Scotland
Avoch
A monthly Gospel Meeting is held regularly in the local primary school. Usually between 60 and 70 attend which includes a good number of unbelievers. At the last meeting a man who has been coming regularly, and had been under conviction of sin, found peace by believing in the Lord as his Saviour. The saints were further encouraged when a woman in her mid-40s made known her exercise to be baptised and has applied for fellowship. This is "the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes".
Forres
Ainslie Paterson continues tracting and visitation work around his area. A couple of responses have been quite negative, but it was encouraging to get one request for a Bible. A few weeks ago he had contact with a young man who is struggling with some addiction problems. He was able to have some good straight conversations with him and had the joy of seeing him come to the Gospel Meeting one Lord's Day.
Dundee
Michael Cordiner's work at Eagles Wings Trust faces many challenges. R from Ayrshire is really struggling with alcohol addiction, has poor health and is particularly vulnerable. They have had some interesting chats on the reality of God in whom R, as a Buddhist, does not believe. Pray that as he is cared for he will come to know Christ in his life. M has had several influences in his past from different groups of Christians and has some knowledge of Scripture. However, he denies that there is a God and struggles to admit of God in a world with so much pain. He is not alone as D and J also have difficulty with the idea of the God who is revealed in the Bible. Each of these men is intelligent, well read, and has different beliefs. The discussions between them can sometimes be heated but there have been real opportunities to present the gospel. A has been along to a number of our Bible studies at the Drop-in facility. He has been opposed to the gospel in the past and sometimes has behaved in a threatening manner, but we are aware that the Lord is working slowly and surely in his life. Pray that he will take in God's Word as it has been read, and use it to transform his life and the lives of others. The Lord has brought A and J to us and both have a bright testimony to the transforming power of God in their experience.
Whitburn
Blair Martin spent the month of June in Gospel Meetings in his local assembly along with Paul McCauley. Good numbers from the town attended, with six or more unbelievers present each night. Following this Blair had Gospel Meetings for two weeks in Pamber Heath, Hampshire. These meetings were not well attended by local people, although one or two unsaved folk did come most nights to hear the message of the gospel.
Leadhills
Alan Smith held a short series of Gospel Meetings in this remote village in the South Lanarkshire hills in June. The neighbouring villages of Wanlockhead, Abington and Crawford were also visited with tracts and invitations. Several unsaved folk came to the meetings with one couple attending all but one. Please pray that God will yet bless the Word preached there. Many thanks to the saints who supported so well.
Kilmarnock
The assembly in Elim Hall conducted their annual children's "Super Club" in July with Gordon McCracken who had recovered sufficiently from his recent throat problems to take the meetings. Over the week around 50 children attended and a great interest was shown by all. This builds on the contacts that Gordon already has in Kilmarnock with the local primary school and we look to God to bless with salvation.
Similar Holiday Clubs have been held in many parts of the country in July and early August, at Abbott Hall, Dunfermline and St Monans in Fife, and in Kirkwall, Orkney to name only a few other places where children and their parents have been brought to listen to the gospel skillfully presented. May the Lord bless each effort made.
N. Ireland & Eire
Co. ANTRIM
Ballybollan Gospel Hall: The Annual Conference was held on 12th July. The hall was well filled and surrounding assemblies were represented. It was considered to be a good conference with helpful ministry from U Ussher, J Baxter, E Fairfield, D McKillen, M Hunter, and J Fleck.
Bushmills: Very helpful Bible Readings were held from 7th-18th July in the school assembly hall (kindly granted). R McKeown was responsible and 2 Timothy 3 & 4 was considered in detail. Visiting and local brethren took part. The building was packed to capacity and the number of young Christians attending was remarkable.
Portrush: An excellent week of Ministry Meetings with David Gilliland held in the the Gospel Hall were largely attended. The teaching and information, which was on "Voices from the Valley's", was outstanding.
Co. ARMAGH
Bleary Conference: The profitable Bible Readings were taken by S Wells. The speakers who followed were D Gilliland, B Glendinning, T Matthews, and S McBride. Large numbers attended.
"If the Lord will…"
Armagh Gospel Hall: The annual Saturday night meetings commence on 4th October (DV).
Co. LONDONDERRY & Co DONEGAL
Killykergan: S Gilfillan and J Fleck commenced Gospel Meetings in the Gospel Hall on 27th July.
Co. TYRONE
Dunmullan: The Annual Conference was held as usual on 12th July in a spacious marquee next to the Gospel Hall. A large crowd heard profitable ministry from W J Nesbitt, N Mellish, S McBride, L Carswell, J Wishart, and G Woods.
Co. DOWN
Annalong: B Eadie and S Maze are bringing their Bible Exhibition to the Ballinran Community Centre at the end of July.
Ballymagarrick: The assembly organised a week of Children's Meetings from 30th June–4th July in Carryduff Primary School, with G Davidson as the speaker. Over 150 children, who would have very little contact with the gospel, attended the meetings.
Ballymagarrick: The Annual Conference was held on 14th July and was very well attended. Very helpful ministry was given by M Radcliffe, A Sinclair, N Mellish, S Wells, J Rogers, and W Martin. A rich sense of the Lord's presence and help was experienced throughout the day.
Bangor, Central Hall: P McCauley and D Williamson were with the assembly for their annual open-air meetings held in the Bangor Marine Gardens during the first fortnight in July. The weather was very favourable and many heard the gospel very clearly presented, with a large number of tracts being given out to passers-by.
Cardy: The Assembly held its annual "Cardy Gospel Outreach" in Strangford College, Carrowdore, from 21st-25th July, with N McClarty being the speaker. The large number of children present were very well behaved, with excellent participation and attention. Over 500 parents and children were present on the final evening.
Dromore: The assembly is holding two weeks of open-air meetings in Dromore.
Newcastle: The Northfield Fortnight was held Monday 14th-26th July. During the first week, the very profitable ministry given by J Kurian (India) on the subject "Divine Intervention in Human Lives", was much appreciated by the large numbers attending. The gospel was preached each evening by N Emerson, with many unsaved present. Open-air meetings were held nightly on the seafront, and during the first week C Sheldon conducted children's meetings.
England & Wales
Kirkby-In-Ashfield
The assembly held the first of this year's evangelism days in late June. A fine day and a good number of interested young people enabled a profitable day of outreach activities. The monthly market stall in the Idlewells Shopping Centre, Sutton-in-Ashfield, was staffed throughout the day and a number of good contacts were made. Tract work branched out into a new area, the village of Selston, to the south-west of Kirkby and separated from it by the M1 motorway. During the day, 2000-2500 tracts were distributed around the homes of the village, the first assembly-based literature distribution there in over forty years. The assembly were encouraged by the help they received, and for the overall desire among helpers to reach the lost with the Word of God.
Birmingham
Andy Mullen has been encouraged through continuing personal work and open airs which have given some good conversations and opportunities to present the gospel. J came with some sceptical comments but by the end of the conversation he was admitting to having a Bible on his bedside table. We pray that he will read it and find Christ. On a different occasion a family of 3 young girls stopped and, encouraged by their mother, sat down to listen. It turned out they had just arrived in the area the week before. We were able to have a good chat with the mother, give her a Bible and encourage her to seek out the local assembly which is having a week of Children's Meetings. The young people's work also brings encouragement. Since May another young girl, E has started coming regularly both on a Friday evening and to Sunday School. Her father died at the start of the year and her mother has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Some of these girls are showing good interest and we pray for their salvation. Others come from the Maypole Estate where door to door work is planned with a view to holding some meetings at a future date.
Lancashire Gospel Tent at Whitefield
Over many years, at the invitation of the assembly at Prestwich, Manchester, the Lancashire Gospel Tent has been erected in the local St. Mary's Park, the last time in July, 2012. This was the intention again this year, but Bury Council decided to move it on to another park some two miles away, a completely new area. This site had a reputation for flooding under heavy rain, so much prayer was made about this. The Lord truly answered and very little rain fell during 7th June to 3rd July, the period of the campaign. Roly Pickering had been invited as the evangelist but was unable to come. However, at short notice David Williamson and Ainslie Patterson kindly agreed to take two weeks each, for which the believers were extremely grateful. Every night the gospel was clearly presented with challenge. Overall 40 to 50 unbelievers from the neighbourhood came during the campaign. It is a long time since so many local people were present under the canvas roof, which was a great encouragement to all. Visitation in the area resulted in many good contacts being made, so much so, that one lady came seven times. During the second week Robert Plant conducted Children's Meetings with about 45 children attending in total, about 85% of whom would probably never have been in such a meeting before. During the four weeks there was very little disturbance to the meetings and there was a continuing sense of the Lord's presence. Prayer continues that some fruit may be seen in the salvation of not a few to the glory of our blessed God.
Wembley
A new Bible Exhibition has been created in English and Gujarati by Nitish Patel, with others helping with suggestions and checking for errors. Ken Buckeridge and Michael Warner came and helped daily over the two weeks. Many children came every day to do worksheets, but it was difficult to interest shoppers passing by. On the last day there was a much better response. A Moslem lady said she had come to the last exhibition held in 1998 when she was eight, and wanted to know more. She took a children's Bible to read to her daughter. Another lady, a Hindu, was distressed about problems in her family and thought God was not hearing her prayers and did not care for her in spite of her fasting and doing everything her religion tells her. She listened to the gospel and she took several tracts. A Hindu man came to ask three questions about the Bible; this gave good opportunity for the gospel. He began to understand that whatever religion men practise, our sinful nature will not allow us to do what is right. What man needs is a Saviour. One young Hindu took time to read some of the panels and took a Bible with him to read. Pray that blessing will follow this outreach.