EBA Prayer Diary

Each month, prayer needs are received from the EBA.  These have been compiled into a weekly format. 
Please email us your prayer requests.

12^th  October
        Southend-on-Sea, Avenue

Minister: Rev. Phil. Andrews

We have had a year of change and growth in leadership. With the addition of a youth worker (Ami Wager) and 2 Community Ministers (Jim and Juliet Kilpin) to work with Phil Andrews, there is a great deal to give thanks for.

 Please pray for:

• Continuing deeper links with the local community and schools, exploring new opportunities.
• Oct Holiday Club which usually attracts 80 - 100 children
• Continuing our Café Church outreach in Costa Coffee one Sunday per month
• Those "not-yet" Christians who attend church regularly to feel the need to deepen their faith.

26^th October
      Southend-on-Sea, Earls Hall

Minister: Rev. Steve Smith

Our new minister Steve arrived this year and we look forward with excitement to the plans God has for our future.

Please pray for:

• Outreach events this autumn which include an Alpha Course, ‘Back to Church Sunday’, Harvest and Christmas Celebrations.
• Our involvement with a struggling Orphanage in India which continues with various fund raising events which engage with our community
• The celebration of the church’s 70^th Anniversary in 2009 with a variety of events throughout the year

Please pray for our minister, leaders and church members generally, that we may serve God’s will and purpose as we share the good news in our community and further a field

9^th   November
      Southend-on-Sea,
                      Westcliff-on-Sea

Minister: Pastoral vacancy

The church is in the process of seeking a new minister.  Please pray that we may discern the person of God’s choice for us.

We praise God for his protection and faithfulness during this time and are encouraged by the spirit of fellowship and unity among us.

The church continues to maintain its work of worship and witness and is especially encouraged by the flourishing work among our large numbers of children and young people.

23^rd November - Christ Church,
                                               Stock

Minister: Rev. Ian Smith

 We are encouraged by so much that God is doing in our midst.  We give thanks for new opportunities and for new people joining with the fellowship.  In August we had a three day holiday Bible club which was attended by an average of seventy children each day.  We begin a new Alpha course in September and a good number of people have shown interest in attending.

We would value prayer for another new initiative we have.  We are planning to hold a carol service on a Friday night in December held in conjunction with a local pub.

30^th November -
                           Thorpe-le-Soken

Minister: Rev. David Murray

We continue to give thanks for God’s goodness to us.  After a turbulent time we are now enjoying a peaceful and joyful atmosphere in our church life.

We give thanks for a successful Holiday Club which took place during the summer months.  This was our third year and we were encouraged by increased numbers of children attending.

We ask for prayer as we seek to witness within the village, and to be relevant to the community.

In November/December we are hosting a course in Evangelism which eight of our church members will be attending.

7^th December
                  Upminster – Cranham

Moderator: Rev Colin Baker

Please continue to pray for us as we move into our second year of a Pastoral Vacancy that God will continue to give us a clear vision and unity as a Church for the future direction and leadership of the Church as we continue to seek a new Minister.
We thank God for:

• His faithfulness over the years as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1st Cranham GB/BB Companies with a reunion on the October and a joint Enrolment Service on 5^th  October

• Another successful Holiday Club in August with up to 60 young people attending from 5-11 years of age.
• An encouraging week of prayer in September centred on the hymn Great is thy Faithfulness focussing on the greatness of God, God’s creation and mercy and God’s great care expressed in salvation
•  For the various Ministers and Deacons that have led our Sunday morning and evening services during the first year of our Pastoral Vacancy

Please pray for:

• The continuing development of our children’s and young peoples work and for the leaders and helpers that they will be encouraged and strengthened as they seek to bring young people to Christ
•  Our Pastoral Care team, Admin Team, Finance Team, and the Diaconate as they continue to take on extra duties during our Pastoral Vacancy
• The continued growth of our house groups
• The continuing work of building relationships with the parents of the playgroup and youth in our organisations and in the local community

 Finally a thought that has come from our Saturday morning Deacons’ prayer meetings we would like to share with you and encourage you “Ponder anew what the almighty can do”

14^th   December -
                    Walton-on-the-Naze

Minister: Rev. Brian Jennings

We praise God for all the help He gives us week by week.

We praise Him for the way He provides our needs.

Please pray that God will send us more helpers for the work.

Pray, too, that we will see more children in our Cool Club, as numbers have decreased recently.

Pray for our Pastor and his wife and for all who help in the work that God will give them all the strength that they need.

Pray for those whose health is failing that God will be very real to them.

28^th  December -
                Witham Baptist Church

Minister: Rev. Michael Child

Praise:

• For the faithfulness of our small congregation, in prayer, giving and support of the Church.
• For the support from other Churches within our town and cluster.
• Pray:
• So many of our fellowship have major health problems, including our Pastor who has just completed a course of precautionary radiotherapy at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
• The need for more workers within the Church and Trail Blazers.
• That the Lord would send us some families.  At present we have one family with a toddler and it would be wonderful if we had some more toddlers for her.
• Trail Blazers for 5-11 year olds, the leaders and those who attend regularly. 
• Our need for permanent premises.

12^th October -
   Southend-on-Sea, Belle Vue

Minister: Rev. Ernie Hall

We have much to give thanks for:

• Strengthening links with the church in India where some of our members have been working.
• The work and growth of Brigades ( 40 years at Belle Vue.)
• Growth in numbers coming to "First Steps" Parent and Toddler Group.

Please pray for:

• God's wisdom as to how to reach the local community in relevant ways.
• Protection as we explore new ways of "doing" church in obedience to the Lord.

19^th October -
Southend-on-Sea, Clarence Road

Minister: Rev. Peter Neale      
Website: www.crbc.co.uk

We continue to be a living, worshipping community in the centre of Southend on Sea, although comparatively small in numbers. We see new people attending on a fairly regular basis, and our practical needs have been met, for which we give thanks.

We ask prayer for God to continue to guide and bless in our worship and weekly activities; that the needs of our diverse membership might be met, and especially that their witness may be inspired and blessed with spiritual fruitfulness in their daily lives.

We are also conscious of the strategic significance of our premises within the town centre and the way we are able to work in co-operation with other churches and Christian organizations as well as the College and University Chaplaincy. Please pray for God to be at work within these relationships for his glory.  

2^nd November -
Southend-on-Sea, Ferndale
                          Baptist Church

Minister: Rev. Stephen Dray

We are encouraged by continuing growth, recent conversions and the drop in the average age of the congregation! Our various involvements with the local community have led to the leasing of a shop to act as a community cafe and a base for evangelism. Our two interns have recently left (Gareth to work for the UCCF and Rudi to take up a pastorate in Germany) but Sarah Dawkins and John Delves have now joined us. We have recently agreed that we are ‘A Bible-Centred, Local Church with a Global Vision’ and seek to direct our steps accordingly!"

16^th November -
  South Woodham Evangelical
                                        Church

Minister: Rev. Andy Machin

We give thanks for:

• The baptism of one of our young adults in August, with another baptismal service taking place in November.

• A successful Alpha Course earier in the Summer; a follow on group, Tell Me More, has started this Autumn.

• Opportunities we have to witness week by week through our popular toddler group, Open Door and our Girls and Boys Brigade.

Please pray for:

• Our leadership team, which has been affected by illness and house moves
• All our volunteers, that they would maintain their energy and enthusiasm in seeking to extend Christ’s kingdom in South Woodham Ferrers

23^rd November - Thaxted

Minister:  Rev. Ian Reed

We have recently completed our new Kitchen and Hall Extension with access for the disabled
and are now seeking ways to use our new facilities in reaching our community.

We have seen an increase in attendance at our Sunday Club and Saturday Night 'Chill Out'
meeting for young people and value prayer as we seek to extend these ministries.

The Church is preparing to increase paid pastoral ministry from 'half time' to 'two third's time'
next year as the first step towards the fulfilment of our vision to call a full time minister in a couple of years time when our present Pastor retires.

30^th November-Theyden Bois

Minister:

Please pray for us during this period without a minister.

We thank God for those who lead our services from week to week, maintaining the worshipping life of the church.

We ask for your prayers for those in positions of leadership as we look forward to the future.

14^th December - Upminster,
                  Springfield Gardens

Minister: Pastoral vacancy

At the time of writing we are a year into our pastoral vacancy and seeking God's leading for the future. Please pray with us for:

• Patience to wait God's timing.
• A willingness to learn from this experience.
• New commitments to serve one another and the community.
• Fresh vision of the needs of people around us and God's ability to meet them.
• The spiritual gifts needed to be more effective in our situation.

Thank God for:

• Inspiring messages from visiting speakers.

• Our deacons and all in leadership.

• The faithful work that goes on behind the scenes.

• New people coming in.

• Those enquiring about membership.

21^st  December -
Homelands Free Church,
                    Walton on Naze

 Pastor: Graham Dallisson

• We are grateful to God for His blessing.
• We are encouraged by seeing new folk in the congregation week by week.
• Mid week activities for children and young people continue to be strong numerically, but please pray for the leadership required to keep this work spiritually healthy.
• We have many elderly and frail members and there is a heavy need for pastoral visiting, but good signs of fellowship support are maintained.
• We have a burden to reach out to the community and win many for Christ, especially men. Please pray God's hand will continue to lead us on

21st  December - West
                  Mersea Free Church

Minister: Rev. Peter Gibson

CauseWay Kids, our Sunday morning work with children has over the years had many fine leaders/teachers but we value your prayers for a new leader to take over the work. We find that many parents are not so regular in their attendance and the numbers of children fluctuates from week to week. So we praise the Lord for the leaders and children he has sent in the past and
pray that children and their parents will be more consistent and that a new leader will know the Lords prompting and step forward.

Causeway, our work with the 18s to 30s has with our evangelist spent several months now growing a friendship with a local pub, the Victory (an appropriate name!) they have spent several Sunday nights there running quiz nights and a BBQ. Their band has also been asked to play and received a good review on the local Mersea web site. Please pray that the work will continue and grow and that many will come to faith.

From our Regional Minister –Rev. Paul Hills

We trust and pray that Back to Church Sunday is having a continuing impact on our churches. The insights gained from this will need to be incorporated into church life as a whole. In this busy autumn season please pray for the activities of all the churches, the travels of the Regional Ministers and the Forums, and for continuing closeness to our Lord as we contemplate the celebration of His coming.  Please pray also for churches seeking ministry that the right introductions will be made that will prove positive in the Kingdom.

From our Regional Minister – Rev. Sheila Martin

Many of our churches will be making plans for Christmas now. We can normally expect people to come to Christmas services who might not come to church at any other time. Please pray that they will be made welcome, that they will hear the Gospel presented in relevant and attractive ways and that the experience will draw them to Jesus.

Pray too for the ministers of our churches and all the additional pressures that this busy season places upon them.

Finally, give thanks to God with great joy for the improving health of Jane Guest, minister at Canvey Island, Leigh Beck. Jane was critically ill earlier in the year.