ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR

JAMES

August and September have been busy but rewarding months as we set out into a new ministry / school year. 

While the staff, new interns and volunteers have been out reaching this generation, I have been working on our strategy for the year ahead. It has been such a blessing to have met with several other organisations who like us, want to serve and support this generation and navigate how we do that well together.  

These meetings have birthed some incredible partnership opportunities that will enable us to care for the mental, emotional and spiritual needs of young people across the youth and sports sectors. 

The media team have been working hard on the development of new resources that can be accessed via our website ‘support page.’ These resources are being rolled out to partner organisations and have already seen a significant uptake and it is our prayer that they will continue to have a positive impact in the lives young people. 

We know that the mission would not be possible without God’s provision through his people. We are so grateful for your prayers and financial support. 

ZARA

What a great start to the new school year! It feels like summer is a distant memory. Thank you for all of your prayers over us as the new term started, we really felt them and they enabled a very smooth beginning. 

We are in the privileged position of partnering with three other youth ministry organisations to run an event called interns together. These events happen three times a year and we kicked off with the first one in September. The vision is that we gather together individuals who are taking a year out to intern across various youth ministries in Northern Ireland. Our theme this year is “Here to Serve” looking at the model of Jesus in ministry. This was not only an amazing opportunity to be a part of but getting to work with other organisations, share ideas and cast vision was really life giving. We are all serving the same God and getting to do it together was really special.

REBEKAH

God has been so faithful to our team this September as He has blessed us with our new team and provided us with many opportunities to speak life over young people. One of my highlights was working with the young people at The NET in Comber. The space the leaders provide there for young people going through really difficult times was an honour to be a part of and I really believe God used the workshops to speak to them. Our intern Charlie did an incredible job building rapport with them and leading new games. Please pray for our new team members as they grow in confidence and bravery leading content. 

Please also continue to pray for our ongoing partnerships; this month we met at the GBNI headquarters to establish a partnership with them and saw so much for God’s favour, even down to the timing of the meeting. 

As we look ahead to October, please pray for Chris and I heading to deliver workshops in Spain. We have been able to secure bookings in Spanish high schools which has previously proved difficult since we are a Christian organisation. Our hope is to be light in the darkness as we enter those spaces.

CHRIS

During September, I had the incredible opportunity to receive training to become a certified coach of the Grip Birkman Assessment. This insightful and unifying tool is used by Made For More in order to better understand our own personalities, our spiritual gifts and how we are designed to live and serve in community. This was an encouraging time to meet, be equipped and trained alongside missionaries based all over the world (albeit on zoom). Through this training I am now qualified to lead our interns, staff and volunteers in their own Grip Birkman assessments and on top of that, the training has reminded me in such a clear way of God’s power and design in creating us all in unique ways with different gifts, experiences and personalities. 

Please continue to pray for our team and give thanks to God for all the different abilities and gifts he has given us. Please pray that he would continue to unite us together so we can best serve him throughout Northern Ireland and beyond.  

Beth

I have been so thankful this month for how God has woven our team together this year. I am thankful for those who have been for a long time, and those new who bring a breath of fresh air. Our interns specifically are so devoted and servant-hearted, and we are about to begin a journey of understanding ourselves and who the Lord has created us to be by part-taking in the Grip Birkman test. As Chris has mentioned in his section, he has just completed training to coach this test, so it is heavenly timing as we begin exploring this with our team! Please pray for our interns, that they would see how wonderfully they have been made and how to serve God in their own ways!

In other news, Johnny and I have been training a team as we prepare to head off to India. We will be carrying out workshops and sharing the gospel with students in a local university. Please cover us in prayer during our preparation and as we are there 18th-28th October. The next prayer update will fill you in on all the Lord does while we are there! Thank you so much!

JOHNNY

It was so great to be back in schools and youth groups again. For me a real highlight was speaking at the encounter weekend at the north coast. It was incredible, building relationships and seeing how the young people were keen to learn more about the bible and how we can become more Christ-like!

I also got the opportunity to speak at a sport chaplaincy event at Windsor Park - I was able to share my sporting experiences and stress the importance of the role of the Sport Chaplain in their teams. We had some incredible conversations and met some incredible people with stories of how God has moved in sports teams in the UK. I just want to thank God for experiences like this, a real pinch me moment.

Beth and I would love you to continue praying for our trip to India, coming up in the middle of October. It is very exciting, but we just want to make sure everything logistically and practically goes smoothly and that we continue to rely on God pre, during and post our trip!

Thanks for all your prayers and support.