Pray for Wales – Spring 2011
Brecon
[Network: Baptist Union of Wales & Baptist Union of Great Britain]
Ifor and Penny Williams have been appointed as church planters for Breconshire. Their
vision is to see a disciple-making church planting movement across the county. They have
good links to the small churches, which Anne Roberts has come to care for, but want to see
a new expression of disciple-based groups alongside.
A DVD of their work can be seen on our website (www.waleswide.org Resources / Videos).
For prayer
1.
2.
3.
Pray for guidance and openings as Ifor and Penny join various secular groups in
order to build relationships. Pray that through these relationships and contacts they
will be led to ‘people of peace’ who will be open to God and be open to starting small
evangelistic and discipleship groups.
Pray for the monthly youth group in Ifor and Penny’s home, and for Mervyn, the
Breconshire farmer featured on the video, for his growing faith and witness.
Pray for Ifor and Penny and Anne Roberts, that they will be daily led by God to ‘do
what they see the Father doing’.
Criccieth
Criccieth Family Church
cricciethfamilychurch.org.uk
[Network: Evangelical Movement of Wales]
Ben Thomas is now leading the church that came into being in 2000, growing out of an
annual two weeks of beach mission in the summer. We are a mainly English-speaking
congregation seeking to reach a bilingual community of around 1,800 people. A number of
us live in the town and have a good network of personal contacts through friends and
neighbours.
The church outreach includes a monthly Meal with a Message and evangelistic Sunday
evening meeting; fortnightly youth meeting and weekly children's club. We are planning to
start a programme of door-to-door visiting in Criccieth and the surrounding area in the spring.
Pray for:
1. Conversions among the Welsh-speakers of Criccieth.
2. Wisdom for the church as to how best to reach people with the gospel.
3. Christ's love to be evident among us so that all will know that we are His disciples.
Llandovery
Llandingat Church
[Network: Church in Wales]
Ian Aveson is the vicar of Llandingat Church, the Parish Church of Llandovery. We work in
partnership with Eglwys Llanfair and St Michael’s Church, Myddfai. Our strength is that we
are at the heart of the community. People in the town value the church’s involvement in
many aspects of town life. While our normal Sunday congregation numbers about 45
people, there are a few occasions each year when there are over 200 present.
We are reaching out to young people – “Bright Sparks” is our group for parents with young
children. There is an after-school club for primary school children. Our youth group for
secondary school pupils offers solid biblical teaching in a relaxed and informal environment.
Please pray:
1.
For our engagement with the life of the community, that people in the town would
move from respect for the church to seeing a need for an encounter with God.
2.
For our work with families and young people, that we might see families drawn into
the life of the church and into faith in Christ.
3.
For our plans to remove a few pews to make a flexible space for meetings and
informal gatherings, that we will use the opportunities for mission that this will give.
Machynlleth
English Presbyterian Church
[Network: Presbyterian Church of Wales & Evangelical Movement of Wales]
Richard Davies is now the minister of the traditional Presbyterian church which has been
active in the town for generations. After years of struggle it has gradually changed to
appreciate a settled Biblical ministry, though not everyone has found this easy.
The church has outreach and seasonal services, regular visitation, youth activities, and
active links with the Schools.
Three points for prayer:
1. A proposed mission in Machynlleth with the help of the Evangelical Movement of
Wales.
2. For our Lord's strategy for reaching the Dyfi Valley effectively.
3. For those who have stopped attending our services rather than facing up to biblical
challenges.
Pwllheli
Harbour Church Pwllheli
www.harbour-church.org
[Network: NewWine Cymru]
Simon and Jacquie Rose lead the new church plant which has been active for two years.
The church has stabilised, and the small community of people care for and support one
another very well. We feel NOW is the time to build, and are excited about the next phase
that we are moving into.
Street evangelism is cheap and we find it quiet effective, handing out cards, blessing people
and praying for the sick. We are looking at Alpha as one lady is keen to have a course start
in her home. We hope to have a mini-mission towards the end of the summer, and are also
praying about how we can have a more permanent presence on the High Street.
For prayer
1. We are looking to continue developing relationships in the community and with other
churches. We need a place and presence on the High Street.
2. For a clear sense of God’s leading so as to see more people from the town to come
to faith in Christ.
3. We also need a decent building to meet in. Jesus was born in a stable but not in a
Welsh winter!!!
Swansea
Gomer Welsh Baptist Church
abertawe.info
[Network: Baptist Union of Wales]
John Derek Rees leads the Welsh language church plant in the centre of Swansea. We are
focused on reaching a Welsh-speaking community that live and work in and around the city.
We run Alpha courses, kids clubs, youth clubs along with Bible studies and a Sunday
service, whilst trying to be an active part of the Welsh community in Swansea, students,
learners, schools, chapels and more. We hope to reach Welsh speakers who are lost whilst
providing an opportunity for Welsh speaking Christians to worship in their mother tongue.
Prayer requests:
1. The addition of a new family or families to strengthen the core of the church.
2. That God would keep opening doors within the Welsh community.
3. That we would be able to reach the kids’ parents.
Trevethin
Hill City Church, Pontypool
www.hillcitychurch.org
[Network: Acts 29 & Newbreed]
Dai Hankey leads the church, which is supported by Highfields Church, Cardiff.
The Church has been located on the hill of Trevethin for three years and has grown by
people travelling or moving onto the estate and by people on the estate becoming
Christians. There are plans to start a new work at nearby Garndiffaith, as well as further
afield. ‘When we first planted Hill City Church it was always our intention to be a church
plant that plants churches. Right from the outset we identified two other estates in Torfaen
that we believe need a gospel-preaching, light-spreading, love-incarnating church at their
heart of the community.’
The church reaches out relationally as well as through community, youth and other
evangelistic efforts.
For prayer
1. Pray for health, strength, protection and great grace for Dai, Michelle and those
leading with them.
2. Pray for the leaders and core team as the church on Garndiffaith gets under way, as
well as those planning plants in other valleys.
3. Pray for those who have become Christians, that they will stand strong, and that there
will be many more of them!
Wrexham
Mynydd Seion and Salem Welsh churches in Ponciau, and
Penybryn Welsh Baptist Church in Wrexham
[Network: The Union of Welsh Independants and the Baptist Union of Wales]
Rhun Myrffi is the minister of the churches. Things are going well and we regularly get new
people joining us for worship on a Sunday and the mid week activities. Our prayer is that
they would become converts and not just attenders. We are also planning for the future and
need wisdom and guidance in this.
The work in Penybryn is very exciting, we are working towards re-launching the church
around Easter time. We are trying to build bridges into the community, develop relationships,
raise our profile and generally prepare the building, ourselves and the vision for the re-launch
and whatever God has for us in the future.
For prayer:
1. Please pray for God's guidance and wisdom as we pray and plan for the future, and
for the courage and strength to follow his will.
2. Please pray for God to open doors for us in to the local communities, and that these
would develop into opportunities to share the gospel, and we would see many
converted.
3. Please pray that we would see God at work in a real and powerful way in Ponciau
and Wrexham, that this time next year we would have amazing stories of how God
has blessed us and built his church.