Highwoods Prayer Room 18 - 20 Jan 2008

There will be a 24-2 Prayer Room at The Ark, Highwoods Methodist Church, Jack Andrews Drive, Highwoods, Colchester

from 7pm Friday 18 January 2008 to 7pm Sunday 20 January 2008.

We need people to book slots to pray in the prayer room. Please book your one hour or longer slot by contacting Daphne Digweed on 01206 523744 or daphne.peter@ntlworld.com

Lakes Hospital Carol Concert

Sarah Steigman and friends sang carols, read accounts of the Christmas story in the Bible and then she shared personal thoughts on what the light of Christmas means to her. Afterwards we were served mince pies and hot drinks. We offered prayers and continued to share personal testimonies with patients.

One woman told us of her spiritual experiences and hearing God through dreams. She told us of a recurring dream in which she is falling, without fear, looking down upon a large hand. Unfortunately she is never able to reach the hand. Both Sarah and I suggested the the 'hand' is of the Father God. The woman agreed and we continued to talk. We ended up praying that she would make a decision to allow herself to fall into the hand.

This all took place on the Friday before Christmas (sorry can't remember the date - every day has become such a blur you know!) I strongly felt there are many people in the Lakes mental health hospital who are hungry for the presence of God and healing of Jesus Christ.

Sarah is continuing to seek God for the future of this developing ministry amongst the community of people there. Please pray for her and if you would like to know more about how you could be involved, get in touch with us at Colchester Boiler Room and we could pass your details on to Sarah.

Many blessings for 2008!!

The Gift at Mersea

I've just come back from Mersea Island where I've visited The Gift at West Mersea Free Church.

It's a really good creative journey into the Christmas story.

I particularly liked (although was moved by!) the part that looked at our brokeness.

I also liked the part that reflected on Jesus being born into a refugee family. And then gave information on the many refugees and Internally Displaced People in the world today.

The Gift really broke open and shed light on the Christmas story for me.

Nice one, Joe and friends at West Mersea Free Church for putting it together and opening it up.

Street Pastors First Night Out

Here are my friends, Norman and Jennie. There were two of 18 Street Pastors who were out on Friday night 11pm - 4am.

And we were backed by many friends in the church who were praying for us.

Thank God He gave us a spirit of boldness to go out. I did feel nervous, because it was the first night out in our Street Pastor uniforms. But I was also really excited and buoyed by having so many friends around me.

During the night we were able to help many different people; we reported a girl who was missing, we stopped a girl getting bullied by her friends, we treated an injured woman and called an ambulance, we encouraged a group who were looking after a distressed woman...

There was one incident of threatened aggression against us. However, that amounted to nothing.

Please continue to pray for the Street Pastors who are out to help people 10pm - 4am on Fridays, and also on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Contact admin@colchesterprayernet.co.uk if you would like to be part of the prayer support.

Richard

Street Pastors launched at Mayors Parlour!!

We had an amazing evening on Saturday night. It was the comissioning service for the Colchester Street Pastors. These are Christians who are being sent out on Friday nights to help people and bring the love of Jesus to the streets.

There was prayer and worship in the Mayors parlour, Colchester Town Hall.

And the Mayor (alongside the Police and local church leaders) commissioned the Street Pastors with these words.

"Will you undertake your work as Street Pastors faithfully and to the best of your ability? Will you pray for the work you undertake and for the people with whom you come into contact?"

To which we replied. "With God's help. We will."

Street Pastors go out for their first night on uniformed patrol on Friday 10pm - 4am. And will be out evey Friday night.

If you are interested in being part of prayer support, please contact info@colchesterprayernet.co.uk

West Mersea news and request for help

Here's news from Joe on West Mersea.

I am running an evangelistic event on Mersea for Christmas. It is a Christmas Journey. The church will be laid out in 5 different stations and will be like a maze with dividing walls for each station.

The theme of each station is:
Brokenness - Reflecting on a broken world and us as broken people
Promise - God's promise to fix it all
Gift - God's way of fixing it through the giving of a Gift
Birth - The Gift is His only Son
Hope - The future is bright because of the Birth, death and resurrection of Jesus

Each station will have meditations and hands on practical things to do. People will come and go as they please with hot drinks and cakes being served. It is my hope that people will come and discover the meaning of Christmas in a new, fresh and relevant way.

We are running it on Sunday 16th December from 6.30pm onwards and Monday 17th December from 9am onwards.

When people leave they will get a bag of to take away things they have made during their experience and a DVD. The DVD is called More To Life and has 11 testimonies of people who's lives have been transformed by Jesus. It was made by Viz-A-Viz.

the favours:Could you circulate this for prayer please? I need prayer that practically it will all work. Presentation - that it will look really good. Fruit - That through it many will be drawn closer to Jesus.Also circulate for people to come and experience it for themselves.

I also need to find loads of purple, red and white material to dress the church with. I won't cut it or anything and the people can have it back after the event. Do you know anyone who has anything like that?

God BlessJoe

contact mail@colchesterboilerroom.org.uk if you can help.

Prayer for the Lakes Ministry

The Lakes Ministry will hold a Christmas service at The Lakes psychiatric hospital on Friday 21 December. The Lakes Ministry will be offering prayer to patients and staff at this event.

In preparation people will be praying and fasting for the Lakes Ministry on Thursday 13 and Thursday 20 December.

Support is also needed praying for the Lakes Ministry during the Christmas service, from 2pm to 4pm at the Colchester General Hospital chapel on Friday 21 December.

If you would like to join the prayer support please contact Richard Smith on mail@colchesterboilerroom.org.uk

Colchester at 24-7 UK Network Day

On Saturday Jean, Mike, Katy and I got up too early.

But we were full of excitement because we went to Reading to meet up with other people who do 24-7 Prayer from around the UK. (here's some picture of them...)

It was inspiring to hear stories of how God is leading people to pray and live out their prayers across the UK.

I especially remember stories from Matt and Ali from Cornwall who have an amazing calling to pray and do Chritian community amongst surfer people. And we had an amazing time standing alongside and praying for the pioneers from Reading who are once again stepping forward into 24-7 prayer.

I was very encouraged, again, to share and pray with James. He heads up Boiler Room Community in Egham.

Jean reflected that the most important message she carried away from the day was about community. The need for community. The fact that we are all part of community in some way. And also some trepidation for the young 24-7 communities that are starting.

Mike was again please to be amongst the 24-7 "family" and was encouraged by it. He was also excited to hear of the vision for mission to be led by each local 24-7 prayer community, rather than a central office. And to see this happening already....even in his own life!

There was a time of prayer for the different locations represented, and during this a time of prayer for Colchester. I remember two words being given in particular;

One was a picture of a town surrounded by a wall. And out of gaps in the wall came arrows. And these arrows were very directed and very effective.

Another was a prayer for Essex Men. And a prayer for redemption of Essex Men. That their talents for entrepreneurism, energy, doing new things and telling others would be redeemed and used for God's kingdom.

with excitement,

Richard

Reflection from Stephanie on the Prayer Hearing

Some of us went to a Prayer Hearing on Wednesday 21 November, organised by the Bishop of Barking at a local secondary school.

Sister Stephanie Cardis reports;

"The venue of the school and the context as given by Faith Spinlove gave powerful focus.

The presence of the young people and their willingness to speak brought a new dimension, much valued, to the Prayer Hearings.

And it was great that after their "conversation" they wanted to go on contributing during the plenum."

We then shared our different experiences and practices of prayer together.

The young people shared what they thought God would like to say to us. Some said that they thought God would be pleased with the good things that happen in Colchester. One young man said that he thought God would want us to seek Him wholeheartedly.

We also reflected on what we'd heard from the Prinicipal teacher, prayed for the school and shared our heartfelt desire in prayer.

Highwoods Prayer Room

Big Thanks to the Highwoods youth club crew for hosting our prayer room on Friday night.

It was a "Prayer Room Express" ;) Just open for one and half hours during the youth club. (And we set new records for setting up and taking down a prayer room.)

The prayer room was themed on the five senses; smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. And included a prayer jukebox, and a tent filled with the fragrance of Frankincense.

The young people were keen to have a look around. And all respected the prayer room by removing their shoes to come in.

I am praying this experience will encourage them and their friends to engage with a 24/2 prayer room happening on at Ark Methodist on Highwoods 18-20 January 2008.

love Richard

First fruits...in Colchester!

This morning, I had the privilege of praying with some friends of mine at the Out 4 Good Project house in Colchester.

This is a house for young men who are recently out of prison, who want to live a life free of drugs and crime.

There is a growing support network of people from the church in Colchester who will support these young men in their brave walk.

And the house has just opened this week!

It's so exciting to see how God is providing through His servants and through us, the church!

We read from James and prayed together.

I was touched by this passage from James 1: 16 - 17;

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

It's wonderful to see the firstfruits that God produces in our obedient lives.

Out 4 Good is a pilot project that will be rolled out to other towns in the UK, if it's successful here. What other first fruits can you see in Colchester?

Richard

A moment in school...

Here's a report from a friend of ours who teaches in a school in Colchester.

My least favourite time in school of the week is Wednesday break when I am on duty in the social areas.

These rooms are part of the only building left standing from when we held holiday clubs in the school. Added to that, of course this week we have the GSUS live bus parked just behind the building.

This morning I went on duty and for the first time it was fairly calm. So, I (probably to be honest for the first time outside my classroom) foundtime to pray. Praying for peace on the place.

I found myself start singing a Godfrey Birtill song I'm not that familiar with - so unfamiliarI couldn't remember any of the words!!! It was this from "O God, O God, O God";

I have loved you, I have held you
Though you weren't aware of it
Taught you how to walk and talk
and Abba your first word.

My heart breaks, as I wait
And I see you lost and cold
My heart breaks, as I wait
To see you coming home.

I have touched you, I have kissed you
Though you weren't aware of it
Taught you how to laugh and cry and
Watched you walk away.

There is more prophetic words on the CD than just these words of the song, about running to the father and faith rising.

Shortly after that I had to deal with an issue outside - but until then it was a very special moment.

Steph

Street Pastors prayer

This is an extra prayer update for Street Pastors to invite you to pray for us in the run up to the launch (14th December 2007) and as the initiative develops.

My hope is that every trained Street Pastor will be 'praying with their eyes open' as they walk the streets representing Jesus each Friday night in the town centre. Alongside this we would like to the prayer-support developed further.

I see this happening in a number of ways:

For people to commit to pray in a small group for Street Pastors during the night shift at a base in the town centre (venue TBC) – and to pray for Street Pastors when they come back to the base for breaks during their shifts.

For people to commit to pray individually for Street Pastors during the night shift at home.
For people to pray ongoingly for the work of Street Pastors – but not during the night.
Ideally we would like to have at least 3 people praying each Friday of the month – This would mean 12 committed Street-Pastor-Pray-ers altogether.

It may help you to get to know one Street Pastor, and to commit to praying for them. This way you will be praying for a person, not just a project! Ask God to show you if there is someone specific for you to support in prayer.

If you'd like to help, e-mail kt_anywhere@hotmail.com)

Thank you so much for your persevering prayer and faithfulness for our town

Love and prayers
Katy

What is your soul like?

I read this in Celtic Daily Prayer from the Northumbria Community and was inspired.

My soul is dry dust,
choking worldly ambition.

My soul is wet earth,
bearing rich fruits of grace,

My soul is a flame of fire,
blazing with passionate love.

News from Anne about the Clacton Prayer Room

The prayer room was open from 10am to 11pm on Friday 8am to 11pm on Saturday and 8am to 10am and an hour after evening worship on Sunday.

The theme was the body, focussing on the 5 senses:- taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell. This included a Poustinia where people were able to sit in complete darkness, things were available to smell and taste, meditations about hearing and a “touch pilgrimage”

Although not many signed up for an hour time slot the room was well occupied with people who came when they could and went when they had to.

There were over 70 different people attended in all (not including those who returned several times) including about 10 Boy’s brigade lads who demolished most of the food on the tasting table!! Their experience of the room was not quiet and meditative like many others but was an experience non the less!

Love Anne

More news from the JiW prayer room

Here's a report from a friend who visited the prayer room;

"I did get to the prayer room, and I was glad I went. I'd got a very busy weekend ahead of me and it provided a lovely oasis. I met with Audrey Castle who I haven't seen for years and we prayed together until others arrived. I love the way christians go to so much effort to provide such a space and also it feels like we 'unite' together for a purpose."

Thanks for the appreciation and the love! Here some more pics.

Richard

Clacton Prayer Room

Dear Boiler Room supporters,

Our friend in Clacton, Ann Scott, is organising a 24/2 prayer room at Trinity Methodist Church, Pier Avenue, Clacton. This prayer room will be running from 10am Friday 19 October to 10am Sunday 21 October.

If you would like to support this prayer room by booking a slot please contact Ann on zzzannies@btinternet.com Please note, this prayer room may not be open overnight unless the slots are filled.

love
Richard Smith

Journey into Wholeness Prayer Room report

Katy and I really enjoyed hosting the Journey into Wholeness prayer room at the St Pauls Centre from 28 - 30 September.

We were blessed with good help setting up the prayer room and with creative ideas and with generous support from pray-ers. Thanks especially to Ann, Trish, Nicky, Jason, Joan, Paul and Chris. And big thanks to Katy - what a star!

My favourite prayer area was the poustinia created by Nicky. a very black tent for experiencing darkness and calm and closeness to God.

I especially enjoyed the evening meals. It was fab to see friends from different places and different church congregations getting together and sharing and praying.

Also, it was great to support Journey into Wholeness http://www.journeyintowholeness.net/ who had a stall at the Mind Body Soul exhibition. They had good opportunities to talk to people about Jesus, inspired by a painting of Jesus being completed on the stall. They also had a chance to pray with some people.

Back into Colchester...looking forward to a Journey into Wholeness

Hi friends,

Katy and I are back from a holiday to Turkey. See some pics above. It was a great holiday. And also great to meet friends in the church there, and make new friends.

We met Turkish brothers and sisters who have suffered persecution from their family and the authorities for choosing to follow Jesus. I was humbled by the courage that they've shown. And I really want to support them in prayer and in other ways as my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

Also I've been reading a book called "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. It's stories from a man follows Jesus by living in community and sharing everything with the poor and needy. In this book Shane challenges us, where will we be when Jesus divides the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25)? Will we have fed the hungry? Clothed the needy? Invited in the homeless? Or will we just be hoping that by giving some money to charity that's all been covered?

The Journey into Wholeness prayer room is happening from 7pm Friday 28 September - 7pm Sunday 30 September at the St Paul's Centre, Belle Vue Road, Colchester. Book a 1 hour prayer slot leaving a comment using the link below.

love Richard

Sacred Space - Sunday evenings

I've been going to Sacred Space for the last couple of months. These are pics from inside St Martin's Church, where we meet for Sacred Space.

We start by doing 45 minutes of silent prayer. Inspiration is provided by Simon, Catherine and Nicky in the form of Scripture passages, and sometimes poetry and prose.

Then we finish with a spoken prayer together, often a Celtic compline prayer.

I find this Sacred Space time is a great time for reflecting on the week, and listening to our Father God.

Sacred Space is every Sunday, 7pm to 8pm, at St Martin's Church, West Stockwell Street, Colchester.

Richard