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Your 60 Second
Prayer Update:
Companions for Hope |
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Ministry Highlight
Reggie, one of the focus areas in our CMF Ministry Action Plan (MAP) is the local missional community we started with Sam and Rosalee here in Summerfield. Here’s the story, purpose, and vision in a nutshell.
Companions for Hope – cultivating abundant community from the ground up by being neighbours on purpose.
What is it? Companions for Hope is a missional community. We took the name from the idea that, literally, a companion is “one with whom we share bread.” On this journey we bear a message of hope, “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col 1.27).
What is a missional community? A missional community is a group of people apprenticed to Jesus, on mission with God empowered by the Holy Spirit, and who covenant together to intentionally and creatively demonstrate the good news of the Kingdom of God in the neighbourhood. We don’t create the abundant community Jesus described, but we can do a lot to work the ground in an intentional fashion – doing our thing while God does his bit.
Who leads Companions? Besides us, there’s Sam and Rosalee (James, Isabella, and Katharine) and Jenn. You can read more on all of us by clicking www.companionsforhope.com/who-we-are. |
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| Companions for Hope Leaders – Tim, Tammy, Jenn, Sam, and Rosalee |
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| What are Companions doing? We started by looking for how God is already at work in the neighbourhood. We identified a few groups who are working for the benefit of Summerfield and started helping them. From this networking we initiated Neighbour Nights (first Wednesday of every month) to highlight what’s good and people’s gifts being used in the neighbourhood.
Along the way we found some local Christians and began praying with them for the neighbourhood. We started Summerfield Sessions (music nights) to gather people and build relationships. A few people asked “how can we be part of Companions for Hope?” We started eating and praying and worshipping and conversing together. And so it goes as we look for people of peace, sowing the good news of the Kingdom, and telling Jesus stories.
How should I pray for Companions for Hope?
- We are working on our application for registration as a charity; pray we get the formal and informal stuff right.
- For the ‘covenant’ document we are developing that describes the way we are Companions together in the neighbourhood.
- For people we think are persons of peace; for movement from casual to meaningful to spiritual conversations and discovery Bible studies.
- For clarity on how to disciple, lead and nurture those who want to become part of Companions for Hope.
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Above: Our gathering for leaders passionate about church planting and disciple-making in an urban setting met recently – 14 representing seven countries. Christiana (left) and husband Signe will launch a Portuguese worship service later this month. Jose (standing) leads a Spanish speaking church he started.
Below: Sam from Companions for Hope is taking the lead on organizing a Bank Holiday picnic on a patch of ground near Edgbaston Reservoir. You’ll be hearing more about this community asset in the future. Note the prayer request below and please pray! |
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Prayer Highlights
17th May to 16th June Ramadan Pray for our neighbours R/S, A/F, M/S and A an A/B, for our friends N and S, and for their children to have visions and dreams where God reveals himself in Jesus. Pray they hunger and thirst for grace and truth more than the food and water they won’t be eating during the course of the day. Pray for us to connect with them spiritually in ways we haven’t before.
18th May Tim participates in a meeting about a recruitment, training, and placement strategy for missional workers in Birmingham. Pray for implementation that corresponds to vision!
18th – 20th May We lead a discipleship weekend away with Emily and Hélène for 11 of us on the theme of “Imagine More.” Some are devoted followers of Jesus, others are not. Pray for deep spiritual connections, decisions to follow Jesus, and restful fun.
28th May Bank Holiday Monday – Companions is leading a ‘pop-up picnic’ on a local playing field that celebrates our community with other local groups. Pray for safety and protection for participants, spiritual conversations, and sharing of Jesus stories.
Dates to be confirmed – Equip Britain participant evaluations and debrief meetings. Pray for the processing of the vision trips of Robyn, Jeff/Megan to Indonesia, Jacob to Italy, Nathanael to Germany (and Jenn raising support to return to England). Pray for the evaluations we complete with David/Teresa on each person.
1st – 3rd June Forge Midlands Weekend 02 missional training – pray for the planning and preparations in a busy schedule!
6th June Pray for Neighbour Nights and the diverse gathering of local community over food. Pray for Jesus stories and spiritual conversations to be shared. Pray for new followers of Jesus. |
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| Earlier this month we celebrated with the Equip Britain team before they commenced their vision trips.Three are currently in Indonesia, one in Italy, one in Germany, and one in the USA raising support to return to Birmingham as part of our field team. Pray for each to discern next steps and long-term placement. |
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PrayerFlash! Survey Responses
Thank you to all those who completed survey replies to help us improve the PrayerFlash! Our hearts were especially warmed by those who took time write so many kind and enouraging words. What did we learn?
- We need to be briefer, and send only slightly more often – we’re going to aim for every 3-4 weeks.
- Ministry updates, special prayer requests, and family updates were the three sections most read and used for prayer. Photos and captions added to the look and design.
- The dedicated (secret) facebook page is of interest, but we need to remind people how to find it in their feed.
- There is still some interest in special prayer events. We’ll experiment with something before our autumn furlough ministry.
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| Thank you for reading, praying, and replying with encouragement. Share our prayer requests with friends and church family, but do not post to the web or social media in any form. If in doubt, just ask.
Hugs and thanks from both of us. |
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| Copyright © 2018 Timothy and Tammy Aho, All rights reserved. |
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