Prayer Line

9th April 2008
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, PRAY, Spain

News from the SAMS GB prayer line:

This weekend the Diocese of Argentina holds its Synod in Buenos Aires, with visitors from its link Diocese of Sheffield. Pray for Bishop Greg Venables in the chair and for the worship, Bible study and discussions on future planning in the light of a severe shortage of clergy.

Far to the north in the midst of the Argentine Chaco Pastor Tuqui Ayala will baptise on Saturday seven new believers among the settlers of the small town of Laguna Yema. Pray God will bless this event and encourage them in their new life with Christ.

Over this weekend the young people of Espirito Santo church in Recife, Brazil, are going away to pray and study the Bible together. Pray for them and for their pastor, SAMS Latin Partner Josias de Souza and his wife Danielle.

From Monday to Thursday (14th-17th) the ‘Gospel in Spain’ conference is held at the SEUT seminary in El Escorial to highlight the vital work of its staff, in particular SAMS mission partners Jonathan & Hilary Rowe. Pray for this event and for its coordinator Tim Greenhalgh.

On Tuesday (15th) Tim Curtis returns to Paraguay after his UK ministry. Pray for his travel, his reunion with the Enxet Bible translation team and the continuing project.

Finally, Tuesday also sees the long-awaited conference on revival held in Santiago, Chile. Alf Cooper hopes for a turnout of 5000 pastors and leaders. Pray for this gathering.

Items for prayer

19th March 2008
Chile, Paraguay, PRAY

From the SAMS prayer line:

Alf Cooper, who arrived back today in Chile, has asked us to pray for preparations for a major event on 15 April. This is a Conference on Revival to be held in the main Methodist Pentecostal Cathedral in Santiago and Alf hopes that as many as 5000 pastors and leaders will attend.  He writes: ‘Chilean pastors need great refreshment in their experience of revival and church.  Chile’s 20% of [evangelical] Christians [in the population] needs to become 30%.’ Let’s pray with Alf and the church in Chile for all the work for this event.

Though a Bank Holiday here in the UK, Monday is a normal working day in South America. It’s a big day at FEISA, the Anglican Early Years Teacher Training College in Asunción, Paraguay: not only do the new First Years begin their course but the long-planned degree course also starts. Please pray for the students as they embark on these ventures, and for the staff in teaching and administration.

Easter weekend services and outreach events are wonderful opportunities for evangelism and churches across South America, Spain and Portugal will be holding these. At Living Waters in Olinda, Brazil, for example, Maundy Thursday will see a service of the washing of feet, Good Friday a film, Saturday a picnic, and Easter Sunday worship from sunrise through the day. Let’s pray for the events in Olinda and similar ones elsewhere, that many people will be transformed by an encounter with the Living God.

Prayer news

13th March 2008
Chile, Paraguay, PRAY

Welcome to the SAMS Prayer Line for the week commencing Wednesday 12 March.

Please pray for the members of the Anglican church of ‘Vida Nueva’ in Canal Beagle, Viña del Mar, Chile, which has been devastated by fire, caused apparently by an electrical fault. Remember them as they meet together in homes and begin the long process of rebuilding.

John Sutton of SAMS GB continues his short tour of eastern South America. Currently in Recife and Olinda (Brazil), on Friday (14th) he moves to Uruguay. Among those he will spend time with are SAMS Latin Partners Gonzalo & Leticia Soria. Pray for John’s time with them and with other members of the diocese.
Two special services merit our prayers:
(i) On Friday St Andrew’s School in Asunción, Paraguay, holds its Easter Service, with Patrick Butler preaching. Pray for Patrick’s ministry and that the whole service may bless students and staff with the life-giving message of Easter.
(ii) on Tuesday (18th) in northeast Spain, the Church of Christ, pastored by Sue Woodcock, will be holding a united service for Holy Week with the Baptist churches of Sabadell. Pray for this special event at a special time in the church’s year.

Finally, please remember Alf Cooper as he flies back to Chile on Monday (17th) after UK ministry, rejoining Hilary and the family in Santiago.

Message from Alf Cooper

7th January 2008
Chile, Countries, Events, Latin Partners, People

Alf Cooper, the keynote speaker at Friday Night Live writes:

“As we look over our calendar”, write Alf and Hilary Cooper from La Trinidad church in Santiago, “we see wonderful evangelistic opportunities before us and many new people have been arriving at church.

With the arrival of new people we follow up with a Foundations Course called ‘Building on the Rock’ and this has enabled many to grow and stick with us becoming part of us. Children and young people are welcomed into our Youth and Children’s Encounters. ??We also see a new opportunity – television. We’ve signed a contract to go on air, as we figure that Wesley would have used this powerful tool. We want to host a chat show called “Hazte Cargo” (roughly “Stand up for what you believe”) where we invite national figures to talk about their beliefs, whatever they are, and to stand up for them. We will stand up for biblical Christianity. Pray!” Talking of media, Alf is writing another book.

Pray for Alf and Hilary and we look forward to their contribution at Friday Night Live.

Growth in Punta Arenas

2nd January 2008
Chile, Countries, Mission Partners, People

Colin and Barbara Bazley are SAMS GB Mission Partners in Chile. They write,

Punta Arenas, on the Straits of Magellan, is cut off from the rest of Chile by uninhabitable icy mountains, glaciers, fiords and islands. We expected that the church here, having been a year without a minister, would have felt more isolated than ever and we feared to find it in a somewhat depressed state. To our surprise and great joy this was far from the case. Housegroups, Sunday Club, youth group, music as well as the Sunday services were all flourishing and enjoying the challenge. New people had joined and there are a good number of confirmation candidates for the Confirmation this coming Sunday.

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