BETHANY CHRISTIAN TRUST PRAYBETHANY CHRISTIAN TRUST WITH US 2021 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 Pray with Bethany Christian Trust in 2021 CHIEF EXECUTIVE ALASDAIR BENNETT Dear Friends,

We hope that you enjoy using this new resource for 2021, As it says in the Song of Solomon we look forward to the which is both a prayer diary and a calendar, containing a season of singing as spring comes and new life appears. wonderful collection of verses, prayers and engagement opportunities prepared by Bethany Christian Trust team We would love it if you could pray daily for the people we members across Scotland. support, for our teams and for our shared mission. On the third Wednesday of every month the team share in 2020 was a year that brought suffering and challenges 24 hours of continuous prayer, additional to daily prayers, in many ways across the nations. In the book of and we would especially welcome you joining us for this Lamentations, right in the heart of passages about monthly prayer day. mourning and lament, there are powerful and refreshing assurances; God’s mercies are new every morning. That We hugely value your prayer support as we continue to seek to relieve the suffering and meet the long term needs has been our testimony in Bethany in 2020. Every day we of homeless and vulnerable people throughout the land. have been equipped and enabled in God’s purposes to serve the most vulnerable across Scotland, knowing that With heartfelt thanks from all the team at Bethany, his steadfast love is everlasting, his compassions fail not, and his mercies are new every morning. Lives continue to be reached and touched and new life continues to grow despite the external circumstances. Our God is faithful. As we look forward to 2021, we reflect on the opportunity Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your for New Beginnings. What an assurance to know that God’s mercies will be new every morning. The one who said ‘I name be the glory, because of your make all things new’ brings renewal to hearts, offers new life and opportunity, restores minds, and births hope in love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1 communities.

Dear children, let us not love with January words or speech but with actions GATEWAY and in truth. 1 John 3:18 LUKE WILSON

At Bethany Logistics we collect lots of donated furniture and home goods and our awesome team of drivers and porters work hard to deliver essential items of furniture and goods to households in need.

Unlike other services, we have relatively Gateway to Homes and short interactions with the people that we are Communities provides homeless supporting, but we pray that with our actions and in truth, we bring some hope and dignity families and individuals with into broken lives. Please pray that we serve essential household items on people well, showing God’s transformational moving into their new tenancy. love in our actions.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen February in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be COMMUNITY SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT PAUL STEVENSON with you. Philippians 4:9

Please pray for the Community Support & Development staff and volunteers located across Scotland as they listen to God as His ambassadors. Pray that these messengers of hope within each area will meet not only people’s physical needs but their spiritual Our Community Support & needs too, as they direct people to Jesus. Development projects are Pray that by being visible and active in Torry, Menzieshill, Gorebridge, , tailored to local needs and work and the Calders as well as Glasgow’s in partnership with churches to Tollcross, Possilpark and St George’s Cross, empower people to strengthen homelessness will be prevented and people will find new life in Christ as they turn to Him. their communities to prevent homelessness.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed March you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 FUNDRAISING HANNAH CRAIB

Father, thank you that you are faithful. You know every individual’s story, and care so intimately for each person – you overlook no one. I thank you for the people that we can serve through Commit: The generosity from our the work of Bethany. Would their hearts know your love, your perfect peace, and would you supporters has meant that even in bring healing where there has been pain and challenging seasons, Bethany has kept brokenness in their lives. God, thank you for their services open. We could not do this every individual who believes in this restoration without your prayerful help and faithful work and shows great generosity, enabling donations. If you would like to make a Bethany to make significant change in people’s lives. God, I thank you for your continued regular donation to Bethany, and invest provision to sustain our services and all our in long-term projects that help end front line staff. Amen. homelessness in Scotland, get in touch: [email protected]

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death April or mourning or crying or pain, BETHANY CHRISTIAN CENTRE for the old order of things has DAVID BIDDULPH passed away. Revelations 21:4

Lord, we pray today for those who have been damaged. For those who have been hurt. For those who have been snared by addiction. For those who have lost loved ones. For those who have been rejected and are vulnerable and lonely. For those whose minds are unwell. For Bethany Christian Centre is an those who are crippled with guilt. For those who have given up. We pray that you sustain addiction recovery unit that aims, and radiate through those you have called, to through a supported residential walk with them and bring them hope. May they community, to assist individuals see and know the love of Jesus in them. May the broken hearted be comforted and set free in their recovery from an from the darkness into the freedom that can addictive lifestyle. only come through knowing Jesus.

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the May least of these brothers and sisters DUMFRIES of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40 CRAIG NEILSON

Pray that we have the mind of Christ in our actions and the assurance of who we are in Christ. When Jesus rested in the boat in Mark 4, He rested well, because He knew who He was and knew the promises of His Father. I believe the pillow that He rested on was the Our Supported Housing Service promises of the Father, that he would get to the other side safely. in Dumfries has been in operation since 2002 and helps people to As in Matthew 25, in the storm of broken lives, address issues that undermine we can fix our eyes on Him and hold fast to our mission to relieve suffering from His people the ability to live independently whom we serve, value and love. within the community.

I have come that they may have life, June and have it to the full. John 10:10 KHARIS COURT PAUL BRADLEY

Please join us in praying that these young people will find freedom from their addictions (alcohol and drug use) including the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences, past trauma, and broken family relationships. Please pray for the staff team as we endeavour Our purpose-built residential to show God’s grace and love in everything unit in Bathgate, is we do, whilst we love, serve and value each called Kharis Court which means individual we come in contact with. And please give prayers of thanks for the new “grace”. Kharis Court offers a and solid foundations that these young people residential housing support are building their futures on. service to young men and women aged 16-25.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve July others, as faithful stewards of God’s VOLUNTEERS grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 EDITH MACDOUGALL

Thank the Lord for the blessing that volunteers provide, working as the hands and feet of Jesus, even under new and difficult circumstances. Pray that those who volunteer Commit: Are you interested in at Bethany will feel supported, recognised volunteering but want to know how it and valued for all that they do. Pray that our all works first? Volunteering at Bethany volunteer teams will become increasingly larger is a great way to meet new people, learn and more diverse, reflecting the communities new skills, give back to the community in which we serve. Pray that volunteers would and boost your confidence. It's a really feel well equipped to aid our staff and those simple process and we'll try our best that we serve. Pray that the work done by to find a role that's a good fit for you. volunteers at Bethany would be a testament Send us your completed application to the love that Christ asks us to show others. pack or get in touch with our Volunteer Coordinator by sending an email to [email protected]

So God created mankind in his August own image, in the image of God he CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS created them. Genesis 1:27 SAM ROWE

Pray that the people we work with will develop their creative capacities and discover that when we create, we embody a fundamental aspect of who God has made us to be. Pray for new avenues to bring creative opportunity to service users and communities across Bethany. Pray our work will support the aims in homelessness Creative Expressions is a service prevention by bringing benefit to people’s that uses the arts as a tool for wellbeing, social networks, confidence levels and skills. Pray that we can reach audiences homelessness prevention, giving who honour the hard work of our participants. those we support in disadvantaged Pray that our work will provide a platform communities a voice. for people’s voices and that it will make a difference.

For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to September prosper you and not to harm you, RETAIL plans to give you a hope and a HELEN DICKIE future" Jeremiah 29:11

Pray for good quality donations so that our shops may continue to prosper. Give thanks for our existing customers for their support and pray that new customers will come into our shops. Pray for our retail Commit: Donate to our shops and director, group head, shop staff & volunteers, our logistics team and all those working make a real difference in the lives behind the scenes who, together, can of homeless and vulnerable people. continue to do the vital work of Bethany. Clearing out is fun. We are always in We also want to give special thanks for the need of donations for our shops – overwhelming support our shops received whilst being temporarily closed in 2020. Pray portable items that can be handed that the staff continue to be encouraged as into any of our shops and we can we welcome customers this year. arrange furniture uplifts.

You have already been told what is right and what the Lord, wants of October you. Only this: to act justly, to love THE WELCOME CENTRE tenderly and to walk humbly RAB - VOLUNTEER with your God. Micah 6:8

We pray for the staff who strive to ensure that every guest is treated justly, loved tenderly and accompanied as a child of God. We pray for those who prepare the food, for those who serve it and do so in a spirit of love and The Rapid Re-accommodation tenderness. We pray that through encountering God’s Welcome Centre provides unconditional love in action, our guests may people who are rough sleeping feel affirmed as being of value and worth, and with 24 hour support including be open to us supporting them in whatever way they need to overcome the challenges shelter, hot food, professional and difficulties they face. services and tailored support with a clear focus on rapid re-accommodation.

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. November But pity anyone who falls PASSING THE BATON/BEFRIENDING and has no one to help them up. PALL SINGH Ecclesiastes 4:10

Befriending can make a huge impact in the lives of people who are at risk of homelessness or moving into new settled accommodation. Pray that Bethany’s christian Befrienders from local churches will help people who are lonely and socially isolated connect back into their communities. Passing the Baton reaches out to Pray for meaningful friendships to be developed people in the local community as people are introduced to social groups and who feel socially isolated and activities in their neighbourhood. And we give thanks for the long-lasting connections that excluded, helping them to have continued over the past years as they make connections to activities, bring our team so much joy. organisations and key people.

And even the very hairs of your December head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30 CONNECT TO COMMUNITY MHAIRI PHILLIPSON

I have turned to this verse so many times over the years to remind me just how much God cares for me. For many people leaving prison, the idea that someone cares for them so much that they can count the hairs on their head Connect to Community seeks to is quite alien. People who’ve been in prison don’t like to think about numbers, they have a support men and women leaving prison number which follows them through the prison to achieve their goals system and when they are released they quite often just become another statistic. Connect to and to build a positive pathway, Community is there to make sure that doesn’t providing friendship that happen. Pray for the men and women we walk with on their journey after prison, that they can connects and integrates people learn through the care of our volunteers that to live transformed lives God cares and has a purpose for them. in the community. Ending homelessness in Scotland One person at a time

Illustrations Copyright of Liam Rotheram

Bethany Christian Trust, 65 Bonnington Road, , EH6 5JQ [email protected] | www.bethanychristiantrust.com Registered Scottish Charity No: SC003783 | A Limited Company Registered in Scotland No: 228528.