Together4Bristol (T4B) Summer 2023 prayer update

Here are a few examples of the Christian community working together across the Bristol

region in the last few months to help transform the Bristol region, with Praise for what has

happened recently and Prayer and Action for the rest of 2023!

Please pass these on to your contacts, to encourage them and for prayer!

PRAISE POINTS

We thank God for:

1. Donations totalling over £1250 a year so far, out of a target of £5k a year, to the100 Friends Appeal to fund the Together4Bristol website and social media. T4B's monthly enewsletter is sent to over 1,700, with over 920 on Facebook and over 500 on Twitter. Please pray about donating to the Appeal and that the rest of the money comes in.

2. The Noise 2023 (May Bank Holiday), which showed God's love in practical ways, with over 650 volunteers from 47 churches, doing 65 projects. See a video for more details.

3. The Arts Sphere or Kingdom Creatives' gathering with Christians in Media, on 20th May, called “Theology: the Art of Storytelling”, for a very enriching time for about 50. Pray for the growing Media Hub in Bristol. For the Day of Prayer for the Media on October 29th.

.

4.A gathering at Bristol Cathedral at Pentecost, 26th May, called Empowered to Witness. For a very diverse and uplifting time together.

5. The Politics and Social Action sphere, called Christian Action Bristol (CAB), led by Andy Street and others. For the City of Hope conference at Elim Church on 10 June with about 170 people. Big issues were tackled, such as poverty, social and racial justice, plus addiction, environment, homelessness, mental health and refugees.

6. Continued engagement with the Mayor, Marvin Rees, and the council by the Christian community. For example, CAB, with the Good Faith Partnership, run 15 ‘Welcome Hubs’, set up by churches, to help integrate about 600 Ukrainians (mostly women and children).

7. CAB and the Good Faith Partnership (with Bristol City Council), running Warm Welcome spaces in over 35 churches across the city to support those people struggling with the impact of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

8. Regular Prayer gatherings for the Business, Education, Health, and Family spheres.

9. Stu Dendy (Home for Good), who continues to respond to the council's request for foster parents, with 30 Christian couples fostering so far (see this film). Pray for more to respond now. Also give thanks for the work of the National Parenting Initiative which is having to close, due to lack of funding.

PRAYER and ACTION POINTS

We pray for:

1. Various sport camps and gatherings being run over the summer by members of the Sport sphere, such as World Sport Ministries, Christians in Sport and Christian Surfers.

2. The Education sphere and Bristol Schools Connection, which will lead a Prayer gathering for Education on 27th September at 7pm. For CAB and the Council, helping churches connect with Transforming Lives for Good (TLG) to provide mentors in eight schools. Pray for more, and for the lives of many primary pupils to be touched.

3. The T4B prayer gathering for church and Christian leaders with Mayor, Marvin is from 7am to 8am on Thursday, September 14th. Contact Paul Hazelden for details. Also for T4B's conference, on October 14th, Life in all its Fullness

4. Homes not Houses which has become Hope into Action: Bristol, run by inHope, This helps churches provide move-on housing for those affected by homelessness, with 3 tenants who are befriended by the partner churches. Pray for referrals and for those who want to set up further houses across the city. For more information contact Cathy Knowles at homesnothousesteam@hopeintoaction.org.uk

5. The Health sphere's weekly Zooms for encouraging creativity, for healing and for the growing Healing Centre Project. For Bristol Healing Rooms' sessions in person and on Zoom. To find out details contact: bristolhealingrooms@gmail.com

6. The Arts sphere, with a community of over 325 creatives. Rev Erica Bebb has retired, so pray for her and her family, plus Malcolm Bourne, who is taking over as Facilitator. Please see their Kingdom Creatives website and map of current missional collaborative projects.

7. The Noise 2024, which will be the last one. Pray for the Noise 365 which takes over and helps bring the vision of God's love in practical ways, into every day of the year.

8. T4B's links with Gather Movement, which connects about 150 “unity for mission movements” across the UK. A recent Learning Community podcast explored pioneering work in the spheres of life, in Bristol and elsewhere, to encourage other towns and cities.

Please email us if you no longer wish to receive these prayer bulletins.

Roger Allen, Spheres or Whole of Life Facilitator, T4B (spheres@together4bristol.org.uk) Derick Mulubwa, Prayer Facilitator, T4B (prayer@together4bristol.org.uk ) Paul Hazelden, Admin and Finance, T4B (cafo@together4bristol.org.uk)