Project Updates March 2022 - Please share this booklet with your congregations. If you would like printed copies, email ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Project Updates
March 2022
Please share this booklet with your congregations.
If you would like printed copies, email anya@hopecoventry.org.uk
or download at hopecoventry.org.uk/projects/
Welcome to HOPE Coventry’s 2022 project
updates booklet. We hope you’ll find our changes
and plans interesting and uplifting. Get in touch if
you have any questions or want to learn more.
Chris Edwards - Chief Operations Officer
Contents
Our Projects Organisations we value
HOPE Coventry - 1 Coventry Street Pastors - 8
Good Neighbours Coventry - 2 Hope into Action Coventry- 9
Christians Against Poverty - 3 City Praise and Prayer - 10
Healing on the Streets - 4 Coventry Foodbank - 11
Coventry Prayer House - 5 Feed the Hungry - 12
HOPE@MotoFest - 6 Together for Change - 13
And more - 7 Embrace - 14
The Light House - 15
Radio Plus - 16
HOPE Together - 17
1
HOPE Coventry enables Coventry churches together to transform our city
with the love and power of Jesus Christ. It supports initiatives that connect
the churches together and projects that meet the needs of the vulnerable.
HOPE Coventry also produces a fortnightly e-newsletter update about
church events, projects and jobs across the city, which we encourage every
Christian in Coventry to subscribe to.
We give thanks for…
Having a wonderful prayerful office at the Halo Centre. New team members
and growing connections with the Feed the Hungry. We give thanks that we
have good relationships with local and national government representatives.
We’d like prayer for…
Continued strength for the team. Stable funding enabling long-term vision.
Wisdom and discernment to know which projects to start, support, continue,
and close. Wise next steps regarding refugees across the city, as we do what
we can to respond to the terrible situation in Ukraine.
To connect with HOPE Coventry, you can:
• Subscribe to our fortnightly email newsletter! Visit
HOPECoventry.org.uk/Newsletter
• Like us on facebook.com/HopeCoventryChurches
• Email jess@hopecoventry.org.uk (send us your news!)
• Call or text 07563 902 904
• Visit our new website hopecoventry.org.uk
• Follow us on twitter.com/covchurches
• Follow us on instagram.com/hopecoventry
• Encourage other Christian leaders to attend our next Leaders Lunch!
2
This initiative to support over 50s has grown into HOPE Coventry’s
biggest project. In the past year, the rapid growth of the project has continued with
over 350 new referrals received.
The project has continued to adapt to COVID-19 needs and restrictions, whilst also
returning to and strengthening the vital in-person interaction through 1:1
befriending and groups. The project has returned to its focus on promoting
friendships (lockdowns have caused severe loneliness in many under and over 50s)
and has branched out into providing local friendship groups, particularly aimed at
supporting men with mental health challenges, and people living with dementia.
We give thanks for…
The dedication and commitment of old and new volunteers to helping older people.
Professionals who’ve provided free additional training on topics like mental health.
Becoming a key service helping alleviate pressure on the NHS. All the social groups
and events that have started up again, and opportunities to share time and faith with
those in desperate need of social support.
We’d like prayer for…
Confidence in the older people for them leaving the house again after
lockdowns. Other Good Neighbours projects to grow and thrive, based on the
Coventry model. New volunteers to come forward for training. Energy and wisdom
for staff. Steady funding for long-term project planning.
facebook.com/GoodNeighboursCoventry 07563 902 904 goodneighbours@hopecoventry.org.uk
Clients supported and volunteers trained Clients needing match
700
600
600
Average no. of clients
supported each week 11
500
Volunters trained
400 350
291
300
194 3 24
200 170
120 100 80
100 1 1
4 9
0
Awaiting ftf match Awaiting phone match
2019 and before Early 2020 2020 2021 2022
Awaiting rematch On hold
To be assessd
3
Christians Against
Poverty Coventry
Christians Again Poverty in Coventry has been running for over 7
years and in that time has had contact with over 470 families. Our
heart and our passion is to support people to become debt free and
in doing so introduce them to the love of Christ. We have 4 debt coaches
working across the city, 2 CAP money course volunteers, plus many
volunteer befrienders, as well as volunteers who pray for the families.
We give thanks for…
As CAP Coventry supports people in chronic debt, we often see wonderful
answers to prayer amongst the chaos of our clients’ lives. In 2021 we saw 18
families go completely debt free: amongst them Ann and James, who after 4
years of paying into a debt management plan, did not realise they were
making their final payment and were extremely excited when we told them
they were debt free.
We’d like prayer for…
As lockdown has eased and the fuel crisis bites, we are seeing a significant
upturn in demand but a reduction in financial support. Please pray for more
finance to come in to keep this growth beyond the 8 months that we
currently have money for.
For each positive, there are also struggles, which is frustrating. 52% of our
clients drop out before they begin to pay into a CAP support plan. It is,
however, our calling to help those who want to be helped and bring hope
into their lives, where often we find none. We have many challenges as we
expand our work, not least the daily struggle to encourage clients who move
forward 2 steps and then back one. Prayer is vital in this battle. We need
more people to come forward to pray for specific families, so that we can
support every client in prayer.
Contact Ian Burton, Centre Manager ianburton@capuk.org 07941 361 771
hopecoventry.org.uk/projects/christians-against-poverty/
4
The mission of Healing on the Streets is “to reach out to the lost and
hurting” in the city centre “in a simple but beautiful way, powerfully
expressing God’s love…” These are the words of Mark Marx, founder of
HOTS, who has seen truly amazing healings take place through this ministry,
which has grown throughout the UK and beyond.
Here in Coventry, over the years we have also seen wonderful healings take place:
“A man with pain in his ankle received prayer. He became totally pain free, with full mobility
restored.”
“A lady with a long term smoking addiction received prayer and returned months later to say
that she had tried to smoke after prayer and it tasted terrible. She had not smoked since.”
“A young guy on crutches told us he had recently broken his ankle. After prayer, he walked off
normally, waving his crutches in the air!”
Currently we have a small but passionate team who offer prayer once a fortnight in
the city centre, whatever the weather! The pandemic meant we lost momentum and
several regular team members have not returned, so we would love it if new people
with a passion for outreach wanted to join us. Full training is given.
We give thanks for…
After 18 months’ pause, we were able to resume HOTS in September 2021 on a
smaller scale. We have continued throughout the winter, seeing an average of 8-9
people seek prayer in each one hour session. Healing is often sought for mental
health and emotional issues, as well as physical healing. Results are difficult to
quantify, but seekers are always appreciative and go away happy.
We’d like prayer for…
• New volunteers with a heart for outreach to join the HOTS team.
• The power of the Holy Spirit to be at work through our team as we minister on
the street.
• More clear healing testimonies to emerge from this ministry so that we can
rejoice in what God is doing.
• For more people to encounter Jesus and give their lives to Him through HOTS.
(we’ve seen quite a few over the years)
Contact: Angus & Sally Ormes angusormes@yahoo.co.uk 07874 691211
hopecoventry.org.uk/healing-on-the-streets/
The Coventry House of Prayer is a worshipping, praying
5
unified Christian community at the heart of our city, with a vision
to see prayer stimulated and encouraged across the whole church.
The goal is to see our city transformed to look much more like the
Kingdom of Heaven, with many, many more people coming to a living
faith in Jesus.
After meeting virtually during the pandemic, we now gather and maintain
prayer vigil for the city at our location in the Old Bluecoat School in the city
centre, providing a peaceful space for the community to meet, reflect, and
pray. It is led by Dave Butler and Cath Henzell.
Church small groups are invited to retreat in prayer in the House of Prayer
rooms.
We would welcome chatting with you if you would like to be more involved
yourself, or if you would like more contact as a church.
www.coventryhouseofprayer.org.uk coventryhouseofprayer@gmail.com
Cov365
Covering Coventry in 24/7/365 prayer, Cov365 offers
an open invitation to all Christians to contribute to
unceasing worship and prayer for the entire Coventry
City of Culture year, ending 14th May 2022. The Prayer
House have joined with this project, continuing to hold
the city in prayer.
Sign up for a 1 hour prayer slot as an individual, family, group or church at
https://coventry24-7prayer.uk.to/
6 HOPE@MotoFest gives churches together in Coventry an opportunity to bless our city, running family activities and a Sunday service. After successfully hosting these in 2018 and 2019, we returned in 2021 with a concert on the final day of MotoFest outside the Transport Museum. “This year Motofest Coventry will be back bigger and bolder than ever, with a non-stop cultural celebration of the city’s motoring past, present and future. We will welcome the return of traditional MotoFest favourites such as the unique Ring Road Sprint Circuit, live motorsport displays and motorbikes, both on and off the track, to name just a few of our most popular attractions.” - James Noble, MotoFest Coventry Festival Director If you are interested in being part of the planning team for September 2022, please contact Chris. We give thanks for… The opportunities we have had to be an integral part of a city wide festival and the witness of the church worshipping together at the heart of the event. We’d like prayer for… The creation of a new HOPE@MotoFest team and the decision as to what to provide at the event. That the city wide churches would work together to bless our city. hopecoventry.org.uk/hopeatmotofest/ chris.edwards@hopecoventry.org.uk
7 And More… HOPE Coventry Connections In addition to projects like Good Neighbours / CAP / HOTS, HOPE Coventry links Coventry communities and churches to support one another in various ways. Activities include: • Fortnightly HOPE Coventry newsletter (currently over 1200 subscribers) • HOPE Coventry social media channels (currently over 3300 followers) • Leaders’ Lunches • Representing Christians at other networking events e.g. ROC Conversations, and supporting other geographic areas to create linked networks • supporting churches, groups, agencies & members of the public with finding the service(s), solutions, or resources they are seeking (e.g. places to help refugees, where to donate clothes, publicity help) • Community Messengers & associated public health messaging • Surveying Church views, such as with the Church Audit 2022 • Connecting nationally with Christian unity movements • Connecting Christian organisations locally • Supporting the Open Heaven prayer walk 2020 and 2021 Additionally, we provide expertise to other Christian churches and charities e.g. governance, policies and procedures. Get in touch with us if you are looking for support or solutions. We exist to serve you. jess@hopecoventry.org.uk
8 Coventry Street Pastors have been patrolling since 2016 and are now an accepted part of the night time economy. With the strapline of Caring, Listening and Helping, street pastors patrol the city centre from 10pm until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights, ensuring those enjoying themselves are safe. Our mission is to be there for anyone who needs help, be it someone who is drunk, being sick, someone who has lost their friends, or who is just having difficulty getting a taxi, as well as many other reasons help is needed. We are called by police, licensees, door staff and CCTV whenever necessary. Over the last 5 years we have picked up thousands of bottles and glasses to prevent them being used as weapons, swept up hundreds of broken glasses to prevent accidents, and have spent time with 3 would-be suicides until assistance arrived. As Street Pastors we are repeatedly asked why we do this, and here we have the opportunity to share our faith, answer questions and pray with people, to give encouragement and light in people’s darkness. We give thanks for this and for our Prayer Pastors (people who pray at home for our patrols, the city and situations that arise, when we are out on patrol). During the pandemic we adjusted our patrols to fit the government. We are happy to report we are now back to pre-pandemic normality and looking to start earlier shifts as well , from 6pm until 10pm, again on Fridays and Saturdays. We are currently recruiting to make this a reality. We were delighted to commission 10 new Street Pastors on 14th January 2022, 5 new and 5 from during the pandemic. The service blessed all those present, including Street Pastors, Prayer Pastors and supporters. We celebrated the street pastors commission of ‘caring, listening and helping’ by being the hands and feet of Jesus and keeping people safe on the streets of Coventry. As we face the future, please share that we are looking to recruit more Street Pastors, for both early and late patrols. Full training will be provided. We would also welcome more Prayer Pastors; there is no age barrier for this. We all know that prayer is the key to success. Contact: Isabel McIntyre 07770 160 909 coventry@streetpastors.org.uk
9
Hope into Action was first set up in 2010 in Peterborough. Currently there
are 98 homes open in partnership with 89 churches across 34 locations, which
means there are 269 individuals housed and supported by the church. Of the
269 individuals, 82 are refugees. We opened our first house in Coventry in 2018;
there are two homes in partnership with 3 churches (tenants from one house are
supported by two church communities) and we’ve currently got 6 tenants being
supported by those church communities.
We give thanks for…
Seeing positive relationships between the church teams and tenants develop.
Tenants’ lives being transformed through the love and support of the church
family. (Two have won awards at the Annual Conference!)
Seeing God at work through what we do.
We’d like prayer for…
Our measure of success is our tenants feeling loved by the church. Pray that our
tenants will experience God’s love through the friendship and support the church
is providing them with. We need more churches to answer God's call to house the
poor wanderer (Isa 58:6-7)
Contact: Adéle Harris adele.harris@hopeintoaction.org.uk
www.coventry.hopeintoaction.org.uk
This cross-city, cross-church twice yearly gathering of
prayer and worship focussed on Coventry gives the
church the opportunity to gather and lift out city to
God.
The next gathering will take place outside
in the Cathedral Ruins on Sunday 15th
10
May at 6.30pm. The evening will be
free, but ticketed. Tickets will be
available from the beginning of
April via the website
www.citypraise.org11
Coventry Foodbank don’t think anyone in our community should have to
face going hungry. We provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency
food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part
of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust,
working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
There is normally a foodbank centre open somewhere in the city of Coventry 6
days a week. Coventry Foodbank distributes food through 14 partner
churches. We fed over 34,500 people through the pandemic up to March
2021.
Hugh McNeill info@coventry.foodbank.org.uk
HOPE Coventry operates out of an office in the Foodbank/Feed The Hungry
warehouse in Binley. We pray together as a team three times a week.
Founded in 1987, Feed the Hungry has delivered more than £300 million of
food and supplies to hungry, hurting people in 92 nations around the globe.
The charity also responds with emergency food and relief during disasters.
Together, they feed those are who hungry, empower the church worldwide
and share the hope that comes through Jesus Christ.
Feed the Hungry directly oversees the entire relief process to make sure
contributions get into the hands of those who need it most - when
they need it most. Around the world we regularly feed 399,000
12
children.
Feed The Hungry in the UK, Czech Republic and Slovakia,
alongside their partner in Romania, are providing help to
refugees from the Ukraine War - including out of the
Coventry warehouse.
Gwyn Williams gwyn@feedthehungry.org.uk13 Our mission is to tackle poverty, focussing on the most deprived parishes of the Diocese of Coventry. We support local churches to develop imaginative projects which tackle key themes, which for the last couple of years has included:- • Family Link Work – supporting churches & schools working with disadvantaged families • Fresh Start – supporting refugees through befriending, sport, and English classes • Good Neighbours – helping HOPE Coventry to support the vulnerable elderly • Emergency Food – working closely with local authorities and local groups of churches • Youth Work – pioneering new youth initiatives such as partnerships with the Message Trust, establishing ’Student Lounges’, and supporting churches with their youth strategies • Saints Nuneaton – creating a town centre hub for youth and young families • Capital Regeneration Projects – fundraising for and project managing investment in community buildings and churches. We give thanks for … • Growing recognition by local authorities of the importance of church support to communities during COVID-19, leading to funding for collaborative projects that benefit those in need. Emergency food projects are a key example. • The support of a wide group of churches and other partners to provide love and care to people seeking refuge in Coventry. We give thanks for the team of volunteers drawn from across the church in Coventry. Through COVID and lockdown, TFC Fresh Start continued to engage with several hundred refugees each week by switching to online sessions. When support groups resumed, many more refugees attended. This included starting Sunday sessions, which turned into the One Family Church, now at St Peters Hillfields. • Transformed community buildings and churches, following major fundraising and associated project management, notably Saints Nuneaton and St Catherine’s Stoke Aldermoor. • The many volunteers and local charities who have given time and money to the work of the church in addressing needs in local communities. We’d like prayer for … • Our growing work with disadvantaged youth and young families across the Diocese. More churches and volunteers to engage in Fresh Start. Talk to Matt Robinson for more. CEO: Jet Jones TFC Development Worker (Coventry): John Scouller www.togetherforchange.org.uk Together for Change Coventry & Warwickshire is a company ;imited by guarantee & registered in England No. 08763866 and a registered charity No. 1160133. Reg’d Office 1 Hill Top Coventry CV1 5AB
The mission of Embrace is to support female on-street sex
14
workers in Coventry. We come alongside women, many of
whom are struggling with life controlling issues and who are
disadvantaged by past and present circumstances. We seek to hear,
respect, pray, empower and work with them towards a better future. We
provide evening outreach, where a team of Embrace volunteers meet the
women who are out, offering food, warm clothing, prayer and conversation. We
also offer floating support during the week based on the needs of individual
women.
We give thanks for…
We are thankful that we have resumed our normal working pattern and are
delighted to report the success of our Christmas events. We gave out 71 goodie
bags throughout the Christmas season; 23 through home and doorstep visits,18
to the Verto living supported living accommodation and 30 through the Kairos
Christmas party which we partnered with them to deliver. The party was a fantastic
success and the women could enjoy a homemade Christmas dinner, get hair and
nails done and take part in some festive fun! Thanks to all who supported
practically or financially, we couldn’t do it without you!
We’d like prayer for…
Recently we have seen God work in some amazing ways during outreach. One
night, a team member prayed that the women we meet would be hungry for
prayer, not just the food and drinks we offer. That night one woman asked for
prayer before anything else and over the next 3 outreaches we had incredible
times of prayer with some of the women and a new openness to the Holy Spirit.
Please pray for the women who expressed an openness to God, that they would
continue to engage with us so we can see God at work in their lives.
We would also ask for prayer for Sue, a lady we have been working with who talks
about a lack of long term support. We ask for prayer for those who no longer
require practical support as they move forward with their lives, but for whom
reliable friendships and emotional support are vital.
Pray for our Embrace workers, who continue to be supportive in the long term.
We thank you for your prayers, finance and gifts. We can't reach out to the amount
of women we do without you and we are so grateful for your support.
Contact: Ali Maynard www.embrace-uk.org info@embrace-uk.orgThe Light House is a counselling agency based in Coventry
15
1
offering timely, confidential and sensitive counselling. All staff
and volunteers are Christians from many different churches in Coventry
and beyond. NHS services refer clients in for support.
We give thanks for…
We have been able to keep our services going throughout the pandemic, by
Zoom when we had to, and face to face as soon as we could. We were surprised
by the uptake of face-to-face counselling, which was rapidly taken up again.
We’d like prayer for…
The energy crisis is bringing challenges for everyone, and that includes the Light
House. Our buildings are 1920s and require a lot of heating during the winter, the
estimated cost next year is doubling to £10,000. We are planning to have work
done to make our building more energy efficient, but this will not be cheap. We
thank Vineyard Church for their continued practical support and we ask for prayer
for the continued work of the Light House and our finances.
02476 440095 lighthousechristiancare.co.uk
Radio Plus has been broadcasting Christian music and chat in Coventry for over 10
years. They continue to advertise the work of HOPE Coventry.
We give thanks for…
The privilege of getting into the homes and cars of people who might
not venture into their local church. Signposting listeners to events and
services that take place in their local church.
16
We’d like prayer for…
Funding of core operations. Engaging with more churches
to use Radio Plus as a resource to reach out to their
community.
dev.radioplus.org.uk/blog/ admin@radioplus.org.uk17
The wider HOPE Together movement is based in Rugby
and seeks to help churches globally to work together to
use words and action to make Jesus known. HOPE Coventry is
affiliated with HOPE Together.
We give thanks for…
The opportunity to provide resources and websites to support those in
greatest need. In particular, The Wellbeing Journey course and the bereave-
ment projects ataloss.org / lossandhope.org / The Bereavement Journey
have provided comfort to thousands.
We give thanks for new opportunities to reach out to churches working with
young families through training webinars, and for opportunities to share the
Gospel with families over Easter and the upcoming Queen’s jubilee.
We’d like prayer for…
The latest HOPE For All magazine to be used by churches to bring hope and
Jesus into local homes. Churches as they restart activities in person that have
been closed over the pandemic period
www.hopetogether.org.ukYou can also read
