“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
“Don’t be afraid of thinking differently. Be afraid of thinking in the same way as everyone else.”
Since we launched Bristol Chaplaincy, among many other things, these 2 quotes have always helped us to think out of the box and to sometimes go in a strange direction.
A few years ago someone prophesied over us saying that we were pregnant with a vision from the Lord. Our due time was coming soon, and the vision would be led by the Holy Spirit. It would bring transformation to ‘the church’ and communities and that it would be a prototype for the region and country.
Our ministry is certainly breaking ground and is following a different path, and we continue trying to think differently and being led by the Holy Spirit. Our prayer is that God’s Kingdom in heaven is established here on earth through everything we do. We approach and consider all aspects of our lives including our small property business with a kingdom perspective and mindset, and we see God working throughout.
Bristol Chaplaincy continues to grow and develop and there are many exciting things that are happening. However, we are also facing significant challenges and your prayers and support would be very much appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read the updates below, we very much appreciate your support.
|
|
Workplace Chaplaincy – Our workplace chaplaincy based on the prayer barge in Temple Quay in the centre of Bristol has been busy since the start of the year with a big uptake in people visiting the drop-in sessions. We have been able to provide 1:1 support, see difficult work situations turned around, help a recovering addict, and pray with lots of different people.
 New Arts Chaplain – We have recently recruited a new volunteer Chaplain to the Arts onto the team. Amelia will be volunteering 1 – 2 days a week and we are now beginning to approach the theatres in Bristol and are praying that God will open up the doors for her to go in and to support those Arts communities.
Crown Courts Chaplaincy – Our crown courts chaplaincy team continues to grow and we now have 8 volunteer chaplains on the team. From the beginning of January we expanded our support to include Mondays so our team are now at the courts bi-weekly on a Monday and every Friday. We are also actively recruiting for new volunteers who would be willing to volunteer just 1 Friday morning a month. The team are in pairs so support each other during the sessions and we are holding taster days for people who are interested.
Other Chaplaincies – Our teams around the Bristol Harbourside and in the University of Law are busier than ever and we have many testimonies of those we are supporting. God is absolutely on the move in those places and we love making a difference to the people we meet.
Chaplaincy Networking Evenings –  Our last 2 chaplaincy networking evenings have been truly inspirational. In January we welcomed 3 pupil chaplains (aged 14/15) onto the barge and the 20 chaplains present were incredibly blessed by their testimonies about how they show their friends what they can do when they have God on their side. They shared how their generation is hungry for God and talked about how they provide support to their peers who are struggling. In March we were joined by the Rt Revd Neil Warwick, Bishop of Swindon who spoke about building resilience and staying spiritually strong as we serve as chaplains.
 Pioneering Chaplaincy – We have recently completed our second ‘Exploring Chaplaincy’ course and had some great feedback from the attendees. We are shortly going to be launching a new ‘WhatsApp Community Group’ for chaplains across the UK as a place for chaplains to connect with their peers.
Social Media and Admin Support – O ver the last 12 months we have had the privilege of working with a virtual assistant who has provided much needed crucial support. They created all our training materials, core documentation and have transformed our social media accounts. We were blessed that the full monthly cost of £240 has been covered with a generous donation over the last 12 months, however, this has now come to an end and we have faith that God will continue to provide for this important ongoing support. |
|
How can you help us to make a difference?
More than ever before the challenges we are facing are significant and we are absolutely needing breakthrough in a number of areas. We have faith that God will provide all our needs and we would like to ask if you would all stand with us in this next season.
Here are some ways you can help…
-
Please follow our social media accounts on one of the platforms below and like and share our posts. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The links are at the bottom of this email.
-
Personally, we need to raise another £1000 per month of personal support so we can continue serving God as missionaries in Bristol. This will cover the cost of our admin support, and some other core expenses that we have each month. We would love to catch up for a coffee or a zoom if you think you may be interested in supporting us financially so we can talk more about the plans we have for 2025.
-
We have a potentially significant opportunity to partner with a global company who is working on a major infrastructure project in Bristol. Please pray that God opens the doors for this to happen.
-
Please pray for our new Arts Chaplaincy that the doors will be opened for us to go into the theatres in Bristol, providing much needed support to the arts.
-
Please pray for our next ‘Exploring Chaplaincy’ Training course that starts on the 1st May. For more people to sign up and join the course, and for God to move in the lives of those that attend.
-
Bristol Chaplaincy needs a minimum of £20,000 per year to cover the core project costs. Any expansion and new initiatives we work on increase this figure. As we continue to fundraise for the charity with grant applications and small donations, please pray that God provides everything we need to continue through this year and into 2026.
Thank you very much for all your prayers and for those who support us financially. You are very much appreciated and we certainly couldn’t provide the support to those who are facing challenges in their lives in Bristol without your help.
You can find out more about supporting us financially through our stewardship services account where you can either sign up to support us monthly or give a one off gift towards our ministry here - https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20461742
Thank you for your support
Lois and Richard
|
|
|
|