...where many hundreds of babies are born every year, supported by a team of dedicated professionals.  We thank you that whatever we are going through, God is with us

Please pray for..

All the midwives, obstetricians, health staff and support staff

For safety, wise decisions and teamwork

For the staff to be valued for all that they do

For mothers to feel that they get good care and that they feel supported in every way

For all the babies born at the RUH to have the best start in life

Jo Skinner, Midwife at RUH Bath

Psalm 139:13-14

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  

Home for Good is a national Christian charity that encourages adoption and fostering in the Christian community.  Their aim is to find a loving home for every child who needs one.  Home for Good in the BANES area is part of the Genesis Trust.

Please pray

That loving homes will be found for every child who needs one in this area

For those considering adopting or fostering children who are in the care system

For those who are caring for kids who have had a tricky start in life, and have brought them into their family

For our church communities as we support families with adopted and fostered children

That every child in the care system will be safe, and find a good home, and be able to live their life to the full

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.     

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Let us pray for those who have lost loved ones, and for all who are finding these times difficult.

For the NHS and for all front line staff, that they may have wisdom and strength.

For those behind the scenes in hospitals, that they may know how much we appreciate them.

And for those who have not yet found the Lord in the path of life.  Let them be guided by the Lord’s light.

Abi Atkins. Age 13. All Saints Weston in Bath

1 John 1:5  

This is the message that we have heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.    

Please pray...

For those needing to use the foodbank for the first time, never thinking they’d be in this position. Let them feel assured and supported.

For those who don’t have a safe place to retreat to as we are all encouraged to stay home and stay safe. Please pray for their safety, and for all our clients that their wider needs would be met.

For those who face constant financial struggles and who are not always able to put food on their tables. Pray that our food parcels make a difference.

For the mental and physical health for our volunteers who have stepped up during these uncertain times.

Angela Jameson – Foodbank volunteer

Compassionate Community is a movement that inspires and supports people in the Bath and North East Somerset area to help each other, by providing an infrastructure that encourages and enables individuals, organisations and networks to work together, with the shared aim of supporting people in need and building strong local communities.   www.compassioncb.org.uk

During the last year, over two thousand local people have volunteered to do shopping for their neighbours.  Many more are now volunteering to help in the vaccination centres.

Please pray... 

For all the volunteers, that they will remain safe and be able to provide much needed support

For people in our area who are vulnerable and shielding, that they will remain safe and get all the help they need

That the vaccination centres will operate well, with excellent teamwork, and with a real welcome for everyone who comes

For the team at Compassionate Community, that they will be able to manage all the requests for help

For everyone working as part of the Community Wellbeing Hub, providing different types of support to people in need, that they will be equipped to answer every call for help

That our local communities will be strengthened, and that the love of God will spread through the City of Bath and the surrounding area.

The COVID 19 Pandemic has brought many difficulties for our education system.  We have seen schools open and close with very little time to prepare for the continued and safe education of our children.  The wellbeing of teachers, support staff, children and their parents /carers has  been challenged to a level that has not been seen before.

Please pray for the Bath area that...

That teachers, support staff, children and their parents / carers stay safe

For patience and perseverance for parents who are having to juggle working from home with the demands of child care and home schooling for their children.

For the wellbeing and resilience for our teaching and support staff in the face of constantly changing circumstances

That teachers and support staff will have the wisdom to identify clear priorities and be able to maintain a reasonable work-life balance

For the Government to have wisdom in their decision-making and that schools and teaching staff will have sufficient time to prepare for the safe and full re-opening of schools

That teachers and support staff will be vaccinated soon 

That each day will bring renewed Hope

Derek Hall,  Chair of Governors, WASPS School

 The Life Recovery Course, which is run by the Genesis Trust in Bath, supports people who are looking for new beginnings and better futures.

Please pray for...

All those on the Life Recovery Courses, that they would feel safe and have the course to keep attending and reflect on their lives and what they want for the future.

For the course facilitators, that they would have the sensitivity and discernment to lead the groups and the understanding, wisdom and knowledge to answer questions.

That in all our interactions and activities we reach people in ways that encourage them to actively seek to develop their wellbeing and spiritual journey

Sue Fourie, Life Skills Manager, Genesis Trust

So many of us in Bath are students.     With University being such a key time for spiritual transformation, there is an urgency for prayer for these guys.  We need to pray for our students, and with our students...

That they fall more in love with Jesus

That they become more like Jesus

That they do the things that he did, with boldness and courage

For revival in the city for our students, that they put their hope in Jesus

For the mental health of our students, especially with everything being shut, and not being able to see anyone

For healing, and that their lives can be restored, and they can be brought back to Jesus

That they have a hunger for reaching the lost

And for the local churches that they are plugged in to

Pray that we might know how to support and encourage our students along the way.

Jodie Lintern     Matt Harbour      Luisa Hill

Please pray that ...

the few people still sleeping outside in the Bath area will accept help to come in from outside.

for those who have their own home, but find it difficult to manage their finances, keep it clean and deal with all the administration involved.  It has been known for some people to go without heating and hot water for more than a year.

for “boaters” (people who live on boats on the canal) who have lost employment and struggling to make ends meet and pay for the required maintenance to keep their boats habitable.

The RUH is pretty full because of the COVID patient numbers who form a significant proportion of all patients.  A number of staff are unwell or isolating.  Emergency Dept and ward staff are often working lengthened shifts in unusually physically and emotionally challenging conditions.  Patients and their families are struggling with consequential family sickness, mental anguish and loss.

Please pray for...

God’s protection and the physical and emotional strength of staff, especially in Emergency and Chaplaincy Departments.

Faith and healing for patients

Encouragement and endurance for families

Timely full recovery for sick and exhausted staff

Energy and hope for residents and patients in Care Homes in the Bath area

This has been a challenging year for all our local service providers, including the officers, members and staff of our Council helping to keep us all safe during the pandemic.  We thank you Lord for each one of them, and for all the work that they do.

We pray for...

The general wellbeing and mental health of all our Council staff

Particularly for those working in Adult Services and Children’s Services

Public Health officers, working in partnership with the NHS.

All our Councillors in their roles in their wards and for the whole community

Genesis’ Lifeline and Life Skills support vulnerable people in the Bath area online and on the phone during lockdown

Please pray...

That all the phone calls connect with those in need, that they are timely, alleviating loneliness and providing community when community is difficult

That there is restoration and hope for the future.

That they may feel peace and an overwhelming sense of love

That there are opportunities to speak out God’s blessing

That the people we support stay connected and feel able to ask for help

For everyone we support to stay well mentally and to be able to look after their wellbeing

That people avoiding self-medicating with drugs and alcohol during lockdown 

Denise Weikert and Matt Prescott, Life Skills Facilitators, Genesis Trust

“The Lord is close to the broken hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed”. Psalm 34:18

There are many thousands of students who live in Bath and are part of our local community.  All have been affected by the events of the past year.

Please pray for...

Students dealing with uncertainty and coping with isolation

Students and staff adjusting to new learning and teaching models

For mental health and wellbeing and for healthy relationships

Transitions as more students come back to Bath after lockdown

Students in their final year facing the pressure of assessments and final exams

Those coping with the disappointment of cancelled placements

Karen Turner, Student Chaplain

Please pray...

For people moving into accommodation for the first time who need support with start-up packs and furniture to make their ‘housing’ into a home

Give thanks for other agencies in the city and how well people and organisations have been working together to support vulnerable people in the Bath area.

Pray for people across the Bath area to have strength for today to get them through their difficulties and bright hope for tomorrow

For favour as we grow the Furniture Project Online Shop, to support people further afield

Hilary Long, Community and Events Manager, Genesis Trust

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fails. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3 v 22-23

Having a home is such a basic human need that many take it for granted.  Yet there are many people in the Bath area for whom housing is a major challenge...

We pray for...

Those who are homeless, that they may find good homes, and may be supported every step of the way

Those who provide the homes and all the support, including the Council, Housing Associations and charities, that they may work well together to provide all that is needed

Those who are struggling in accommodation that is poor, or does not meet their needs

The University of Bath and Bath Spa University are facing unparalleled challenges at this time.

Please pray...

For wisdom for the management teams in our Universities as they adapt and make plans for the future

For the Chaplaincy teams, as they walk alongside people of many different backgrounds

For CathSoc and the Christian Unions; persevering and showing God’s love in new ways

For protection and health as we all adapt to new ways of living and working

For all, that we might sense God’s presence among us and around us

Karen Turner, Student Chaplain                 

There is a need for more local people to actively engage in local politics in the Bath area, both now and in the future

We pray...

That young people in our area will become interested in politics and will start to engage

That there be more education about politics (constitutional matters, electoral procedures etc) in our schools.

That we may be a society that welcomes change and embraces diversity

For the Council as they actively seek to involve more individuals from the community in decision-making.

Shelley Bromley and Ruth Malloy, B&NES Councillors

There have been many changes that have deeply affected families during the last year, as children are home-schooled while their parents continue to work at home

We pray for families in the Bath area...

Patience and peace in every home

Parents who are now home-schooling

The teachers who work so hard to make it all possible

Protection for all our children, both now, and in the future

The protection of our environment requires us all to reduce our energy usage through every means available...

We pray

For the will and capacity to tackle the climate emergency and the pollution level which blight the lives of so many of our often poorer citizens.

For all involved in encouraging the local economy in the Bath area to develop in more sustainable ways

For those ensuring that all new buildings are energy efficient, and for retrofitting old buildings

Safer public spaces, especially for pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter riders.

That as residents we may all embrace change in our lives and lifestyles, so we can all look forward to a healthier and more sustainable future

Shelley Bromley and Ruth Malloy, B&NES Councillors

Action Pantry

Action Pantry makes nourishing food accessible to people living in some of the most deprived areas in Bath. The hardships associated with Covid restrictions and repeated lockdowns have made our Action Pantry project busier than ever. We now have over 100 families across Bath using the Pantry on a regular basis to access fresh fruit, vegetables and meat as well as cupboard essentials. Our Clothesline project runs alongside the Pantry, providing good quality children's clothing, uniforms, shoes and household essentials to those who need it. 

Prayer Points

We give thanks:

• For our continuing partnership with FareShare South West who provide a lot of our food
• That we have been able to continue throughout the pandemic with no ill health or covid infections among staff, volunteers or members
• For the generosity of the public, particularly around Christmas time

Please pray for:

• Protection and good health for our staff, volunteers and Pantry members as they continue to meet one another face to face throughout the pandemic to provide and access this vital service
• Good conversations between staff and members, so we can better support them practically, emotionally and spiritually
• Our families to become more financially stable and secure

Petra Project

Petra provides houses for young mothers and their babies, or pregnant women. We currently have 4 homes in and around Bath, with the capacity to house 18 mothers and their babies who would otherwise be facing homelessness. Our support workers are on hand every day to teach life skills such as money management, cooking and nutrition, to enable independence and self sufficiency. The average residential stay is 14 months. When ready, we support the women in finding new, suitable accommodation for them and their children.

We give thanks:

• That our houses have been safe 'bubbles' during the pandemic, protecting our vulnerable mothers from the loneliness and instability that many others have had to face
• For the 16 mothers we have already assisted in finding their own permanent accommodation
• For the privilege of seeing these women grow and flourish, becoming more confident as mums and individuals.

Please pray for:

• Good relationships between staff/volunteers and resident mums, so they can gain the most out of their time living with Petra
• Relationships between the mums in the houses, so they can better support each other, and continue these positive relationships once they've moved on
• The project to grow and be able to support more mothers and babies in need