April 2010

Around 2500 people work in The Mall shopping centre, hundreds more work in businesses nearby and about 400,000 visit the town centre every week. Luton Town Centre Chaplaincy aims to employ a full-time chaplain, together with a team of volunteers, to provide pastoral care, advice, support and the love of Jesus to those visiting or working in Luton town centre.

• the raising of the £150,000 needed to pay for the first three years of the project;
• the recruitment of the first full-time chaplain;
• volunteer chaplains to link with individual shops and businesses;
• the provision of a suitable unit for a ‘drop-in’ centre and quiet room in The Mall;
• that the project will be effective in its aims and be able to make a significant difference to life in Luton.

(See www.lutontcc.org.uk for more information)

Jerusalem is tense after Israel’s threat to continue settlement expansion. Four teenagers have been killed by the Israeli military and there have been attacks on Israeli soldiers.

Pray for softening of hearts, and for wisdom to keep alive the remaining glimmer of hope for equality and peace.

During the Easter season pilgrims from around the world come to mark the death and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

Pray for their safety and that they will recognise the powerful message of love demonstrated by Jesus. Pray too that Palestinian Christians in the West Bank and Gaza will be able to worship in Jerusalem without hindrance.

The name Jerusalem means ‘city of peace’.

Pray for a just long-term solution that will secure the peace of the city for all who live there.

‘Sabeel’ is an ecumenical movement seeking to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, promote unity and encourage peaceful social action. ‘Sabeel’ means ‘the way’ in Arabic.

Pray for their work and for all Palestinian Christians that they will remain faithful and not give up hope.

(see www.sabeel.org for more information)