St James and Emmanuel partners with individuals and organisations near and far to spread God’s Kingdom in words and actions.
The Mission Team develops our links with these people and projects, by identifying and raising the profile of our mission links, keeping up-to-date with their news, encouraging prayer and sending financial support on behalf of the church.
We encourage members of the Church Family to go on short-term overseas trips, especially with a view to encouraging links with those areas where we have Mission Partners.
We currently support six individuals and organisations.
Dignity
Dignity helps people build community, bring others to Jesus and overcome disadvantage. They concentrate on situations where people are under-represented, poor and have low education, in geographically or linguistically hard to reach regions or where there is little or no church. They call this approach Least-First.
Give thanks for the 55 community discipleship groups that have been set up in and around Kasese, Western Uganda. These groups have recently seen an influx of new members partly because one volunteer has translated Dignity’s material into the local language: Lukhonzo.
Please pray for Bwambale, the leader of these Life Groups. He wants to see even greater commitment from the growing membership.
Give thanks that material published by Dignity has proved vital to the branch of Witnesses for Children International working in Wakiso, Uganda.
Please pray that many more groups working in Sub-Saharan Africa would flourish as a result of using Dignity’s resources.
Praise God that groups using Dignity’s 10 week study guide in Luapula, Zambia, are putting their faith into action, working to relieve poverty and hardship resulting from severe weather conditions.
Please pray for inspiration and perseverance for all the workers who are translating discipleship materials for use in Zambia, Uganda and India.
We have visited many of our Life Group planters to encourage participants to go on “mission” in their own communities to build active Christian community wherever they are working. Pray for each person encouraged to bring others to faith and overcome disadvantage.
Thank God that local people in Namibia have taken responsibility for starting up their own Life Groups and have passed on the model to communities as far as 400 miles away. 22 groups now meet in the north of the country, and report exciting evidence of spiritual and moral regeneration. Please pray that this trend is sustained and that the model continues to be rolled out: the aim is for 50 groups to be meeting by August.
Interview with Jo and Malcolm from Dignity
Potter’s Village
Potter’s Village is based in Kisoro in SW Uganda, opened in 2007 to rescue babies who have no other chance of survival. The babies are given a home and nurtured with one-to-one care, within a family environment for 6 months, after which they are returned to extended family, fostered or adopted with support and community follow up until the age of five.
Thank God for the baptism of five abandoned babies and for the volunteer family that has offered foster care.
Please pray for:
(i) finance to make possible the purchase of a reliable vehicle.
(ii) the health of the babies during a period of cold weather.
(iii) continued commitment and unity among the staff.
Give thanks for the centre’s dedicated staff. They are paid less than they could earn in government hospitals. Pray that these key workers can be retained. Pray about the mission’s financial basis; the Bishop’s Walk (17 October.) is a vital fund-raiser. Also for baby Mary who has to travel many miles for urgent medical treatment.
Thank God for the very successful visit from UK supporters to the clinic this February. To find out more, speak to one of the eight people from St James and Emmanuel who were on the team.
Please pray for better community support and more families to consider long-term fostering of babies. We need a new doctor and a physiotherapist to support the work in our medical centre and disability rehab, respectively.
Pray for our future growth plans and for our finances.
Please pray for calm and unity among the staff. They are working very hard to care for a high number of abandoned babies. Pray also for the financial breakthrough needed if the centre is to meet the demand. Remember to pray for the families with whom babies are resettled. Give thanks for success stories: individuals like Michael, now a young adult, re-united with his family and training for employment.
Interview with Rosy from Potter’s Village
L’Arche Manchester
L’Arche Manchester is a vigorous and established group within L’Arche UK which this year became a confirmed Community within the L’Arche international federation. They enable people with and without learning and other disabilities to live, spend time and engage in creative activities together which builds relationships and self-confidence.
Thank God for the strong community spirit partly generated by outings, celebrations and Boogie Nights (the next one is on 9 May and we are all invited).
Please pray about the recruitment of new assistants and the welcoming of new core members. The leaders have started to dream about their 2030 plan. Please pray for a great vision and many new initiatives.
Thank God for the daily experience of belonging, kindness, creativity and fun generated in the Manchester houses. This is very much dependent on the Volunteer Co-ordinator who
benefits from the Church’s grant.
We give thanks for the UK’s 50th Anniversary and for fundraising opportunities such as Walkng Together.
2024 marks 50 years since the founding of the first L’Arche in the UK and it will be celebrated with events on the theme of “Joyful Rebellion”.
Please pray that in the course of the year these events will help the charity reach out to many new friends and consolidate its current support base.
Please pray for the continued good health and well-being of our community over the winter months and for our community leader, Nem, who has just gone on maternity leave. Pray for our leadership team that they will continue to guide L’Arche in a loving and inclusive way. Give thanks for our volunteers without whom our day activities would be poorer. Thanks also to those who visit our homes, spending time with core members and working in our allotment ensuring it provides a good harvest for our kitchens.
L’Arche Manchester is in the throes of its tenth anniversary celebrations. Please pray that plans for the next ten years, up for discussion in July, would be ambitious and realistic. Currently there are 35 volunteers – 20 accompaniers and five community support group members – and the plan is to increase this number by 20%. Please pray about recruitment. The volunteers offer practical and emotional support which is greatly appreciated not only by the clients but by the management as well.
Interview with Nem and Eleanor from L’Arche Manchester
Hands Across the Mersey
Hands Across the Mersey is a project helping with the revitalisation of William Temple Church, which is based just across from the town centre of Wythenshawe. Unfortunately, there has been a slow decline in congregation for a few years and has been worsened by the pandemic.
Thank God for initiatives that help the young people in this part of Wythenshawe to belong, to have fun and to find a purpose. One such initiative is the Easter carwash fundraiser for a homelessness charity.
Please pray that the residential weekend in Kepplewray at the end of May will fully justify the youngsters’ high expectations.
Thank God for spiritual growth (the valued midweek communion service; Gemma’s encouraging ALM training) and practical outreach (the “place of welcome” serving soup to locals).
Please pray for the Fun Day (3 August); the Big Feed, following last year’s success; Lex and Johanna preparing for
the birth of their son in August.
Thank God that Lexi has formed a good working relationship with the nearby Methodist Church. She is volunteering in their café and getting to know the locals.
Please pray for the Back to Basics Lent course she is running, for the community gardening project and for Easter services – including the service at dawn!
We are moving our Sunday Worship to the local Methodist Church and joining with their congregation. This will alleviate heating problems in the church, so pray that the move will go well and that we can continue to grow spiritually as well as, hopefully, numerically.
We are also putting on a number of Big Feed events over the Advent period and we trust that they will be successful and helpful in the community.
William Temple Church is now open four days a week, hosting various activities. That Tuesday Thing is going well; the Bible Study benefits from the presence of people from St James and Emmanuel. Thursday is the busiest day: litter-picking; mid-week service; place of welcome (with free hot drinks). Friday evenings see a small group of young people meeting to just hang-out and chat. Please pray that the Church continues to flourish thanks to all these wonderful opportunities.
Interview with Lexi from Hands Across the Mersey
Lifecentre
Lifecentre, Salford is a Christian charity working alongside local people for community transformation. This part of Salford is in the top 1% of poorest areas, with more than 50% of families experiencing child poverty. The area is full of creative, resourceful people and Lifecentre staff join them to make these solutions a reality. They believe in listening to the community, partners and organisations living in the area and to God’s Holy Spirit as they work out their part in what God is already doing.
Thank God for the appointment of a new youth worker; they are settling in well. Give thanks are also due for the Centre’s newly renovated kitchen.
Please pray about the Easter weekend break at a Christian residential centre in mid-Wales, that the young people would have lots of fun and learn about Jesus.
Please pray about holiday clubs supporting families facing food insecurity: staffing, funding, and opportunities to show God’s love.
Please pray for the work with teenagers. Their challenges are financial insecurity at home and behavioural issues at school.
Give thanks for a very successful prayer week at St Luke’s primary school; lots of children got involved in creative prayer.
Please pray that the 450 children attending the Easter holiday clubs 2nd to 5th April would have a fantastic time.
Pray also for the Easter Sunday morning service and for the people recently come to faith who are due to be baptised.
Please pray for the staff for our Christmas holiday clubs. We want lots of our connected families to come with us to our Blackpool lights trip, Carol Concert and Christmas extravaganza meal, learning more about Jesus.
Please pray also for our Life Centre Christmas jumper party designed to gather volunteers and adult participants together.
Thank God for the holiday clubs run by kind-hearted teams over Easter. They catered for children facing food insecurity in 12 locations across Salford, and provided high quality activities. Thank God also for the father-and-son builders who are upgrading the premises. The Prayer Spaces in Schools programme is running smoothly.
Please pray for people currently attending the Alpha course, the growing faith of Youff Group, a new Paired Up Reading programme, preparation for summer holiday clubs, and strong morale in the staff team.
Interview with Beth from Lifecentre Salford
Universal Coalition of Affirming Africans Uganda
Universal Coalition of Affirming Africans Uganda (UCAA-UG) works to change the relationship between members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families who are not on their side. This worthwhile work is hard and sometimes risky but with religious leaders talking and liaising with parents and families, UCAA-UG helps the victims to be more true to themselves and victims are able to reunite with their families and get the support needed to walk this terribly hard journey.
Thank God for Tom’s safety and optimism about the future. He is due to complete his undergraduate studies this summer and hopes to start a masters in either law or international studies if he can secure a scholarship.
Please pray for good decisions. For the charity, please pray for at least two more donors, and for wisdom as he and colleagues seek to create new income-generating streams.
Praise God that Tom was recently on a management course in Washington DC. Pray for him as he returns to Law School for his final year. Praise God that the Anti-Homosexuality Act has been toned down and with more pressure could be further amended.
Thank God that despite difficult times Tom is able to continue his work with the mission.
Please pray that when the Constitutional Court in Uganda passes judgement on the Antihomosexuality Act of 2023, it finds in favour of the appeal made by UCCA.
Continue to pray for Tom and guidance about his future.
Please continue to pray for Tom, for his personal safety and or those he seeks to support and encourage in these difficult times.
Pray for his ongoing studies and plans for the future and the influence he longs to have in his homeland.
The anti-homosexual bill is due before Parliament for amendments. It has already caused well known inclusive religious leaders to be threatened and forced to re-locate. Please pray that dialogue at a diplomatic level (involving the US consulate) would help make Uganda a safe country for minorities. Please pray that Tom would be kept safe. Tom would also appreciate prayer for his influence as one of 35 representatives currently on the Obama Africa Leaders’ programme due to gather in Athens in June; and for his law school studies—his priority just now.
Interview with Tom from UCAA-UG