SCOTLAND

Aberdeenshire

Graeme Smith continues with the Newmachar Good News Club which now meets in the brand new Axis Centre where it is a lot warmer in the winter. 24 children attend and are keen to learn. Dyce Academy SU (age 12-18) has seen new unsaved pupils attending and some of the senior pupils have been involved with the lessons. The Woodside SU group has around 10 regular members. It has been good to see the pupils understanding the message and we pray they may take the step of faith needed for salvation. The Robert Gordon SU is going well with as many as 50 attending. Pray that the Lord will open these young hearts.

N. IRELAND & EIRE

Co. ANTRIM

Ballinaloob Gospel Hall: J Fleck had a week of ministry from 26th-30th January considering some of the Lord's parables. Seldom touched, this subject created very good interest. Also, a lad of almost 10 told of being saved as our brother preached on Lord's Day, bringing added joy to the assembly.

Ballybollan Gospel Hall: S Wells had a week of ministry at the beginning of February on the subject, "Egypt to Canaan", illustrated by a chart. Large numbers attended.

Bushmills Gospel Hall: W Martin and J Fleck commenced Gospel Meetings at the beginning of February. Interest and prayer appreciated.

Co. TYRONE

Cookstown Gospel Hall: D McAllister and L Craig are continuing with a series of Gospel Meetings. It has proved difficult to get locals in, due mainly to apathy and the poor weather conditions.

Dungannon Gospel Hall: Weekly meetings in the Portuguese language are being held every Lord's Day afternoon. Some Portuguese workers gather to hear messages by brethren who can speak Portuguese, helped by missionaries who are home on furlough.

Co. LONDONDERRY & Co DONEGAL

Tivaconavey: The Gospel Meetings planned to commence on 3rd February have been cancelled due to the illness of David McGarvey's wife, Eileen. Please pray for Eileen's ongoing treatment and future surgery.

Co. ARMAGH

Armagh Gospel Hall: Gospel Meetings continue into a 4th week with D Gilliland and J Rogers. The believers have been greatly encouraged with a few strangers attending, as well as many believers' children. Surrounding assemblies have given support with over 5,000 invitations distributed to date.

Kilmore Gospel Hall: T Wright and N Fleck continue with Gospel Meetings. A few local strangers have attended with some needy souls connected to the Christians. Prayer would be much appreciated.

Co. MONAGHAN

Monaghan Gospel Hall: A special effort in the gospel is now entering a 4th week. A few local people from the area have attended. This is a small assembly in the Republic of Ireland and much prayer would be valued. S Nelson and T McKinley are the speakers.

Co. DOWN

Ballymagarrick Gospel Hall: The assembly greatly appreciated a week of very well attended ministry meetings with P Coulson in early January. The subject was "Paul's moving letter from Rome; Perilous times...Devotion or Defection". The ministry was very challenging and timely.

Bangor, Central Hall: J Hay was with the assembly for a very helpful week of ministry on the subject of "Being well-pleasing to the Lord".

Dromore: The assembly had 2 weeks of most encouraging Bible readings conducted by W Boyd on the Epistle to the Colossians, with good participation and attendance.

Growell: S Grant had 4 nights of helpful ministry with the assembly on Revelation 8-11.

Kilkeel: C Beresford and A Nesbitt have concluded their Gospel Meetings. Prayer is requested for blessing in salvation.

Millisle: P McCauley and David Williamson are conducting Gospel Meetings in a portable hall. Several good local contacts have been made.

Newtownards, James Street: B Currie was with the assembly for 2 weeks of instructive and uplifting ministry on the subject of "The Tabernacle".

Shanaghan: T Armstrong and A Steele have commenced Gospel Meetings with the assembly. Encouraging numbers of unsaved are attending.

ENGLAND & WALES

North-East

In his end-of-year Newsletter Jim McMaster speaks about how the work of the gospel is increasingly being blessed through the integrated nature of contacts made both on the streets and in prison. An example of this is a young couple who had been living on the streets for three months. When Jim started to witness to them C immediately showed great interest and asked to attend the Gospel Meeting. She had a troubled background, suffering much physical violence and abuse, and as a result had lost two babies. After hearing the gospel she showed real softness and told how she had prayed for the first time. She said, "I have told the Lord that I am a filthy rotten sinner, but if He died for me to forgive my sins then I will accept that and trust Him with my whole life." This was quite a prayer after hearing the gospel for the first time! They live a very chaotic lifestyle but are regularly reading the Bible and coming to hear the gospel and be helped.

With the encouragement of the prison authorities Jim now visits Durham Prison two full days a week, Fridays being spent entirely visiting men in the cells and Tuesdays are a mixture of Bible Class and individual work. Many take the opportunity in jail to read the Bible and attend Bible Class but on release are without regular Christian contact and often lapse into their old lifestyles. For example G studied the Scriptures with Jim for more than six months during his last sentence and made a profession of faith. On his release he attended the Gospel Meeting twice then disappeared, refusing to answer calls and texts. After four months fearing the worst it was a great relief to find him back in jail on a recent Friday morning - strange to say this, but at least he was still alive! He was in a dreadful condition but was soft to the gospel and is attending Bible Class again. His situation just highlights the great need for a network of wise believers who can help look after these men on their release. Prayer about this would be appreciated.

York

There is a bi-monthly outreach on the streets arranged by the assembly here. Ian Campbell tells of meeting a young Chinese student who had just arrived to do a Master's degree. At first she was very cautious but gradually became keen to chat. She had only a limited knowledge of Christianity and when it was Ian's turn to preach she said that she would like to listen. The outcome was that she attended the meeting the following Sunday. She was given a Chinese/English Bible and since then has come regularly to various meetings in the hall. Around Christmas she wrote, "Thank you for leading me into a new world", and closed by quoting Romans 15.13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him".

Liverpool

Stephen Baker's outreach involves a variety of means. The Radio Work changed in March last year when he was invited to produce a series of one hour programs called "Interesting People". This was an opportunity to interview people about their lives and record their testimonies, with three done so far. In August he was asked to record 30-minute programs as often as he could and four have been produced and broadcast. The station is aimed at the over 50s age group and has a listening audience of above 300,000. Visiting schools continues on a weekly basis, some schools allowing him to take classes which gives more time to present the truths of the gospel to the children. Open air work takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays with an additional meeting on the third Saturday of every month. Please pray that the Lord will bless His Word.

London

Nitish Patel asks for prayer for the small assembly at Wembley. With the home call of one brother, and T having to face deportation back to India, the assembly has been reduced to just eight. Pray for T as his family disowned him when he was saved four years ago. If his appeal is unsuccessful he will have to return to India where he will have to depend upon believers in India to find a home and employment. V and O are going on well and growing in the Lord. K comes to the Bible study when he can - pray for his wife and daughter to be saved. 2,500 Gujarati Bible verse calendars were printed. There is no need to distribute them - a box of calendars is left outside on a chair and hundreds are taken by people passing by.

Wales

Ian and Rebecca Rees feel they are perhaps at a crossroads in the work in Tenby. He will have been preaching there virtually every Sunday evening for three years, now going through the book of Exodus week by week. In addition to this meeting with an average of 30 attending, they have started a Thursday evening Bible Study looking at basic Christian doctrine, with about 20 attending. Two important decisions need to be made. One is when to start breaking bread and form an assembly of believers. There has been a baptism in the sea, and a core of about 12 would be willing to form a new local assembly in Tenby. The other important decision is whether to carry on meeting in the Community Centre, or to buy their own premises with the advantages of giving a strong identity in the town and the opportunity to expand the work to include coffee mornings, mothers' and toddlers' groups, youth groups, etc. However suitable property is scarce and very expensive in Tenby.

Twice a month Ian regularly takes the school assembly and tells Bible stories at the Community Junior School in Tenby, where they also run a children's Bible Club (the FROG club) every Thursday lunch time when usually over 20 children come along. Ian and Rebecca ask for prayer that the Lord will guide the decisions, give the necessary wisdom, and bless the work in Tenby.