BETHANY CHRISTIAN TRUSTP R AY W I T H U S2 0 2 1

BETHANY CHRISTIAN TRUST

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

As it says in the Song of Solomon we look forward to the season of singing as spring comes and new life appears.

We would love it if you could pray daily for the people we support, for our teams and for our shared mission. On the third Wednesday of every month the team share in 24 hours of continuous prayer, additional to daily prayers, and we would especially welcome you joining us for this monthly prayer day.

We hugely value your prayer support as we continue to seek to relieve the suffering and meet the long term needs of homeless and vulnerable people throughout the land.

With heartfelt thanks from all the team at Bethany,

Dear Friends,

We hope that you enjoy using this new resource for 2021, which is both a prayer diary and a calendar, containing a wonderful collection of verses, prayers and engagement opportunities prepared by Bethany Christian Trust team members across Scotland.

2020 was a year that brought suffering and challenges in many ways across the nations. In the book of Lamentations, right in the heart of passages about mourning and lament, there are powerful and refreshing assurances; God’s mercies are new every morning. That has been our testimony in Bethany in 2020. Every day we have been equipped and enabled in God’s purposes to serve the most vulnerable across Scotland, knowing that his steadfast love is everlasting, his compassions fail not, and his mercies are new every morning. Lives continue to be reached and touched and new life continues to grow despite the external circumstances. Our God is faithful.

As we look forward to 2021, we reflect on the opportunity for New Beginnings. What an assurance to know that God’s mercies will be new every morning. The one who said ‘I make all things new’ brings renewal to hearts, offers new life and opportunity, restores minds, and births hope in communities.

Pray with Bethany Christian Trust in 2021CHIEF EXECUTIVE

ALASDAIR BENNETT

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your

love and faithfulness. Psalm 115:1

Gateway to Homes and Communities provides homeless

families and individuals with essential household items on

moving into their new tenancy.

At Bethany Logistics we collect lots of donated furniture and home goods and our awesome team of drivers and porters work hard to deliver essential items of furniture and goods to households in need.

Unlike other services, we have relatively short interactions with the people that we are supporting, but we pray that with our actions and in truth, we bring some hope and dignity into broken lives. Please pray that we serve people well, showing God’s transformational love in our actions.

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions

and in truth. 1 John 3:18January

GATEWAYLUKE WILSON

Our Community Support & Development projects are

tailored to local needs and work in partnership with churches to empower people to strengthen their communities to prevent

homelessness.

Please pray for the Community Support & Development staff and volunteers located across Scotland as they listen to God as His ambassadors. Pray that these messengers of hope within each area will meet not only people’s physical needs but their spiritual needs too, as they direct people to Jesus. Pray that by being visible and active in Torry, Menzieshill, Gorebridge, Moredun, Leith and the Calders as well as Glasgow’s Tollcross, Possilpark and St George’s Cross, homelessness will be prevented and people will find new life in Christ as they turn to Him.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen

in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be

with you. Philippians 4:9

FebruaryCOMMUNITY SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT

PAUL STEVENSON

Commit: The generosity from our supporters has meant that even in

challenging seasons, Bethany has kept their services open. We could not do this without your prayerful help and faithful

donations. If you would like to make a regular donation to Bethany, and invest

in long-term projects that help end homelessness in Scotland, get in touch:

donate@bethanychristiantrust.com

Father, thank you that you are faithful. You know every individual’s story, and care so intimately for each person – you overlook no one. I thank you for the people that we can serve through the work of Bethany. Would their hearts know your love, your perfect peace, and would you bring healing where there has been pain and brokenness in their lives. God, thank you for every individual who believes in this restoration work and shows great generosity, enabling Bethany to make significant change in people’s lives. God, I thank you for your continued provision to sustain our services and all our front line staff. Amen.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

MarchFUNDRAISING

HANNAH CRAIB

Lord, we pray today for those who have been damaged. For those who have been hurt. For those who have been snared by addiction. For those who have lost loved ones. For those who have been rejected and are vulnerable and lonely. For those whose minds are unwell. For those who are crippled with guilt. For those who have given up. We pray that you sustain and radiate through those you have called, to walk with them and bring them hope. May they see and know the love of Jesus in them. May the broken hearted be comforted and set free from the darkness into the freedom that can only come through knowing Jesus.

Bethany Christian Centre is an addiction recovery unit that aims,

through a supported residential community, to assist individuals

in their recovery from an addictive lifestyle.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death

or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has

passed away. Revelations 21:4

AprilBETHANY CHRISTIAN CENTRE

DAV I D B I D D U L P H

Pray that we have the mind of Christ in our actions and the assurance of who we are in Christ. When Jesus rested in the boat in Mark 4, He rested well, because He knew who He was and knew the promises of His Father. I believe the pillow that He rested on was the promises of the Father, that he would get to the other side safely.

As in Matthew 25, in the storm of broken lives, we can fix our eyes on Him and hold fast to our mission to relieve suffering from His people whom we serve, value and love.

Our Supported Housing Service in Dumfries has been in operation

since 2002 and helps people to address issues that undermine

the ability to live independently within the community.

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the

least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

MayDUMFRIES

CRAIG NEILSON

Please join us in praying that these young people will find freedom from their addictions (alcohol and drug use) including the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences, past trauma, and broken family relationships.Please pray for the staff team as we endeavour to show God’s grace and love in everything we do, whilst we love, serve and value each individual we come in contact with. And please give prayers of thanks for the new and solid foundations that these young people are building their futures on.

JuneKHARIS COURTPAUL BRADLEY

Our purpose-built residential unit in Bathgate, West Lothian is called Kharis Court which means

“grace”. Kharis Court offers a residential housing support

service to young men and women aged 16-25.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Thank the Lord for the blessing that volunteers provide, working as the hands and feet of Jesus, even under new and difficult circumstances. Pray that those who volunteer at Bethany will feel supported, recognised and valued for all that they do. Pray that our volunteer teams will become increasingly larger and more diverse, reflecting the communities in which we serve. Pray that volunteers would feel well equipped to aid our staff and those that we serve. Pray that the work done by volunteers at Bethany would be a testament to the love that Christ asks us to show others.

JulyVOLUNTEERS

EDITH MACDOUGALL

Commit: Are you interested in volunteering but want to know how it

all works first? Volunteering at Bethany is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, give back to the community and boost your confidence. It's a really

simple process and we'll try our best to find a role that's a good fit for you. Send us your completed application

pack or get in touch with our Volunteer Coordinator by sending an email to

volunteers@bethanychristiantrust.com

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve

others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Pray that the people we work with will develop their creative capacities and discover that when we create, we embody a fundamental aspect of who God has made us to be. Pray for new avenues to bring creative opportunity to service users and communities across Bethany. Pray our work will support the aims in homelessness prevention by bringing benefit to people’s wellbeing, social networks, confidence levels and skills. Pray that we can reach audiences who honour the hard work of our participants. Pray that our work will provide a platform for people’s voices and that it will make a difference.

AugustCREATIVE EXPRESSIONS

SAM ROWE

Creative Expressions is a service that uses the arts as a tool for

homelessness prevention, giving those we support in disadvantaged

communities a voice.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he

created them. Genesis 1:27

Pray for good quality donations so that our shops may continue to prosper. Give thanks for our existing customers for their support and pray that new customers will come into our shops. Pray for our retail director, group head, shop staff & volunteers, our logistics team and all those working behind the scenes who, together, can continue to do the vital work of Bethany. We also want to give special thanks for the overwhelming support our shops received whilst being temporarily closed in 2020. Pray that the staff continue to be encouraged as we welcome customers this year.

SeptemberRETAIL

HELEN DICKIE

Commit: Donate to our shops and make a real difference in the lives

of homeless and vulnerable people. Clearing out is fun. We are always in

need of donations for our shops – portable items that can be handed

into any of our shops and we can arrange furniture uplifts.

For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to

prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a

future" Jeremiah 29:11

We pray for the staff who strive to ensure that every guest is treated justly, loved tenderly and accompanied as a child of God. We pray for those who prepare the food, for those who serve it and do so in a spirit of love and tenderness. We pray that through encountering God’s unconditional love in action, our guests may feel affirmed as being of value and worth, and be open to us supporting them in whatever way they need to overcome the challenges and difficulties they face.

OctoberTHE WELCOME CENTRE

RAB - VOLUNTEER

The Rapid Re-accommodation Welcome Centre provides

people who are rough sleeping with 24 hour support including shelter, hot food, professional services and tailored support

with a clear focus on rapid re-accommodation.

You have already been told what is right and what the Lord, wants of you. Only this: to act justly, to love

tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Befriending can make a huge impact in the lives of people who are at risk of homelessness or moving into new settled accommodation. Pray that Bethany’s christian Befrienders from local churches will help people who are lonely and socially isolated connect back into their communities. Pray for meaningful friendships to be developed as people are introduced to social groups and activities in their neighbourhood. And we give thanks for the long-lasting connections that have continued over the past years as they bring our team so much joy.

NovemberPA S S I N G T H E BATO N / B E F R I E N D I N G

PALL S INGH

Passing the Baton reaches out to people in the local community who feel socially isolated and

excluded, helping them to make connections to activities, organisations and key people.

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:10

I have turned to this verse so many times over the years to remind me just how much God cares for me. For many people leaving prison, the idea that someone cares for them so much that they can count the hairs on their head is quite alien. People who’ve been in prison don’t like to think about numbers, they have a prison number which follows them through the system and when they are released they quite often just become another statistic. Connect to Community is there to make sure that doesn’t happen. Pray for the men and women we walk with on their journey after prison, that they can learn through the care of our volunteers that God cares and has a purpose for them.

DecemberCONNECT TO COMMUNITY

MHAIRI PHILLIPSON

Connect to Community seeks to support men and women leaving

prison to achieve their goals and to build a positive pathway,

providing friendship that connects and integrates people

to live transformed lives in the community.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30

Ending homelessness in ScotlandOne person at a time

Bethany Christian Trust, 65 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, EH6 5JQ info@bethanychristiantrust.com | www.bethanychristiantrust.com

Registered Scottish Charity No: SC003783 | A Limited Company Registered in Scotland No: 228528.

Illustrations Copyright of Liam Rotheram