Prayer Diary
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Prayer Diary 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Dear Friends It’s great to be able to partner together in prayer and pray for one another and for the progress of the gospel in our region by using our bi- annual prayer diary. This diary consists of prayer requests from Churches, Individuals and Associates who are Partners of the Sussex Gospel Partnership. It is divided into 30 sections for use as a daily prayer diary, over a six month period. A weekly diary of SGP prayer needs is also included in the centre, together with a map showing the location of all our Partner Churches, which you may like to pull out and display somewhere as a reminder to pray for the churches in our region. On behalf of all the contributors to the prayer diary, thank you for your prayers and for your partnership in the gospel. Yours in Christ, SATURDAY Nick McQuakerwith full children’s programme SGP Director CONTENTS Pages 3 - 6 Brighton Cluster Group prayer requests Pages 7 - 9 Chichester Cluster Group prayer requests Page 10 - 11 Crawley Cluster Group prayer requests Pages 12 - 13 Crowborough Cluster Group prayer requests Page 14 Passion for Life 2022 Pages 15 - 18 Pull-out map for your wall / SGP weekly prayer requests Page 19 - 21 Sussex Youthworks Events / Bible Training Courses Pages 22 - 24 Eastbourne Cluster Group prayer requests Page 25 Hailsham Cluster Group prayer requests Page 26 Hastings Cluster Group prayer requests Pages 27 - 29 Haywards Heath Cluster Group prayer requests Page 30 Staff prayer requests Page 31 Contact details and more information 2 Day of Please pray: Month BRIGHTON CLUSTER GROUP Please join with us in praying for church planting and evangelism in this area. SGP partner churches in the BRIGHTON CLUSTER GROUP are shown on this map. 1 BISHOP HANNINGTON CHURCH, HOVE (representative, Phil Moon) 1) for the recommencement of our work amongst children and young people. Please pray in particular for more leaders to join the team, for our families to reconnect and that, as the church regathers together, we may be good at welcoming and engaging people of all ages. 2) that the Lord may have been using these last 12 months to prepare the ground for mission over the coming months and leading up to A Passion for Life 2022. It has not been the year we planned but trust that it is the one we needed. Pray especially for our hope, that we may be able to have church folk reading the Bible with non-Christian friends and family. 3) for wisdom as groups re-emerge and we regather together. Pray we would know what to stop, carry on or change. HOLY CROSS, HOVE (representative, Dave Howarth) 1) Give thanks for our teaching series in Ephesians. Jesus has made us ‘one new humanity.’ Pray that we would grasp it, love it and live it. 2) for those of us who are lukewarm to become hot. 3) Give thanks that about ten of us were at the SGP's evangelistic training day in March, with Rico Tice, on Zoom. Pray for many from Holy Cross to not just know about evangelism, but start or keep doing it. Pray for conversions. 3 BRI GHTON CLUSTER GROUP 2 CALVARY CHURCH, BRIGHTON (representative, Philip Wells) 1) for us as we continue to seek a new pastor/elder to lead the church into the future as I step back in summer/autumn 2021. Please pray for God to put it into the heart of the right man to want to serve in a theologically conservative gospel church in inner-city Brighton. 2) for us as the long year of lockdown and the loss of two of the three elders, as well as other key serving church members, has left the church in a much weaker position than we were in a year ago. Please pray for the raising up of trustworthy and able deacons and helpers. 3) for the process of evaluating ministries and approaches as we slowly enter a phase of ‘new normal’. Eg, there was a very big ministry to international students which has lapsed for a whole year, likewise ministry to youngsters. 4) Thank the Lord for keeping us together over the past year, which has been a very difficult year in many ways. Thank him for sustaining the ministry. TIM GAGE (Individual Partner, St Peter’s, West Blatchington, Hove) 1) Give thanks for a healthy return to in-person services as of Palm Sunday and for the many people who attended over the Easter weekend, alongside continuing online and telephone services. 2) Give thanks for the safe arrival of our third son, just before Christmas. 3) for our new curate, Jan, who is joining us in the summer. I am looking forward to the new insights that he will bring and to have another partner in the gospel to pray with. Pray too for wise appointments to be made of a Children and Families’ worker and a new Director of Music. 3 GOLDSTONE CHURCH, HOVE (representative, Simon James-Morse) 1) for us to embrace and meet the missional opportunities at a local residential care home. 2) for an increasing connection with the deaf community in Sussex. Pray that we will be able to share God’s love with them. 3) for a fresh, vibrant and growing prayer life; individually, as small groups, and as a whole church. MIKE JOURDAIN (Associate Partner, Brighton & Hove City Mission) 1) for wisdom as we come out of lockdown as to how we establish face-to-face contact with schools, care homes and foodbank clients, while incorporating aspects of our work which were effective during the last 12 months. 2) for our staff team, volunteers and trustees as we come back together under new leadership. Pray that we move forward with real joy, passion and excitement in God's work. 3) for developing new and stronger relationships with churches and for God's guidance as to how we can best support them to spread the love of Jesus throughout this City. 4 BRI GHT ON CLUSTER GROUP 4 ST LEONARD’S, DENTON (representative, Louis Wilson) 1) Give thanks with us for many encouragements during this last lockdown: improved online children’s work, providing community meals and outdoor services and activities. Nevertheless, the last year has been tough. Please pray for our financial position. We are very thankful for all our regular givers but, for various reasons, we have been hit hard through the pandemic. 2) for our curate, Jez Lowries, and his family as they look to move on in the next year. Pray for the right opportunity for Jez, and also for us as a church family. Pray that we would joyfully rise to the challenge of filling any gaps he/they may leave. PEACEHAVEN EVANGELICAL CHURCH (representative, Graham King) 1) for us as we reopened on 4 April, with two meetings to enable social distancing. 2) for a new initiative of seven or eight weekly sermon-based small groups starting in September. As well as digging deeper into God’s word, these groups will help develop relationships in the growing church. 3) for my family to find a house to buy in the area. 5 OLI BUTLER (Associate Partner, UCCF) 1) for the new leaders of Brighton and Sussex CUs, that they can settle well into their roles, establish themselves as Jesus-centred teams and be supported by me in developing plans for the future. 2) for the new leaders to come to Forum, the annual training conference, and that it can happen in-person in late August. 3) for me as I prepare and begin my fourth year on staff in August, and for my new Relay Worker, Anika, who I'll be supervising. Pray for her as she needs to raise financial support for her role. NEW LIFE CHURCH, BRIGHTON (representative, Julian Rebera) 1) for wisdom and guidance as we look to future possibilities with David Skull and the new Brighton church plant. We are considering and discussing the possibility of ‘joining forces’. 2) regarding our venue. We thought we had the perfect place lined up, but after nine months of negotiating and talking with the prospective venue managers we were given the green light ‘as long as it is not being used for religious purposes’. We are therefore back to the drawing board. 3) for a team coming from America, God-willing, at the end of July, to help with outreach and evangelism in Moulsecoomb and the Lewes Road corridor. This is dependent upon Covid restrictions. We also have logistical challenges, particularly surrounding a base to work from. Again, we would really appreciate your prayers. 5 BRI GHT ON CLUSTER GROUP 6 AL PICKERING (Individual Partner, King’s Church, Lewes) 1) for us to be growing in prayer - to be more dependent on God as a church and enjoying seeking him together. 2) for us to be growing in togetherness - as more opportunities open up to spend quality time together. 3) for us to be growing in number - as we reach out with the gospel, and having lost a number of people over the last year. ST ANDREW’S, HOVE (representative, Dan Henderson) 1) that as we return to the church building God would be feeding the core of our church family, so that all that's happened over the last year would be fuel for outreach. 2) that our vision to ‘Love God & Love Hove’ like Jesus, would be owned more and more by our congregation and that this would result in us reaching our aim to be a fully giving-funded church (having lost the income from our hall) and in Jesus being known by more people in our city.