PRAYER FOR BRADFORD: Being in the heart of the City of Bradford we have a concern not only for our immediate area of East Bowling but also right across the city. Howard has been leading a grouping of church leaders from across the city and across all denominations and streams for some years now in a movement called "Prayer for Bradford". The ministers come together for a prayer breakfast every other week and every quarter we come as congregations together in the Cathedral to worship hear a speaker and pray over different aspects of life in Bradford. Prayer for Bradford is also instigating the following initiatives:-
ASK Project Bierley Bethel Church and Geoff Clark takes a lead, with asylum seekers mainly from Iran.
Beracah Music Academy Steve and Velveta Thompson are heading up City Music Academy to help music groups across the city
Caleb Alcohol & Drugs Services This is now truly city-wide in its client base.
Culture Connect has been working in Bradford to bring the different racial groupings together and to present the good news of Christianity in a relevant way.
Global Cafe Aims are:- to show friendship to international students and to share Christianity with them.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) After many years absence, there is now a CAP centre in the south of Bradford serving BD 4,5,6,7 & 12.
HCJB Radio Mick Leggett works with this group that produces radio programmes for far and wide.
Kidz Klub 100 or so children (5 to 11 years olds) come St Stephen's Church West Bowling, each Saturday morning. They are also visited in their homes each week. Peter Shields is the coordinator.
Ministry amongst Asians in Bradford This stimulates evangelism amongst the Asians of Bradford and particularly helps local churches in this.
Real Hope Meets at Sunbridge Road Mission and is an outreach to the needy, homeless, addicts and prostitutes.
Shaftesbury Society At present stimulating Christian witness in the work place e.g. teachers, police, health, retail, etc., etc.
Student Christian Union Bradford University & Bradford College have a combined CU with students going to churches in the city.
Transform This helps people take a "year in" (gap year?) where they give a year to either Bradford or Leeds.
SHORT TERM PLACEMENTS
We also encourage individuals and groups to visit other parts of the world. In the last years church members have gone out to Bosnia, China, Greece, Kenya, S Africa, Cambodia, and Timbuktu (literally!)
FRANCIS & MARGARET OTIENO
Over the years we have developed links with Francis and Margaret and their family in Eldoret
in north west Kenya. They lead a Pentecostal Church there and are also seeking to reach out to
street kids from the city centre. We have sent a group out to develop these links and have managed
to help in the purchase and maintenance of a car to help Francis get around. He regularly visits the
neighbouring countries as he visits Pastors who have or do attend a Bible School he runs in Eldoret every
6 months (there are usually about 30 attending at any one time). Recently Our Vicar Howard and wife Helen spent a couple of weeks in Eldoret teaching both in the church and at the Bible School. Francis and Margaret have also visited us here in Bradford.
Another visit was due to take place in February 2008 but this coincided with the political unrest and had to be cancelled. There was much violence in Eldoret and Francis and family had to flee their home. Francis and Margaret now have a new home and having tried to help many of the congregation the work is now gwetting back to normal.
The Street Kid work is now linked with Retrak which is a charity that works in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. We have further links with this organisation as their field director is now to be Diarmuid O'Neil who recently was our manager at E:merge YouthProject.
SHORT TERM OVERSEAS
Every year we see a number of our members go to different parts of the world to help in short term missions or placements. Recently these have been in China, Greece, Bosnia, Uganda, Kenya, S. Africa, Cuba, Cambodia and Pakistan. Most travel largely at their own expense though we try to make a contribution where appropriate.
BOWLING EAGLES FC Nearer to home the Eagles is our football team that plays in the West Yorkshire Christian League. We formed in 2001. The team is made up of guys who attend St Johns and their friends. They are consistently challenging for the league title, only recently coming second in the 2007/8 season. They have won many matches in such places as Northern France as well as Doncaster and Wakefield! If you would like to know more about the Eagles & how to get involved, where we train, our fixtures or where to buy a replica shirt then speak to Tim Elgar (660244).