Adam Best

UCCF Relay Discipleship Programme, based in Birmingham.

I’m Adam and have been coming to St John’s since moving to Birmingham as a student. I work with a mission charity called UCCF which supports university Christian Unions across the United Kingdom, and am doing their 10-month ‘Relay’ discipleship programme where I support the Christian Union’s at both the Universities of Birmingham and Aston during this academic year.

My week is filled with a mixture of supporting the Christian Unions with their events, investing in both Christian and non-Christian students doing 121s to support them more personally in their faith journey, and plenty of independent theology study to help grow my own faith too. I love the opportunity to support the evangelistic events the Christian Unions put on and interact with students, who are often so willing to be introduced to new things., I am very thankful to God for all the opportunities He has provided for me this year.

“I am very thankful to God for all the opportunities He has provided for me this year.”

Over the last fortnight, both UoB and Aston Christian Unions had their ‘Events Week’. This is the busiest week of the year for a Christian Union with a full week of daily events aimed towards introducing non-Christian students to the claims of Jesus and finding compelling reasons to investigate Him further.

Please pray that students would engage with the events, as they are still available online, become convinced by Jesus and ultimately choose to follow Him.

Connecting with and supporting students has obviously been difficult this year with the unique challenges caused by evolving restrictions. I would really appreciate St John’s prayers for me as I make the most of the opportunities that I have with students this year to be a faithful witness to Jesus, as I introduce students to Him or show students the importance of evangelism at university.

Jemima Downing

New Wine Discipleship Year

I have been a member of St Johns Harborne since I was one years old. It has been such a privilege to grow up in such a loving family church who have helped me to grow my faith and to know Jesus as my Saviour. I finished my degree in Early Childhood Studies at Bristol in the Summer of 2020 and felt called to investigate Christian Ministry. God has provided an amazing opportunity for this academic year where I am dividing my time into three areas:

1. New Wine Discipleship Course
One day of studying as part of a New Wine Discipleship Course. Initially we were meeting in person at Holy Trinity Cheltenham but since January have been meeting online. I am finding it hard to work and concentrate in this format especially now that we are in lockdown, and I live with a family with three small children all at home.

Please pray that I can get the best out of the year despite not meeting face to face and build my faith and know God and the Bible better.

2. St Michael’s Church, Stoke Gifford
Three days a week interning at St Michael’s Church, Stoke Gifford within the Children and Family Ministry. This year has very different to how I had imagined. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed the work I have been able to do and have found creative ways of sharing Jesus with the families in the community. I thank God for the amazing team at St Mike’s. In September, there was no Sunday Kids Club, so the team and I started sharing short videos on the website to encourage the children of the Church to explore and develop their faith. I received some great feedback from the first few videos, but it is hard to tell if the families and children are engaging with the resources.

Prayers for engagement with the resources and hope that it is comforting and supporting the families in sharing and growing their faith would be greatly appreciated please.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the work I have been able to do and have found creative ways of sharing Jesus with the families in the community.”

During the first term I was part of a team running a toddler group. Sadly, since lockdown in November we have not met in person. I have just begun running a short Zoom Party for the families of the Toddler Group and we had six families attend the first session. Praise God!

Please pray this continues and is an encouragement to the families and they feel comfortable sharing with each other.

Before Christmas we delivered craft bags and organised a Nativity Trail through the local woods. Both of these were well received, and we are planning to do something similar this term.

Please pray for the details of this, for inspiration and a good attendance.

3. Church Preschool
A day and a half working at the Church Pre School which is such fun and I thank God that he has provided this opportunity for me to earn some money. As we are ‘online’ like St Johns, please pray for inspiration on how to reach out, support families and share God.

I thank God for the wonderful and lovely family (Emily Bonsall) I am living with. Please pray blessing on them.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement through this year as I seek to hear what God is asking of me.

Emily Ferrari

Message Academy. Manchester.

Hello, my name is Emily Ferrari.

I am currently on term two at the Message Academy gap year programme in Manchester. We are starting to prepare for our mission, alongside teaching and placements. So far, we have covered apologetics which has been insightful and will help me when I am asked difficult questions. The teaching on identity has been valuable, it made me realise how important it is to understand that loving well does not mean to be all things for all people, as well as the significance of rest.

On Wednesdays I have singing lessons and recently I shared the song I had been practicing, “Scars to your Beautiful” on Zoom, to the Academy. I am building up several songs which I might be able to perform for missions, and a live performance which I will be assessed on when the COVID rules relax. Please pray that I will have confidence!

On Thursdays from 1pm to 8pm I have placement with Eden Partington (part of the Eden network). I am not sure yet what we will be doing in the day, but in the evening, we will be helping the youth group at the local Church, and then doing detached youth work in the evenings. I did this last term, and it was so amazing going out into the parks and walking the streets, speaking truth and life into the young people that we met.

“...it was so amazing going out into the parks and walking the streets, speaking truth and life into the young people that we met.”

Please pray that I discover where my passions truly lie, and that God would reveal where He would like me to go in the future, as I am not sure what I want to do. I have a deferred place for York but I am also willing to go somewhere else if it is His plan.

I am finding out my mission team soon. Please pray for unity within my team and for the whole of Academy because with COVID it has created some tensions. Also, that each one of us will have the goal to love God, love ourselves and each other. Typically, in term three students have gone abroad for two weeks and then travelled up and down the country in mission teams going to schools, prisons and wherever else they are wanted! Who knows what this term will look like for us, but we will go wherever God takes us.

Thank you so much for your support!

GPS Short-termers 2021