The 12 mission partners that we support are:
Locally:
Amber, Caraway, Friends International, Fusion, Street Pastors and Southampton City Mission

Internationally:
A Rocha, CMS - Diocese of Goma, IFES, IJM, Kreativity and Open Doors

To find out more information on all of our partners click on their names above or click here to read the first Mission Partnership letter that was sent out in June 2024.

Most recent updates and prayer points from our Mission Partners are below - simply click on the links to read more.

It is important to note that these updates are addressed to us as Highfield Church only, so please do not share beyond our community. Thank you for your understanding.

Mission Partner Focus for Autumn 2 - A Rocha Kenya and Southampton City Mission

A Rocha Kenya (ARK) is one of 21 national organisations of A Rocha, an international Christian conservation organisation that is committed to practical biodiversity conservation through scientific research, environmental education and sustainable community-based conservation programmes. A Rocha bases its work on the recognition that the Bible clearly teaches about the importance of the environment as God's creation. The Bible speaks about God's love for his world and of our responsibility to look after it.

Southampton City Mission exists to equip the church, and to love and serve the city. It provides opportunities, training, resources and support, to help the whole church reach out to those around them with the love of Jesus. In addition to Basics Bank and its work in schools (going into around 50 primary schools with its Question of Faith day programs), SCM works closely with other charities, agencies and the Council in Southampton, chairing several networks and making sure that Christian love and service is at the heart of Southampton's Civic life.

BASICS BANK

Warehouse stocks at Basics Bank are very low.  Please bring your donations to church when you can and place in the box by the West doors.

Please use this link to keep up to date with items that are needed.

https://southamptoncitymission.co.uk/get-involved/how-to-donate

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - December 2024

A ROCHA, Kenya

An update for prayer from Watamu, Kenya... *Ngulia bird migration project* - this annual starts imminently in Tsavo Nat Park...

The clearance letter from Kenya Wildlife Service for park entrance arrived just in time, but the rings ordered did not arrive in time for a volunteer from England to bring them, please pray they find a way to get these rings to Tsave National Park! Nairobi rings stuck in customs for 2 years have finally been cleared for a smaller sum than was being asked! Also pray for safety on the road - am driving up in a borrowed Landi from Watamu with Roni & Kai (who has a high temperature today!) and 2 of Kai's keen birding friends, Lempi and Lesi + an ARK volunteer, Jack. If you're interested to follow the ringing I'll be tweeting using #nguliaringing

*Wader ringing in Tanzania* - in Jan 2023 I went to Tz with Kirao for a wader ringing expedition. Kirao is going for the second expedition which is happening next week while we are at Ngulia. Pray for safety & good conditions and for Kirao as a witness among the team.

*Watamu Conservation Festival* - happening at Mida Creek organised by ARK + our partners, Bahari Hai. It's a day of fun activities and awareness about marine conservation including a fishing competition for the local fishermen - they have to use hook and line - to raise awareness of how nets are unsustainable. Pray for Lenar & team running this and that it goes really effectively.

*End of year wrapping up* - it's not yet December but I've only 2 days left in office before 6th Jan! MUCH to do as yet and staff to plan with as well as getting ready for Ngulia. Roni, Kai and I travel to Cape Town for Christmas on 10th Dec. Many other staff are taking very-needed leave in December too but the centre, Mwamba, will be very busy with guests - and will need all the prayer support they can get! There are several reports needed by end of the year as well + finances to be sorted.

*Finance Manager* - the guy I met in Nairobi a month ago is going to be interviewed by a finance person we know in Nairobi and if he has the right skills we'll take him on for a 6-month contract to get systems sorted out, move our accounts across to an online system etc. Pray for the final decision-making and that if he's not right we have clear warning bells!

Judy off to Zimbawa for a week of meetings.

An auditor arrived to help sort out the accounts where some data had been entered wrongly.

 Its been a elight to have various visitors, a great week, hectic but some joyful times.

...there's MUCH else going on but these are headlines for prayer - THANK YOU for praying!!

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - November 2024

A ROCHA, Kenya

Colin sends love from Nairobi where they have been for a conference for a week. They have also linked with a local church there.

The local church fellowship

The fellowship in Watamu is a small group, with lots of kids, they have visiting speakers from many places and countries, very encouraging and giving a fresh vision for the church in Watamu and what God can do in and through this fellowship. Someone to come and lead that small fellowship would be really good as leading and planting church is not the primary focus for A Rocha Kenya. 

Praying for staff members

Pray for Tony who came 2 months ago to volunteer with the comms team. He has found a bit of a spiritual home at Mwamba, pray for a deeper walk with Jesus, we hope to be able to stay with us long-term.

Pray also for Philip, Philip has for the last year been doing marine work as part of his degree work at a local University. Philip has had a significant bereavement and has found comfort in the bible studies on Mondays at ARK. He has been working with Dawn, an Australian missionary in Watamu who works with abused children but does Marine snorkelling in her spare time as a way of relaxation. So pray for Philip that he will deepen his faith and trust God to be with him through thick and thin.

Pray for Maria. We are really praying that our Monday morning fellowship times will become deeper and more meaningful for all our staff and have a real impact on them.

Update on Laura

Laura is back in the UK with her family and is back in hospital. There is a suggestion of infection in the bone in her ankle and the bones in the ankle need better alignment so she is going back in for surgery. Please pray for a good outcome.

Prayers also please for …

• Still looking for a Finance Manager.
• Various proposals and grants in the pipeline. One submission is to INM foundation, a bank here in Kenya.
• Oceans grant did not go through. We will reapply in January.
• A wonderful week with friends Dave and Margy, from A Rocha South Africa.
• Nick Warren from A Rocha International is visiting this week together with a new staff member Sylvia on their comms teams. For good meetings.
• Mike, an elderly man, who is still with them after his broken leg. The League of Mercy have accepted him to help him. He will be with us for six more weeks. So pray for commitment to Christ and for healing to enable him to walk and get around.
• The 25year celebration was great, lots of fun with staff and friends. Thanks for prayers.
• Roni’s health. Feeling nauseous for some time, pray for healing and relevant investigation to get to the cause and solutions.

 Just a week back in Watamu before Colin goes away again . So it will be busy time tying up loose ends before the end of the year. Please pray.

Do please check the Facebook page for A Rocha Kenya for more details of their work.

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - October 2024

A Rocha

Praying ARK Afloat - updates and news from Watamu...Colin and Roni Jackson

*Laura Webb* - it has been deeply frustrating for Laura and the whole family for her to just have to sit and wait in a hospital bed for the infection to clear enough for the operation. It's almost a month since the accident but FINALLY they're going to operate - today. Pray for Dr Nureen, the surgeon, for skill and wisdom, for Laura with what will likely be a lot more pain, for the op to be a real success and for rapid healing. Praise for Laura's mum who has been able to come to be with her and help with the kids and has been able to extend that for another week.

*Nairobi week* - I had a very good time in Nbi with some positive meetings esp speaking about A Rocha and creation care at the International Leadership University and others for raising sponsorship for the MTB race next year. It was good to have Maria and Anna with me for those - pray for the necessary follow up.

*Finance Manager* - We met with Samuel who certainly seems to have the necessary skills for the task. He will meet with Don, our Treasurer, for more discussions. Pray for clarity whether he is indeed the right man or we need to look further.

*SIL Giriama project* - Praise Jesus for a very good first week. They're now starting the 2nd week of the workshop focussing on story creation. Johnny, the lead SIL person, has been unwell over the weekend - pray he recovers fast and can continue with the work.

*Mike Clifton* - he has a large wound from his fall on his heel that showed some nasty infection last week. It has greatly improved but is not 100%. It has been incredible to see how the Lord brings guests at the right time to help us with Mike. We've been blessed to have Steve and Shai from AR Canada visiting with their little girl Joylynn and they've been such a blessing for Mike (they're on a bus to Tanzania this morning - pray for their safe travels...).

*My sister, Rozi* - has been diagnosed with a melanoma which is at stage 3 or 4. She has just started treatment for it in London - this has, of course, been a big thing for the family. Pray that the treatment will be successful and that the side effects will be minimised...

THANK YOU for keeping us afloat with your prayers - SO appreciated!

IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students)

World Student Day 2024 is on Friday 18 October

Each year, World Student Day unites thousands across the globe in 48 hours of prayer. Students, staff, and supporters join together to pray for students worldwide and celebrate all that God is doing through local IFES ministry in the world’s universities. Click here to find out more.

A ROCHA

Praying ARK Afloat - the following is an update for prayer from Watamu... THANKS so much for your love and support!

*Laura Webb* - Please pray for Laura, she has a badly broken foot and is still in hospital and waiting for infection levels to drop. Pray for deep peace that Jesus IS in complete control of the situation. Roni & I met the surgeon by chance and he seemed a very competent guy. Pray the infection goes completely.

*Nairobi visit* - I am in Nairobi all this week with Maria and Anna for meetings with potential donors / sponsors and also giving a talk about creation care and A Rocha at the African Leadership University. Pray we can meet the right people and can raise support for Assets eco-bursaries in particular.

*Finance Manager* - thank you for praying about this. Since I last wrote we've been put in touch with Samuel who on paper looks really good. I'm meeting him on Thursday with Anna to chat further and see if he might be the right person for the job. Pray for insight & wisdom - & that he might indeed be the right person...

*SIL Giriama project* - A map of language diversity overlaid on biodiversity for the world shows remarkable correlation - where you get high numbers of species you also get high numbers of languages - and both are suffering from becoming extinct! Furthermore, to hear a message in your _own_ language brings it home far more (hence bible translation!) so SIL and A Rocha are partnering on a project to write up & publish all the Giriama (our local tribe) words about the environment / birds / plants / fish etc - and then to take it further and take and write stories in Giriama using local wildlife characters and words that will resonate with children and adults alike. A 2-week workshop started today for brainstorming words + digging out / creating Giriama stories that speak of creation care - how awesome creation is (including traditionally 'evil' things like owls, snakes, hyenas etc) and how God loves it and us. Pray for all those involved (Stanley, Albert, Kirao, Lenar +SIL staff) to be blessed & produce powerful and impactful outputs.

*Mike Clifton* - during COVID Mike, a now 83-yr old butterfly expert, was locked down with us and stayed 18 months. You may remember we prayed for him then... a few weeks back he fell badly in Nairobi and broke his femur such that a metal rod had to be inserted. We were asked if he could come and recuperate with us & so we've had the privilege of caring for him for 2 weeks and with more to come. He's really not well - completely wheel-chair bound & needs a lot of help. He has almost no financial support, no insurance and lives on his own in Nairobi. Pray he heals quickly & completely, for wisdom in how long he should stay with us (it's a perfect place for him - lots of people to talk to especially about butterflies etc(!), warm, good food, etc) and yet we are not an old people's home and don't have funds to support him - YET to have a chance to bless him like this is so amazing. He's not a Christian (has resisted the gospel strongly!) but guests & staff have had great chats with him. Pray he gets saved... and for solutions for the long-term. THANK YOU again for praying! What a joy and privilege to work together as part of God's global family...

This message is from Colin, it is fine to pray for things that may have happened, God knows! Also for more updates on the work of A Rocha Kenya if you ‘do’ Facebook they have an informative page regularly updated, search  ‘A Rocha Kenya.

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - 6 September 2024

OPEN DOORS - Arise Africa Campaign

Millions of Christians face violent persecution for their faith in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Open Doors World Watch List research, over 90% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in sub-Saharan Africa, and the number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa recording extremely high levels of violence against Christians rose from 13 to 15 from the previous year. This rising violence is being driven largely by Islamic extremists taking advantage of political instability in the region.

 The number of people affected and the area affected are both increasing rapidly. The region is facing a displacement crisis, with millions forced to flee their homes. Most of these people are living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) either in their own country or in neighbouring countries. Many have lost their means of livelihood too, as Islamic militants – particularly in Nigeria – take their land.

And yet the world has not noticed.

In response, the African church is calling for their brothers and sisters around the world to join them in the Arise Africa campaign. It aims to see that the global community acknowledges and acts against extreme violence and supports the church to persevere – and to be resilient, resourceful and influential. Continue reading...

Mission Partner Focus for Autumn 1 - Fusion and Bishop Martin (Goma, DRC, Church Mission Society)

We are excited to share that the netball tournament in support of Fusion's Sow the Word project was a success! It was wonderful to see different generations come together, encourage one another and unite over the same cause. We had four teams compete, thirty people take part, and we raised over £500 - that's fifty Bibles gifted to spiritually hungry students! Thank you to all to took part and donated! For those that would like to hear more about the work of Fusion, their National Team Leader, Luke Smith, is visiting to speak at all three services on Sunday 13 October. 

Did you know that Bishop Martin in Goma is keeping a blog? Started when he and his family first moved, it records all that has been happening, the challenges and the joys, things to praise God for and current prayer requests. You can find the blog at gordonsingoma.org, so do have a read and get to know our new Mission Partner.