue to issue food parcels and are regularly supplying food to feed 150 people per week.
At the moment we are trying to avoid contact so financial donations would be appreciated through the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Ravenhousetrust). We then work with Tesco who do the shopping on our behalf. If, however, people would like to donate food we do have a specific list of food we are short of. We are collecting the food from collection points at the moment rather than having people bring them to Raven House. Collection points: St. Julian’s Methodist church and St Cadoc’s (Caerleon).
Food we are short of is:
- Tea bags (boxes of 80 are the best as easy to separate for the food parcels)
- Weetabix
- Tinned rice pudding
- Tinned sliced peaches
- Tinned beans (kidneys beans, butter beans etc, but not baked beans)
- Tinned spaghetti
- Tinned custard
- Tinned meat – minced beef, stewing steak, chicken curry etc
Easter Egg Challenge: To ensure that every food parcel leaving RHT in the three weeks before Easter receives an Easter Egg (more for family parcels). And to deliver free Easter eggs to every resident and staff member at all the care homes in Newport and surrounding areas. The more eggs we collect, the more homes we will give them to. Contact RHT for more details.
Neighbourhood Chaplains Prayer points: 1. for sensitivity in supporting those we are already in touch with. 2. for new volunteers and for wisdom in planning ahead for when we can visit again.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Our main contact/visits are being done via phone with some limited church-based face-to-face meetings. Not being present with clients is more challenging in helping and supporting them as we are unable to assist them in working through paperwork together.
With so much uncertainty and weekly changes in some clients’ situations it presents challenges in having something regular to stick to and move forward with. In time we are expecting an increased demand for debt help and a broader range of people needing the help.
ICE Wales We are thrilled that many schools have been willing to put our assemblies onto their home learning channels. So parents may well be hearing them too. Our God is not limited by a Pandemic!
Transforming Lives for Good We are unsure about the future because of Covid; pray for us as we plan a strategy and discuss which schools to be involved with.
Good News for Everyone (formerly Gideons) 1. Give thanks for the opportunity to give out New Testaments in schools before Christmas. 2. Pray for the Bibles given to the chaplains in local hospitals.
- Pray for the local branch as they support other branches around Wales.
Bible School Pray for more students to register for the on-line Bible School. Currently we are on semester break; we will be opening in February. Details: https://ndfwm.co.uk/school/
Prayer for Newport 1. Give thanks we can meet on-line to pray; 2. Pray for those in our city working in the health and care sector, in schools, essential services and in positions of authority.
Diary dates this month
Tuesday 23rd February 7.30pm Prayer meeting for Newport (on-line).
Click here to join on Webex or contact Wesley for details [email protected] / 07974 821991.
Roger Simms
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