Dear friends

This RoundUp brings together some items that have previously been publicized here as well as some we have only recently heard of. Please publicise and pray for as appropriate!

Upload: Prayer and Planning Just 10 years ago Just 10 happened. Many prayed for these meetings with J.John –at home or in the prayer cabin at Crealy. Since then the Friday Night Experience, which happened in the tent for young people one Friday, has continued as FNX each term in schools. 800 young people have since responded to Jesus Christ. In 2009 Exeter Cathedral, as part celebration of 1100 years of the Exeter Diocese, hosted another big youth outreach. Again many young people responded. Planning is now underway for Upload, a special event in the Cathedral for 15-18 year olds, on 11 June. This weekend across the nation we also celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday so this will feature on this occasion. Mike Pilavachi is speaking and Christian bands will be playing. Youth workers from across are already planning and prepare. If you would like to pray for Upload, receive updates and pray on the night in a designated room in the Cathedral, please contact Lesley Curd, Lesley44c@gmail 01392 215226.

April

Crosslink Breakfast Weatherspoon’s Imperial (Orangery Area) Friday 8 April starts 8am. Speaker Dick Bell.

Pray for Exeter Saturday 9 April 8-9.30am Sunnylands Room, America Hall, Pinhoe. (Second Saturday of the month). Also Tuesday 5 April (First Tuesday of the month) 10-11am, St Stephens Church, High Street.

Salvation Army Exeter 135th Anniversary On 9-10 April the Salvation Army is celebrating 135 years in Exeter. Leading the celebrations will be international leaders General Andre & Commissioner Silvia Cox. There is a service of Celebration on Saturday 7.pm & on Sunday, Morning Worship 10.30am. All welcome

EEP next meets on Wednesday 13 April and 4 May, 12.30-1.30 Riverside Church

God and Suffering The 17:11 events are opportunities for young people to get together to think about some of the big issues and challenges of faith. Saturday 16 April St Leonard’s Church 7:30pm. Phil Clarke for more details. [email protected]

Devon New Economy Gathering, Saturday 16 April 16 Exeter Community Centre, 10 – 5 pm Enquiries [email protected] 01647 24789. Tickets £20/10/5.

The Challenge of the Persecuted Church, Wednesday 20 April, 7.30pm, Wesley Room, Mint Methodist. Christians face persecution on many parts of the world, what can we do to help, and what can the persecuted church teach us? Peter Bottrill speaks on behalf of Open Doors. All welcome. David Horn (01626 852815: [email protected] for info.

Should the Church be involved in the Health of our Communities? St Michael’s Lectures, Queen’s Terrace, EX4 4HR, 7.30 pm, Wednesday 27 April, Right Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally (Bishop of ; former UK Chief Nursing Officer)

A path to holiness – Christian reflections on the Enneagram a workshop led by Francis Miles, St Mark’s Church, Pinhoe Road EX4 7HU, Saturday 30 April 9.30 am - 4:00 pm £30. Refreshments provided - please bring your own lunch

May

EEP meets on Wednesday 4 May, 12.30-1.30 Riverside Church

Journeying Deeper with God also with Lou Lewis & John McMahon, Emmaus Ministries A Residential weekend enabling us to journey deeper with Father, Son & Holy Spirit - knowing Father’s embrace, the Son’s compassion and the Spirit’s empowering. Join us in taking time to find deeper healing to liberate us into more of God’s purposes and freedom. 6pm Friday 6 May - 2.30pm Sunday May 8 Brunel Lodge, at Brunel Manor, Rd, TQ1 4SF Cost £80, see website for more information and Booking essential:- Contact us via the website: www.emmausroadministries.org.uk or: [email protected]

The Depressed Cake Shop Exeter Wednesday 18 May Appearing all over Exeter. Breaking down the stigma around mental health – one grey cake at a time. Where there is cake there is hope – and there is always cake. For more information please contact Kate Shirazi: [email protected]

National Outreach Day Pentecost Sunday 15 May Invitation for churches to hold outreach event. In hopes of clearly relaying Gospel, reaching new and already established unsaved contacts, and encouraging/reminding church that evangelism should take place daily in power and direction of Holy Spirit. Initiative of Outreach UK and supported by Roger Carswell, Counties, The God News Paper and others. See www.outreachuk.com ‘Outreach Day’ for ideas/support or contact OUK evangelist Mark Perkins [email protected] or 07887372116.

Thy Kingdom Come' is a national initiative launched by Justin Welby and John Sentanu for every Church of to devote the week around Pentecost 8-15 May to pray for the evangelisation of the nation. Churches from other traditions are being encouraged to partner in this. A special website has introductory video and a collection of downloadable resources to inspire and equip churches and individuals: http://thykingdom.co.uk

The Soul in the Machine YMCA Exeter have booked Saltmine Theatre Company to perform a new production about George Williams, founder of the YMCA in 1844. Saturday 21 May, 7pm, Belmont Chapel. The play follows George Williams' journey from growing up in Bridgwater, attending school in Tiverton then heading to London to begin work. It was then that seeing the deprivation, lack of support for young men and the need of evangelisation in Victorian England, George founded the Young Men's Christian Association - YMCA. A place where in the middle of the "Big Smoke" the soul could find rest and be nurtured.

St Michael’s Lecture: 7.30 pm Friday 27 May, Professor Nicholas Orme will be giving a lecture in memory of The Reverend Canon John Thurmer, entitled A Brief History of England's Cathedrals Prayerthon A group of Christian university students are planning a sponsored prayer walk, or Prayerthon, on Saturday 28 May visiting 24 Exeter churches and praying at each church for the people of a specific country of the world, with the aim of helping these people come to accept the love of Jesus. We are raising sponsorship, which will be donated to Doulos Partners, a highly effective church-planting organisation supporting missionaries in many of the countries we will be praying for. Start 7.30am at Christ Church in Summerland, and finish at St Thomas Baptist Church. Along the way, as we walk between churches we will pray for the people of Exeter, particularly knows who do not yet know Jesus. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zFbaYl4h6AHc.kI5BfoleJJT8 Praying with us on the day, or from these churches or your homes. James Harman [email protected]>

June

This year we celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday over the weekend 10-12 June and you can celebrate too in your community. The Bible Society, HOPE and LICC, have produced a very special 64-page book The Servant Queen and the King She Serves, plus other resources to help churches and schools to mark this milestone in the life of the nation.

Other things worth noting…

Exeter’s Future Have your say: http://exetercityfutures.com/have-your-say/

Torch Trust has traditionally done a lot of work with literature - making sure that the Bible and Christian books, Bible reading notes, etc, are available in all the different formats people may need if they can't see to read normal print. We have an easy-to-use audio Bible and a free lending library of over 3,500 Christian books in audio, large print or braille - according to what people need. We have also traditionally had fellowship groups where people can meet together on a monthly basis. Journeying With is a way of equipping churches to reach out to people in their own local community who have been told the devastating news that they have an eye condition which cannot be cured and their sight will deteriorate. This is a life-changing time when people are also facing big questions in life such as 'Why me?' 'What is going to happen to me?' and sometimes 'What have I done to deserve this?’

A Journeying With scheme brings volunteers from local churches alongside people in this situation as a Christian befriender. All that is needed is a volunteer, or small number of volunteers in a church who are willing to befriend people with sight loss. Torch will provide the training required (no charge is made for training) and make the links with the eye health professionals who meet people when they are diagnosed. In Exeter there is an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer at the eye clinic who meets people when they have been given the bad news. She is a Christian herself and would dearly love to be able to offer people Christian befrienders as they go through this difficult time. The scheme is open to Christians or non-Christians, so it is an opportunity not just for pastoral care, but also an outreach opportunity. There is no doubt that it changes people's lives, as it already has done, and that it changes the views of people towards Christians and Church. We are always open about the Christian basis of the scheme, all the volunteers are Christians, but we are clear that we are not there to impose our faith on anyone, just to be alongside people at this difficult time, giving practical support, offering to pray with people if they would like, and to talk about matters of faith at the client's leading. For more details: Janet Eardley, Area Presence Developer South West : 07870 909779 : [email protected]: www.torchtrust.org

SWYM prospectus, SWYM’s new prospectus is now available. It outlines the opportunities they offer for doing youth work in the southwest. Copies can be downloaded from: www.swym.org.uk Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy: Administrator Now in its third year, our team of voluntary chaplains provides a much appreciated Christian presence in large stores and more than 200 smaller shops in central Exeter. Week by week the chaplains contribute to the wellbeing of the city centre through being alongside the retail community in their everyday lives. Due to the retirement of Mary Ellis, we require another Administrator from May 2016. This is a voluntary post, with expenses, for 25 to 30 hours per month, working from home. The Administrator maintains the systems and database supporting the work of the Chaplaincy; manages the day to day communications of the Chaplaincy; facilitates the Chaplaincy’s meetings and activities; acts as secretary to the Management Committee. If you are interested in this role, please contact Mary Ellis at [email protected] or 3 Palace Gate, EX1 1JA or 01392 273456 for more details and an application form. Preliminary conversations can be arranged with the Lead Chaplains. Forms need to be returned by 22 April. An Interview will take place at a date mutually convenient to an Applicant and Chaplaincy.

EEP RoundUp is sent to leaders and representatives of Exeter’s Evangelical Churches and Organisations to publicise events and other information that is of interest to the wider Christian community. Please forward this to your church administrator/ secretary to disseminate as appropriate. If you have been sent this in error or no longer wish to receive communications about EEP, contact [email protected].

Chris Halls

4B Pennsylvania Park Exeter | Devon | EX4 6HB 01392 920229 07706 152260