Weekly Prayer Focus

North Springfield Baptist Church lies northeast of Chelmsford, Essex, and recently celebrated their fiftieth anniversary last November. The church lies in the centre of a big housing estate. Over the years children’s attendance has fluctuated, but recently God answered prayer and they are welcoming new families with children. They used to be a mainly white church but are now increasingly multi-ethnic and are blessed to see this new influx as part of the life of the church. Regular activities throughout the week are: Happy Faces for 0-4’s; Haven Community Coffee Morning; Kraft Club; a Drop in at Church session; a youth group called God’s Royalty; regular bible study and a monthly praise and worship service, and prayer walks alongside weeks of prayer. The coffee morning…

Oxlow Lane Baptist Church in Dagenham, East London, was formed eighty-eight years ago and is a constantly changing and multi-ethnic community, which the church reflects in its makeup. Neil Kinghorn has been their minister since January 2020. Outreach is at the heart of the church’s mindset, which can be seen from their ministries to the community. Once a week, a book table is placed outside a local parade of shops where people can learn more about the church, and conversations are enabled. Blessings and fruit have resulted from this, as people have visited the church, and they would love to see this continue. Bi-monthly a Christian/Muslim discussion time takes place at Oxlow Lane. The Muslim community is increasing in the area and this ministry came…

From the beginning of the prison service the church, and more recently, multi- faith provision has been at the centre of care provided to people detained by the courts. Within the EBA there are a number of prisons, and each one is required by law to run a Chaplaincy supporting prisoners of all faiths and none. Unlike chaplaincies in hospitals and schools, in HMPPS it is a statutory one with specific duties required to be carried out every day, 365 days of the year. Every day a member of the chaplaincy team meets face to face with every prisoner; within 24hours of their arrival, whether they have come in from outside or been transferred from another jail. Because of this, chaplains meet prisoners at a…

Wisbech Baptist Church is situated in the north-western corner of our region, in Cambridgeshire. Leadership of the church has recently been taken on by Amy and Dave Barker, who have moved from Coventry. Amy is also employed by the EBA as its Director of Vocations, while Dave is working for the Methodist Church, starting an outdoor garden church A move from Coventry to the Fens is a big change for Dave and Amy and their three children, and they are enjoying getting to know the members of their fellowship. On a Sunday morning, around 40 people attend weekly worship at the church, which is situated on Wisbech High Street. The fellowship is becoming more diverse, with international members and some children. Dave and Amy are…