Pray for Livability

Prayer Diary September-December 2012:Layout 1

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Pray for Livability September – December 2012

Livability is the new face of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society

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Prayer Diary September-December 2012:Layout 1

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Who we are

Our founders John Groom (left) and Lord Shaftesbury

At Livability, we are passionate about creating opportunities for disabled people and supporting those who want to make a difference in their communities.

We offer a wide range of services to support and empower disabled people throughout their lives, from our colleges and school to residential care and supported living. We also provide many other specialist services including brain injury rehabilitation and accessible holidays.

Livability also works with urban churches and community organisations. We provide them with advice, training and resources to transform their neighbourhoods.

Our organisations were started by passionate Christians whose faith compelled them to act when they saw poverty and social challenges on the streets of Victorian Britain. Inspired by their legacy, we continue to keep a clear Christian ethos at the heart of all we do.

By sharing our joys and challenges, and bringing them to God on our behalf, you are truly a part of what God is doing through Livability – transforming communities and individuals.

Livability was created from the merger of two well-respected organisations, John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society.

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Celebrating achievement Dear friend, By the time you receive this, London will have hosted the Olympic Games and will be gearing itself up for the Paralympics.

One issue that has been at the forefront of Olympic debates since London won the bid is the question of legacy. What do the Olympics leave us in the long-term? Some cities have little to show for hosting the Olympics apart from debts and empty stadiums. It’s right that the Olympic authorities have been thinking about the future; who will use the state-of-the-art facilities? Will the jobs created be sustainable?

Here at Livability we’re especially interested in the legacy of the Paralympic games. The Olympics may give London a velodrome, but the Paralympics could have a much deeper legacy – changing the way that people around the world perceive disability.

My prayer is that people will see that no-one should be defined by their disability. To paraphrase the famous words of Dr Martin Luther King – that one day people will not be judged by their physical impairments, but by the content of their character.

The motto of the Paralympic games is ‘Spirit in Motion’. Please join me in praying that the Paralympics will be so much more than a showcase of marketing and superstars, but instead will demonstrate God's Spirit in motion, changing hearts and minds.

With thanks for your support Adam Bonner Director Community Mission

Cover photo: Livability service user Andy with his mum

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Focus on... inclusion Are there disabled people in your church? How welcome do they feel? Are they encouraged to use their gifts in service to the rest of the church?

These are questions that Livability is asking Christians as part of our Churches Inc campaign. Working with disabled people, we see that churches often fail to offer them a genuine welcome. As a result, even though one in seven working-age adults is disabled, that number is rarely reflected in local churches.

The Churches Inc charter is calling on churches to make changes in three areas: • Church buildings should be increasingly accessible places, so that disabled people do not have to worry about overcoming physical barriers to enter church.

• Church activities should be more inclusive, allowing all people, not just the majority, to participate fully.

• Christians need to welcome disabled people.

We need to build community life together as an inclusive family.

Churches which are committed to becoming more inclusive are signing the charter as a sign that they want disabled people to be welcome and involved at every level of their church. Could your church sign up to the charter? We’d love to talk to you about it. Email Mat Ray at mray@livability.org.uk or visit www.churchesinc.org.uk Christians signing our charter to show their commitment to including disabled people

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September ‘There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.’

Proverbs 23:18 You may have heard that Mike Smith retired from his position as Livability’s chief executive in August.

Please lift up our charity in your prayers during this interim period. Pray for the directors as they lead us forward, particularly Dave Webber, who is now our acting chief executive. And please pray for all those involved in recruiting new chief executive – that they will find just the right person to lead us forward.

Week beginning 2 September Most churches rely heavily on volunteers. This month Livability’s Community Mission team will run two training courses for church leaders on volunteer management skills. Please pray for successful days, which result in energised, motivated and encouraged volunteers.

Pray that Livability’s training courses will enable churches to reach out more effectively 5

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September Week beginning 9 September Please pray for the Livability Rose Fellowship day at Hill Place in Hampshire on 18 September. We will Hill Place, venue for our Rose be celebrating the Fellowship event past generosity of all who have supported us with gifts in their wills and saying thank you to those who have promised to do so in future. Please pray that more people will support us in this important way.

Week beginning 16 September Ruth Smith and David Arscott work as Community Mission advisors across West Pray for David and Ruth as Yorkshire. This month they move office this month they move to offices in York House – a Livability residential unit. It's great to see our work with churches and with disabled people growing closer. Pray that this new partnership is fruitful and beneficial for everyone.

‘I enjoy being a prayer partner with Livability I took over from my mother who used to be a prayer partner with the Shaftesbury Society.

Through being a prayer partner I learn much about what people involved with Livability are doing - the hopes, plans and achievements and all the sustained hard work - and I’m glad to feel part of your organisation.’

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Week beginning 23 September As Livability works for the inclusion and acceptance of disabled people, we know we are not alone; there are other organisations to whom God has given a similar calling. Please pray for fruitful relationships with our colleagues and co-workers in charities like Through the Roof and The Leprosy Mission.

Thank you for all your prayers for the Sparkle Appeal at Victoria Education Centre and Sports College.

Praise God that we have now raised £2.8 million, allowing us to start the construction work on a hydrotherapy pool – a fantastic new therapy resource that will have a great impact on pupils’ wellbeing.

Livability patron HRH The Princess Royal officially launching Victoria’s new building project

Week beginning 30 September As the new term starts at our two Further Education colleges, please pray for all our new students.

Change can be extremely difficult for people with learning difficulties, so please pray that they will soon make friends, feel comfortable and settle into the rhythms of their new college.

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Focus on... legacies

A legacy enabled us to upgrade John Grooms Court, making a huge difference to Danny's life

Livability owes so much to the inspiration and dedication of those who have gone before us. We give thanks to God not only for our founders John Groom and the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, but for the many thousands of staff and supporters who have given us so much throughout our history. We particularly want to honour all those who have left gifts in their wills – both large and small. Their generosity accounts for a substantial contribution to our annual income, which directly benefits disabled people and disadvantaged communities.

One recent example is a legacy gift of £15,000 left to John Grooms Court in Norwich by a lady who had been a John Grooms supporter for many years.

The gift was put towards refurbishing the flats at the residential home and the residents are delighted with the results. Danny is thrilled with the improvements: “My flat had a bath which I couldn't use," he says happily. "I can now shower in my own bathroom instead of using the communal shower room. I am really grateful to Livability for making my life better. I feel totally independent.”

We are so grateful to every person who is able to leave us a legacy, and we’d invite you to prayerfully consider if you might do the same. Every legacy gift brings more disabled people further into the fullness of life that our heavenly Father intends for us all.

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October ‘For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.’

2 Corinthians 4:17

You can become a fan of LivabilityUK on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @LivabilityUK

Week beginning 7 October ‘Social media’ like Facebook and Twitter are increasingly important ways for Livability to engage with supporters, raise our profile and campaign for change. Please pray for wisdom as we learn to harness this new technology.

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October

Pray for our work with The Gap, a youth project in East London

Week beginning 14 October The Community Mission team has recently been carrying out an in-depth evaluation of a Christian project working with disadvantaged young people in East London. Pray that the report is well received and leads to even greater effectiveness.

Week beginning 21 October Livability is a partner in the Christian Legacy Consortium of 11 Christian charities working together to promote legacy giving. Please pray that more churches will participate in the Tomorrow’s Harvest promotion this autumn, to encourage their members to remember churches and Christian charities in their wills.

The Tomorrow’s Harvest campaign aims to encourage Christians to leave a legacy gift in their will 10

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Accessible holiday homes, like this one in West Sussex, can give families a much-needed break

Week beginning 28 October At the end of a busy summer season, please pray for the ministry of our self-catering holiday homes.

Pray for every family and group that books in, that relationships will be strengthened, carers will be re-energised and disabled people be included.

This autumn, our fundraising activity includes inserting leaflets in a range of Christian and disability-focussed magazines. Please pray that this will be a fruitful campaign, raising both awareness and funds for our work.

Inspiration ‘God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for Himself the knowledge of them, that He may train us up in a dependence upon Himself and a continued readiness for every event.’ Matthew Henry

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Focus on...

Staff award winner

Staff like Sally help us to keep disabled people right at the heart of all we do

The Princess Royal Livability Awards, held in November every year, honour members of staff who have gone the extra mile. People like Sally JamesLayton, a manager of the Livability Lifestyle Choices West team in Gloucester.

Sally is driven and passionate about ensuring our service users are able to make their own decisions: “We want to enable individuals to have a voice.

Choice is really paramount in what we do.”

Livability Lifestyle Choices offers flexible and personalised support for disabled adults that enables them to have more independence, do more things they enjoy and build their self-confidence.

Sally has ensured that Lifestyle Choices West is a success by instilling within her team the confidence to help service users achieve their ambitions. She keeps her team inspired by valuing their input, listening to them and acknowledging what they do well.

Sally demonstrates determination in the face of obstacles in a generally difficult economic climate, recently developing a ‘floating support’ structure to make more efficient use of existing resources and ensure a sustainable staffing model. She is determined to enable more people to access the service and actively explores methods for expanding business in Gloucester.

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November ‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.’

Proverbs 16:3

Week beginning 4 November New government policies about how post-16 education will be funded could have a significant impact on our education services. Please pray for wisdom for the leadership of our school and colleges as they make plans for the future.

Moving with the times – a Victoria student learns video editing skills

Week beginning 11 November Our Friends groups are made up of volunteers who champion their local Livability service. This year we've been building these groups and we'd love to see each of our services getting this kind of support from enthusiastic Friends. Please pray that we will find passionate, engaged volunteers to help set up new groups.

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November

The Happiness Course will help churches reach their communities with practical resources for living life to the full

Week beginning 18 November Livability’s Community Mission team is developing a new Christian course on happiness and wellbeing.

This month we are organising a conference to inspire church leaders and community workers to start thinking about this important area. Christians have good news to share about living life to the full!

A number of Livability services have small prayer groups where disabled people who want to are supported to bring their concerns to God. Please pray for God’s blessing on these groups and for wisdom and gentleness for those staff who facilitate them.

Inspiration: ‘I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’

Psalm 27:13-14 14

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Every year we recognise outstanding members of staff and volunteers

Week beginning 25 November This month we will be holding our annual staff awards, when we celebrate the remarkable work of our colleagues. Please join us in thanking God for our dedicated, passionate staff. More than any other factor, it’s our staff that really make the difference in the lives of disabled people.

Livability’s Enterprise Agency has so far helped 43 unemployed people to set up their own businesses. The first year of trading can often be an unstable time for a business, so please pray for these Pray for entrepreneurs like Jean, brave entrepreneurs as setting up their own businesses they try to build a future for themselves.

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Pause for thought

‘I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.’

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Photo © Paul Nichols

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Focus on... praying with Livability staff Prayer is important to Livability. It’s not just something that we ask our supporters to do; it’s a part of our working life too.

Livability staff are a mixture of Christians, people of other faiths or none. But we encourage all who want to join in praying for each other and our work. Around the country our staff gather to pray at different times and in different ways.

At our London office, staff gather first thing on a Monday morning to pray together. The meetings, called ‘Thank God it’s Monday’, attract a wide range of people; directors and interns, accountants, administrators and those who manage our computer network. Maggie Harding, who helps to organise the group, says, “It’s a real privilege to be able to take this time and commit our week to God.” Livability staff based in other locations also make time for prayer. Christians at Victoria Education Centre and Sports College meet for breakfast and prayer on the first day of term, praying for each other and the term ahead. Meanwhile, staff at some of our smaller services have to be more creative. Lifestyle Choices assistant manager Dawn Gentry explains, “When I’m busiest, and feel like I just don’t have time to pray, that’s usually when I need it the most! So I find time to telephone another local staff member and we quickly pray about the situation over the phone.”

Thank you for joining our praying community.

We value prayer; we believe that it really does change things.

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December ‘We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’

2 Corinthians 4:18

Week beginning 2 December Livability is extremely grateful to those who give time and energy to the charity, whether as a trustee, part of a Friends group, or someone who prays for us.

We thank God for each volunteer and pray that we will be entrusted with more.

We are so grateful for volunteers who help make our events successful

Week beginning 9 December This week, please lift up in your prayers the families of disabled people. So many of them work incredibly hard: physically they may have to lift, feed and care for their child, parent or partner. And at the same time, they often have to be advocates, constantly working with care services, housing groups and local authorities to get a better deal for their loved one. Please pray that they will know God’s strength, resilience, perseverance and hope.

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Pray for all those involved in our central London carol service, that together, we will celebrate the many blessings God has given us

Week beginning 16 December With carol services, concerts and celebrations, December is always a busy month for our events and fundraising teams. Please pray for them, that in the midst of the hard work, they will have the chance to reflect upon the meaning of the Christmas season.

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December Week beginning 23 December At Christmas, some of our residents can feel particularly isolated and lonely. Please pray for Livability support staff working over this period, often putting their own family commitments to one side in order to help make Christmas outings, events and meals special times for those we serve.

Please pray that for disabled people, this Christmas will be a time of inclusion and joy rather than isolation

Week beginning 30 December As we all look to the New Year, please pray for the legacy of our work. Livability provides day-to-day services for many people. But our prayer is that we will be much more than that, so that through God’s power, we will bring lasting transformation, and that we will see a long legacy of hope in the lives and communities that He has entrusted to us.

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Get in touch with Livability My details (PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS) Name: Address: Postcode: Email: Telephone: Church name:

I’d like to find out about supporting Livability financially I'd like to know more about how my church can welcome disabled people Can Livability visit my church?

Please tell me about leaving a gift in my will Please send me more copies of this prayer diary Please visit our website www.livability.org.uk to find out more about our work Thank you for your support

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Pray for Livability Livability FREEPOST KE3232 50 Scrutton Street London EC2B 2HL

No stamp needed but using one saves Livability resources

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Did you know you can download this prayer diary from our website? Go to www.livability.org.uk/prayerdiary

If you need this publication in an alternative format, please ring our communications team on 020 7452 2085 Contact us: Mat Ray Pray for Livability editor 50 Scrutton Street London EC2A 4XQ Tel: 020 7452 2000 mray@livability.org.uk www.livability.org.uk Registered charity no. 1116530 Registered in England no. 5967087 Livability is a company limited by guarantee The new face of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society

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“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord “… plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Photo © Paul Nichols

Pause for thought

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