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, Moredun, tailored to local needs and work Leith 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, West Lothian 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.