Prayer FOCUSMAY 2015

Nepal Earthquake AppealPray for each other

• Find 1 thing that you want to thank God for and share it.

• Think of 1 thing that you need prayer for and share that with each other.

• Read together 1 Peter 5:6-11 • Spend some time praising God

- use 1 sentence prayers only! • Pray for each other using 1

sentence prayers too!

Here are a few ways to pray for the people of Nepal and the ongoing relief efforts: - Compassion Services teams as they

minister to earthquake victims. - Energy and endurance for rescue

workers as they search for more survivors.

- God to save many.- God’s protection for leaders, missionaries

and believers. - For those who have lost loved ones or

homes or who have suffered injuries in the devastation.

- For safety, strength and grace for missionaries ministering to the suffering.

UK General Election 2015

This Thursday is our UK General Election when we vote for our local Member of Parliament. The outcome of the election will determine who governs our country. Please

pray! Here are some ideas of what to pray for:

Growth groups

Nepal needs our prayer, not just because of the earthquake and the remote villages who have lost roads, basic utilities and supplies, but also because after a decade of bloody civil war which claimed thousands of lives the nation is very unstable politically and has suffered greatly. It is mostly a Hindu nation and it has been hard for Christian missionaries to share the message of Jesus. But since 2008 it has become a democracy with greater religious freedom. There is a big turning to Christ and many are becoming Christians. Pray for this to continue despite the terrible crisis. Spend time in prayer together and watch this Tearfund video: https://youtu.be/VXwT9126ZR4

• for the spiritual need of our nation, region, constituency and town.• for our candidates in South Ribble. Veronica Bennet (Lab), David Gallagher (UKIP), Seema Kennedy (Con), Sue McGuire (Lib

Dem). That whoever is elected to serve us will do so with honesty, integrity and a desire to listen and serve our community.• for our own constituency of South Ribble - areas of poverty and deprivation, areas of social need, and for the people and their

physical, emotional and spiritual needs.• for Christian believers in positions of authority within the Parties. Ask God to provide opportunities for them to influence policy.• for Christian candidates to witness to their faith, and to be willing to say the tough things as well as the popular.• for a government to be elected that will ‘do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with God’, and that will provide peace and

quiet - so that evangelism can be done!for Christian candidates to be bold and eloquent especially in how they respond to issues and questions that have important moral and ethical implications.

• for a campaign that is fair, revealing and which will unite the country, not divide it. • WATCH THIS VIDEO on caring for older people: https://youtu.be/TrE0zirqAwU

 ‘I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet

lives in all godliness and holiness.’  1 Timothy 2:1-3

02 PRAYER!!

The Illusionist Todd Alexander is with us on Thu 14th May 8pm Many of you will remember how Todd came and amazed us with his illusions during our LIFE! Week mission in 2013. He is back again. This is a great event to invite nonChristians along to as in the 2nd half Todd will weave the Christian message into his presentation. Please pray for people to come, for someone you could invite, and that God would really work through Todd.

At the Annual Church Meeting last week David (our Vicar) outlined 4 areas that the Parochial Church Council (PCC - the body that helps to make decisions in the church) believed we needed to address in our church life.

1. Prayer - we need help to learn how to pray together and depend on God.

2. Discipleship - we are now over 700 people at St Andrew’s!! praise God! BUT we need to deepen our faith and growth up as mature disciples who can disciple others.

3. Youth and Children - we have so many different opportunities to reach out to young people with the good news of Jesus! Praise God for our Church Schools. We need more help though!

4. Back Office - Praise God for Kirsty Offer who has joined the staff as Church Office Manager, George Kirkman as Site Supervisor and Jon Smethurst our Communications Officer. The team is being built - but we need more help.

So, please pray as we seek to appoint A Youth and Children’s Worker who can coordinate, strategise and train, and an Operations Manager who can pull the whole operation together and oversee the back office which supports all our ministries.

Watch this space - we will talk more about these two roles in the coming weeks, but we need pray for money to come in - we need to pay for these vital roles! And pray for the right people to be appointed!

4 Areas to focus on and 2 Staff posts for the Autumn!

Paul Hunter, an Illusionist and 4 areas in church life to pray for…

Latest news from Paul Hunter in Tanzania Paul Hunter returned to Tanzania in January 2015 to serve in the Diocese of Lake Rukwa. He writes, “The diocese is an area the size of Wales and has very few tarmac roads. It’s in a remote and poor part of Tanzania, bordering on Lake Tanganyika. The diocese has grown from 2,500 to 6,500 believers in 4 years and the bishop, Bishop Mathayo, has great plans to bring the good news of life in Christ to many more. These young Christians need help from their leaders to grow in their faith and my task will be to train the leaders to fulfil that role. Bishop Mathayo has asked me to set up and run a ‘mobile bible school’ to train leaders in theology, knowing and handling the bible, building up the new Christians in their care and reaching out to others with the gospel.”

Paul has now been in Tanzania for 3 months and has begun his work there by travelling around the diocese visiting the remote, rural churches to get to know them and assess the various ministry needs. “We covered all six parishes in Sumbawanga Deanery and a distance of over 200km last week, which was quite a challenge in the rainy season! The churches face many challenges. Most of the clergy and all of the lay workers receive no salary and struggle to get by. Traditional beliefs and lifestyles prevent many people responding to the gospel. Many leaders have only a very basic level of education and have received little in the way of formal training for ministry.Sadly, one congregation has refused to accept the authority

of the diocese. Their pastor was the unsuccessful candidate for election as bishop and they have caused trouble for Bishop Mathayo Kasagara and discouraged others. There is a need for the reconciliation achieved by the cross of Jesus. Thank God for an uplifting visit to and pray that the Christians there will be encouraged in their faith, and for reconciliation in the diocese and a focus on mission."