DECEMBER 2009

Council Ministry

Pray for:

• Our teaching staff over this hectic period for discernment, wisdom and courage
• Council to be vigilant in their thinking and praying and for godly leadership of SS
• wisdom to deal with difficult decisions in a tough financial period
• to be ever dependant on God
• grateful thanks for God's ongoing blessings
• Christmas services to lead to some being saved
• the Christmas programme to be God honouring
• God to have mercy on people and draw them to himself through the preaching of his word
• people to understand the immensity of the incarnation
• the lonely and the depressed at this time, and those who have lost loved ones in previous Christmas seasons

Children's Ministry

Give Thanks:

• For a great year with lots of opportunities to share Jesus with the children as well as to help grow them in their faith and knowledge of God!
• For great leaders who have been sacrificial and servant hearted throughout the year!
• For many new children and families joining us!

Please pray:

• We desperately need two teachers for our little explorers group (Ages +/- 18months - 3years), as well as for Sunday School (primary school)
• For many non-Christian families to join us over Christmas.
• For many opportunities to share the Gospel!

 Missionary Ministry

Grant & Loki Swanepoel

• Give thanks that the adoption process has been finalised for the two girls andthat they have been issued with passports.
• Pray for all the arrangements that need to be made before they can come on furlough in December.
• Pray for a safe journey to Cape Town andfor a suitable home for next year. Give thanks for the provision of a motor vehicle.

 Sydney & Andrea Witbooi

• Pray for a suitable successor to be found for the Diaspora ministry by the end of February 2010as Sydney hands over at the end of May
• Pray for Sydney's meetings and training sessions and for safe travel

  Sandy Wilcox

• Give thanks for safe travel to KZN and pray that she may have a good break before returning to Ethiopia for the next three years
• Pray that as she returns she may continue in the work that she has been doing and pray for a director for the youth centre.
• Pray for Seigfred Ngubane the new director of SIM for Africa

Nygaards

• Pray for the renewal of their permit to remain in South Africa (3-year extension to our volunteer's visa).
• Pray that God will provide them with 5 affordable flights to the US. (due to the World Cup tickets have soared) and that God will supply whatever funds are needed.
• Pray for their building project that it will be completed in good time and to high standards. (In order to entertain ministry guests and others)
• Pray for the many trips planned for next year that they will have good health, provision of funds, and protection from accidents, malaria, crime & immigration problems.

Young Workers

• Thanks for those who have served the young workers throughout the year
• For new leaders who are godly, servant hearted, willing to love and are gifted bible teachers.
• For Gods wisdom as we seek to further develop this ministry next year alongside the full time staff

Student Ministry

• that students will stay rooted in God's word and keeping encouraging each other during this time of different routines and festivities.
• that God would providethe small group leaders we need for 2010

Uturn Ministry

Please pray:

• for those on the U-turn rehabilitation program as they enter the Christmas holidays. Their sheltered employment ends half way through Dec for three weeks, so pray that they make sensible choices in this free time regarding friends, drugs &alcohol, and money use.
• the U-turn Christmas party on the 12th of December that we would have a great time with those we have worked with over the year, and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

NOVEMBER 2009

Council Ministry

Pray for our men

• to seek to mature as Christians
• to be godly leaders in all spheres of their lives
• to really work at avoiding worldly lifestyles and to live lives honoring to our Lord
• to have courage to say no to ungodliness
• to encourage other men to be 'Christ's man' and not the world's man

Children's Ministry

• Little explorers (ages 2-3yrs)
  For teachers (Both our leaders will be taking a break from this group at the end of the year)
• Treehouse (ages 4-6yrs)
  For the little ones to grow in their love and understanding of God
  For some volunteers to help with the growing numbers
• Promisedland (primary school)
  For the many new children who visit us each week - that they "stick"
  For the many children who are well taught at home - thanks for families who grow in God together!
  For the many children who are blind to who Jesus is - that God will open their eyes!
• Kids club (primary school)
  That many new children join us
  For understanding as we tackle Job this term!
  For our leaders who are writing exams - that they are able to be good stewards of their time.

  Missionary Ministry

Nygaards with The Navigators:

• Pray that as students face exams and then have a long break, that they'd remain faithful in the Word & prayer.
• Pray for those among whom we are sowing the gospel that God would bring them to faith. Pray especially for Enslin, Jackie, Daniel, Amber & Michael.
• Ask God to help us as a staff team to plan and prepare wisely for next year as we seek to advance the gospel and to train others in ministry.

Youth Ministry

Give thanks:

• New leaders, a great team of faithful, available, teachable guys and girls.
• Teens who are excited about bringing non-Christian friends to youth.
• A great year in which teens have grown in their  knowledge of God's Word and love for Him

Pray for:

• Matrics writing exams, that they'll keep trusting Jesus
• Grade 7's who have joined youth - that they'll continue coming along, and that they'll feel welcome.
• Crossword Camp in December- that teens will be excited about going
• Leaders as they teach 1 Corinthians to the teens this term.

Young Workers Ministry

Give Thanks:

• for the year, for his continued renewal of our hearts and lives
• for the those who have served the young workers throughout the year

Pray For:

• Gods wisdom as we seek to further develop this ministry next year alongside the full time staff
• new leaders who are godly, servant hearted, willing to love and are gifted bible teachers.
• workers as we draw to a close not to forget to keep their eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.

Council Ministry

• Pray for mens convention 16^th October. Pray for men to know and love God
• Pray for new apprentices to join the programme next year
• Pray for Chris Twala as he studies at Cornhill in London
• Pray for the building project at Arise to continue apace. Pray for the ongoing financial issues associated with building
• Pray for our denominations bishops to lead and to be sensitive to the issues in our denomination. Pray for them to have wisdom in the way forward

• Please pray for us as we take on 8 new participants in our rehab scheme. That they would fit in well and benefit from the opportunities we can give them, and that they would come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour as they hear his word taught.
• Pray that God might lead us to a suitable Occupational Therapist to run our life-skills program.

Missionary Ministry

Grant & Loki Swanepoel

• Praise the Lord! He has answered our (and your) prayers regarding the adoption. This morning in court the judge signed the final papers making us the parents of Abigail and Caitlyn! In the pic we had just arrived at the house we are staying in and we are jumping for joy. (In between crying and sitting around dazed). Thank you sooo much for faithfully walking this road with us. We have been humbled by the love and commitment shown by many, many people (some of whom we have never met) to pray for us and encourage us in this long journey. The lawyer tells us the final documents will be out in 2 weeks and then we can start the application for the girls for Kenyan passports.
• Pray for a house and a car as the family are working at coming back to South Africa on furlough next year. They are in very great need of a break.

• Praising Jesus!   Psalm 124:1- "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side... then the flood would have swept us away.Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth"

Sandy Wilcox

• Pray for opportunities to talk to students and to interact with young people doing apprenticeships in St Stephen's. Pray that God will encourage people to become involved in missions through prayer, giving and going. Pray that God will raise up youth workers and especially a director for a youth centre in Mekelle.

Nygaards

• Continue to pray for FRUIT as we share Christ among students at UCT & UWC.
• Thank God for our Bible "marathon" last weekend. Pray for lasting fruit to result, both in terms of immediate application and in terms of people developing an increasing thirst for the Word which would translate into life-long obedience.
• Ask God to give our team emotional and physical health and strength and that we'd give ourselves fully to the work. Pray for our new country director, Paul Makhurupetsi that God would give him grace to serve and lead well. Paul is coming to visit us 3rd to 7th October to share with us some of the ways he'd like to see the ministry grow. Pray that Tricia & Bruce would prepare and lead well, and that those we serve would be faithful in their preparation of assignments, that they'd grow in depth in the Word and in their ability to share the gospel among their friends and families.

Young Workers Ministry

• Thanks to God for this years leaders. Thanks for having raised them up, sustained them and enabled them throughout the year. Thank for a great year in Hebrews as we have marveled at Christ final fulfillment of the OT.
• Pray for new leaders next year to raise them, and equip them. Pray for the all the new young workers and the students coming up next year that they would feel at home, be served and grow in their love for Christ. Pray for the young workers overarching leadership to make wise, godly and helpful decisions for next year.

Student Ministry

• Pray that they'll not give up meeting together as workloads grow and exams loom.
• that  some students will step up into roles of servant-hearted leadership that they'll work out what it means to live distinctive lives on campus  and around friends.
• Pray that Chris Thwala will get to London safely and settle quickly into his new  environment.

SEPTEMBER 2009

Council Ministry

Give Thanks

• pastoral Staff and Ministry Team
• for the new Mens Bible Study group starting up on Wednesday mornings
• for God's amazing mercy to us

Pray for:

• their spiritual and physical health, as they minister to us. They face many challenges and stresses and need our prayers, love, encouragement and support.
• Synod taking place in Midrand from 8-11 September. Pray for leadership of the denomination as Frank moves towards retirement
• the church's financial position which is tight at present

Children's Ministry

Give Thanks:

• for an awesome camp
• for the leaders who served tirelessly
• for the kids who were well-behaved
• for the Gospel opportunities and chats
• for the safety and protection of all on camp
• for the relationships that grew between the children and the new relationships made with some of the St Thomas children that came along
• for the great weather despite a gloomy forecast!
• for a God who rules!

 Missionary Ministry

Sydney & Andrea Witbooi,

•  Pray for Nicola & Tanya, that they may settle into their respective universities, that they make the right friends and that they may slot in with the right church.
• Give thanks that Andrea has passed her exams and is qualified to teach both German and English as a foreign language. This is in preparation to them both going to China
• pray for the Diaspora Ministry that this would continue to grow and develop as it reaches out to Asian people living outside their own country.

Grant & Loki Swanepoel

•  Pray for the continued drought and the resultant starvation amongst the Rendile people
• Pray for Pr Joshua Teruga, his wife Ruth and their 2 children Rhoda and Cephas for encouragement as they bring the Gospel to the people of Laisamis.
• Pray for the developing partnership with the church in Nairobi under the leadership of Dr Mwalwa

Sandy Willcox

•  Pray for safety as she travels through South Africa and getting used to being on the left hand side of the road.
• Pray that meetings and talks with and to people will be God honoring and will encourage people to serve God wherever they are.
• Pray that the Lord will raise up a youth centre director for Mkele, in the North of Ethiopia, and use Sandy to encourage people to think about cross cultural service.

Youth Ministry

Give Thanks:

•  New Leaders
• Teens who have become Christian and have slotted into a regular Small groups
• new Grade 7's who have joined youth
• Our Sunday Morning Bible Study, many young teens have joined.
  
  Pray for:
• Camp coming up on 18-20 September
• That the grade 7's will come along on camp, and feel welcome.
• That our camp speaker, Byron Fester, will speak faithfully as he talks to us about 1 Peter.
• that teens who aren't Christian will put their trust in Christ
•  that camp will run smoothly and will be a great time of fellowship for our teens.
                             
   Small Groups
• Give thanks that 70% of our teens are in regular small groups.
• for those who aren't in small groups that they'll see the importance of studying Gods word together and grow to be more and more like Jesus.
• For Leaders as they are challenged by the Message of 1 John
• And that these leaders will in turn be faithful as they teach it to our teens.

 Uturn Ministry

Give Thanks:

•  that one of our residents who has been very ill from sustained alcohol abuse has been admitted to an inpatient rehab facility for three weeks.

Pray for:

• that he would stick with the program and that the Lord would lead him to Himself.
• for us as we recruit a new Occupational Therapist to run our life skills program. It is a key role in training the residents in practical Christian living.
• the finalization of City of Cape Town leases.
• for the U-Turn Team's spiritual and physical health, as they minister to homeless. They face many challenges and stresses and need

Arise Ministry

Pray for:

• the Arise Team's spiritual and physical health, as they minister to affected and infected children. They face many challenges and stresses and need our prayers, love, encouragement and support.
• the Arise building project taking place. Pray for the financial means to complete it and for costs to be kept under control

Student Ministry

Give thanks:

• for great times in the book of Hebrews and how God has revealed to us that Jesus is better than any other former way.
• for the growth in numbers we have seen in the last few months.

Pray for:

• Newcomers would be well rooted in Gods community over the next few months.
• For our current leaders to have sustained energy and perseverance to teach and serve.
• God to raise new leaders for next year as many of our current leaders move on.
• For our groups to grow deeply in their knowledge and love for Christ and to live this out radically in their lives.
• For the young workers to continually make Jesus a priority in their lives amidst the pressures of work life.
• For the young workers to live gospel intentional lives as they live constantly creating opportunities to put Jesus on the agenda.
• For those who are struggling in their various circumstances to continually see their suffering from a gospel, heavenly perspective.