CYM Prayer Diary 2024 Issue 4 by CYM Ipswich

HELLO!

The new academic year is now in full swing, and the summer break seems a distant memory. Our hope is that new students and staff are settling well into their schools, but the reality is that there will always be areas that need support, spiritually and pastorally, and that is where we feel we can be of great use to our school communities. It’s also a point in the year where the campsite team has the opportunity to review all that has happened during the summer and early autumn, and look at how that area of our ministry can improve and grow.

Talking of growth, we’ve seen new members added to our team at the start of the year. I’m sure you will join me in welcoming Katie, Aimee and Max to the CYM team. Katie and Aimee introduce themselves a little later in this diary, and we’ll feature Max next time. Max joins the campsite team as Sports Ministry student. We also hope to have a new School Chaplain working at East Bergholt High School very soon. Please remember new members of the team in your prayers.

Finally, I draw your attention to the CYM Celebration at the end of November and the dates for The Gathering youth events. Please get the celebration in your diaries and share the youth event dates with those who might be interested in coming along.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

SIMON SCOTT CEO Simon@c-y-m.org.uk

WEEK 1 - ANT

I’ve introduced Chaplaincy to our new year 7s at Chantry with an encouragement to “Let your light shine before others.” Pray that I shine and reflect His light too!

I love creating safe spaces for reflection. Pray for direction with this and that the Holy Spirit would encourage me in sharing opportunities with others to abide in God’s presence.

WEEK 2 - LUCY

I’m so grateful to have welcomed new school chaplains to our team this term! Please pray for me as I help them to settle and feel part of our team.

Please pray for the amazing, dedicated pastoral staff who line manage and support our chaplains in schools. Ask God to bless and encourage them, and to give them joy today.

WEEK 3 - BETH

Please pray for all the young people that we see in Nacton who are starting new schools and colleges. Pray we can stay connected, and that they continue to engage with us.

WEEK 4 - JO

Please pray for the group ‘Proud to be Disabled’. This is a group for hidden and visible disabilities. Pray for strong friendships to be made as I support these young people.

Please pray ‘NG’ Youth Drop-In that runs each Tuesday in Nacton. May it be a safe space for the young people, and one where they see something different in our team.

We have recently designed a ‘Memory Garden’ pack for our chaplains to use. This helps with navigating loss and grief. Pray for God’s comforting presence in these difficult moments.

‘Recharge Café’ is a constant part of the rhythm at Chantry. Praise God for the staff who attend each Thursday afternoon. Please pray that all will feel cared for today.

When considering the pastoral and spiritual care needs for CYM, I hear how much we value the times that we can be together as a team. Please pray for us as a community.

Please pray for students as they settle into Suffolk One. Pray that the transition from high school to college will go well and that they enjoy their time at the Sixth Form.

WEEK 5 - SIMON

Please pray for the meetings that I will have in the coming weeks with local church and organisation leaders. I’m always grateful for opportunities to share our work and explore new collaborations.

I’m thanking God today for every person who invests in our work. Please join me today in praying for new avenues of support and income, so that we can sustain and grow our work.

We’ve now launched ‘Starfish Mentoring’ across our School Chaplaincy. Pray that this programme would be effective in helping students overcoming barriers and understanding themselves better.

Please pray for me as I lead CYM’s School Chaplaincy Ministry. I would appreciate prayer for vision and direction, and the ability to serve our chaplains and their schools well.

Schools can be busy and demanding places to work. Today, ask God to bless our chaplains with peace and a fresh awareness of His presence and His love for them.

We thank God for the great Salvation Army camp that we attended during the summer. Please pray that we would see God move in the lives of the young people who attended.

Please pray for all the whole-school opportunities I am leading this term through assemblies, lunch activities and lessons. Pray that God uses me in all of these opportunities.

Please pray for the young people who are Christians at Ipswich Academy. Pray that I would have more opportunities to encourage and disciple them.

I would love the Christian Union to grow this year. Please pray for divine inspiration in developing this group and for the students to encourage and support each other in their faith.

Please pray today for the Trustees of Vauxhall Christian Trust. We’re grateful for their encouragement and support. May they be blessed in their efforts today!

A new ‘Kintsugi Hope’ course will start running in October. Please pray for the students attending it; that God will bring wholeness and hope to them and ultimately, that they will come to know Him.

I will join other colleagues across Suffolk today in a network meeting that I attend each month. Please pray for us as we discuss the pressing issues facing young people.

Please Pray for God’s protection over the college and that His Holy Spirit will be at work. That He will guide me daily to those who need Him.

Please join me today in praying for our own Trustees –for wisdom and discernment as they consider the best plans for our work in the future.

HOME EDUCATED GROUP – 8TH OCT. BCY WEEKEND AT CAMPSITE 11TH – 13TH.

WEEK 1 - JOSH

I’m thanking God this morning for all of the possibilities that come with a new week and praying that we are able to discern what God is saying to us.

Please pray today for our monthly Home Educated group, visiting Basecamp. Pray that the group continues to develop and understand the importance of community.

WEEK 2 - BECKIE

I’m thanking God for all the new students who have joined the Raedwald Trust. I ask God to provide me with opportunities to come alongside these students.

Please join me in praying for all the students that have come to the end of their placements and are now returning to their mainstream schools. Pray for resilience and peace over these children and their families.

WEEK 3 - HENRY

We have a son! Thank you for your prayers for Julia and I. We were blessed with baby Peter in June. Please pray for us as we navigate life with a little one.

In a changing fundraising landscape, please pray as I seek new ways to raise funds for the important work of CYM.

WEEK 4 - AIMEE

Please pray for me as I settle into my new role as Chaplain here at St Matthew’s and get to know staff and students.

We thank God for the new children on our mentoring programme and the opportunity to speak life into their situations.

I thank God for the BCY weekend that we hosted in October. It’s great to collaborate with others, with a shared desire to show who Jesus is to us.

In this different pace of the year for the campsite team, please pray as we review all that has happened over the last few months and develop new ideas for the future.

Please pray over ‘The Gathering’ evening that is taking place later this month. We pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to many young people and that He is glorified!

HOME EDUCATED GROUP AT SITE 12TH NOV. SIMON AT CAPEL METHODIST

I thank God for the great resource in ‘Starfish Mentoring’ and am thankful for all the young people booked onto this. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we meet with these students.

I’m thankful for Abi, and I pray God continues to strengthen our friendship, enabling us to deliver chaplaincy across the alternative provision settings. Give us fresh ideas to be able to show our Father’s love.

Please pray for all the staff across the trust who frequently find themselves in upsetting and frustrating situations. Help both Abi and I to carry God’s presence and a sense of peace within the storm.

It is such a privilege to work in the amazing CYM team. As we continue to grow in number, please pray we will grow in depth with each other and with God.

Join me in thanking God for the fantastic relationship with Vauxhall Christian Trust, and especially with Andrew Horrex and Mary Clarkson. It is a joy to collaborate with them for His Glory.

We have lots of ideas for things that would enhance our work. They require lots of planning, and money! Pray for me as I work through the ideas and search for ways to finance them.

CYM CELEBRATION 29TH / THE GATHERING YOUTH EVENT 30TH

Please pray as I plan for the time of advent in school and seek to encourage staff and children in new and exciting ways.

Thank you, God, for the amazing team at St Matthew’s Church including Nick, Lorna and Ruth, who enthusiastically support chaplaincy and lead collective worship each week for the children.

Please pray as I seek God’s vision for this year’s chaplaincy in St Matthew’s, as we develop new initiatives and identify those who would most benefit from my support.

DECEMBER

WEEK 1 - ABI

Please pray for Beckie and me in this advent season - that we would be able to share the hope of the gospel and the true meaning of Christmas.

We thank God for the staff in the Raedwald Trust and for all they pour into the lives of students. We pray an extra blessing on them today.

WEEK 2 - KATIE

Please continue to pray for me as I am still relatively new to my role and learning so much!

As I learn all the ins and outs of ‘Basecamp’ and working at Vauxhall, please pray that I will retain the knowledge needed for when I put it into practice.

WEEK 3 - URSHIE

Please pray for me today as I invite our neighbours to Christmas services; that there is a willingness to hear the Good News of Christmas and for hearts to be open to the love and hope available to them.

I am very aware of many struggling folks during this season. Please join me in praying for those that have lost loved ones this year and the extra pain carried at this time of year. May they know the comfort of our Saviour.

WEEK 4 - TOM

Please pray for the new students at Abbeygate Sixth Form. May they fit in well, enjoy learning new subjects, and feel they have made the right choice with their subjects.

Let’s thank God for all the different clubs that students can get involved in to make new friends and to find new interests. We’re grateful that chaplaincy can be involved in some of these.

We lift up Angela (CEO of Raedwald) in prayer today - for supernatural wisdom and insight in all she oversees. We pray God’s protection over her as she leads the Trust into 2025.

We pray for peace to reign in the Raedwald Trust, that the presence of God would fill and surround every site around Suffolk.

Please pray today for help for me to be an encourager in my role at ‘Basecamp’, with my colleagues, the children, and the staff.

We pray for the families of students in the Raedwald Trust, that this season the Christmas message would come alive, and they would come to know Jesus for themselves.

HOME EDUCATED GROUP ON SITE 10TH DEC.

I’m thanking God today that I get to work, and see Him, daily in such a beautiful setting. Join me in thanking Him for His provision for CYM in recent times.

I ask for help in the relationships of our smaller team within CYM that as Josh, Urshie and myself work together it will be a joy-filled experience.

I will join the CYM team tonight as we have our Christmas meal together, a great time for relationships to grow and to share fellowship, please pray that we have a wonderful time together.

I’m currently waiting for a hip replacement, the waiting is physically painful, so please pray for ongoing patience and understanding that God’s timing is always perfect.

As I have a break for Christmas, please pray for the renewing of my strength over this holiday period, spiritually, physically and mentally so that I can be the best I can be when returning to the Hub.

Please pray for the students at West Suffolk College. As they are now settled into their year, please pray for opportunities for me to walk alongside them and support them spiritually.

This is my first full year at the Sixth Form and College in Bury. Please pray that I can have a positive influence in the lives of all students starting their new education journey.

I thank God today for the welfare team across the Eastern Education Group as they support students in their studies. Let’s also thank God for the amazing opportunities for Chaplaincy across three different sites!

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT)

GETTING TO KNOW OUR TEAM

SAY HELLO TO

Katie & Aimee

CAMPSITE COORDINATOR

I’m thrilled to embark on this creative journey with all of you! With a passion for the outdoors and an affinity for adventure, you will find me on the hunt for a new trail to walk, lake to swim, and hill to climb. An avid skateboarder you can see me attempting ‘crail slides’ on mini ramps. I also occasionally surf, snowboard and once in a while cartwheel at gymnastics.

Previous experience as Lead Lifestyle Coordinator in a care home and volunteering for a mentorship program has taught me to be a cheerleader through all types of circumstances. I’m looking forward to the excitement and energy that comes from working with children at CYM, and can’t wait to share the love of Jesus that grows seeds into strong trees.

CHAPLAIN TO ST. MATTHEW’S PRIMARY

I am joining CYM as a Primary School Chaplain at St Matthew’s School, providing maternity cover for Kori. I have been married to Neil for sixteen years and we have three children; two boys, 12 and 10 years old, and a girl aged 5. (Pray for me!) I love going on adventures and experiencing new things and my hobbies include paddle boarding, walking and spending time with friends and family. I have been a Christian for nine years and attend Freedom Church near Bury St. Edmunds, where I lead worship, which I love. I am passionate about people thriving in life. I’m looking forward to joining the team and I hope to bring joy, fun and maybe a little competitiveness at times…!

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