Quarterly Prayer Letter of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s Night Ministry

While travelling home on the bus some weeks ago, a pleasant and veryelderly gentleman came and sat beside me. After a brief hello, heproduced from his pocket his iPod. I thought that this was brilliant for aman of his years! When he had put the ear buds in he sat back to enjoyhis choice of music and I returned to reading my book.

Within a short while the gentleman started to slowly and rhythmicallyconduct the music. With eyes tightly closed he was now transported to aplace far away from the Saintfield Road. Next, he added humming to hisconducting. It was at this point that I was even more convinced that aniPod or equivalent was out of the question for me. I could not trust myselfto keep a lid on my singing while on public transport. Eventually thegentleman exited the bus, no doubt the happier for his part in his musicalexperience.

Though the Nightlight team members do not sing out the Gospel, theymake no issue to hide the Good News of Jesus Christ. Like my elderly buscompanion, what he was listening to clearly brought him obvious joy.Likewise the team members want to share the joy they know can only befound in Christ. Please pray for lots of opportunities to speak out for Jesus.

Sharing the joyfound in Christ

Spring 2013

Can you encourage others to grasp the visionand become more involved?BY PRAYER: visit our websiteBY FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Direct Debit and Gift AidBY BECOMING A VOLUNTEER

How you can help:

NIGHTLIGHT 13 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1JGT: 028 9033 2777 E: info@pcinightlight.orgW: www.pcinightlight.org | www.missionireland.org/nightlight

www.missionireland.org

Why notjoin us oneevening for anight tour?Give the Nightlightoffice a call!

PRESENCE - going to where people are

UNCONDITIONAL CARE - serving others in Jesus’name

RELATIONSHIP - listening to and befriending others

EVANGELISM - sharing the life giving gospel message

Nightlight ValuesStatement

• Please continue to remember in your prayers the teammembers, both in the Golden Mile area and at the Odyssey.

• Pray that God would continue to bless the conversationsthey have with people and that they would be kept safewhile out and about.

Thank you for your encouragement and on-going support for thework of Nightlight through your prayers and financial donations.And as we say in Nightlight,“It’s not our work it’s God’s work.”

Pray for the workof Nightlight

Linzie CobainGolden Mile

Belfast

Brian SimonsOdyssey Arena

and Dock, Belfast

www.pcinightlight.org

NightLines Winter 2013 AW 14/3/13 19:40 Page 1

IN THE FOLLOWING STORIES INITIALS HAVE BEENUSED TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS’ ANONYMITY.Homeless, struggling to remain a ‘recovering alcoholic’, bothadult children now passed away, one to suicide, and a wife sadlydeceased for over two decades, is reality for ‘W’ and what hewakes up to every morning. He struggles constantly to deal withwhat life has dealt him and how best to exist for today. He explained to ateam member, at our Botanic Avenue tea table, that he no longer dulls thepain with alcohol as he is determined to stay off drink. He has beenattending church for some time now and is finding encouragement fromboth the minister and another friend. He finds talking about his lifedifficult and as a result getting help is not easy. Please pray that Godwould give ‘W’His peace and help him to come to the realisation that inChrist he will find strength and hope for what, in anyone’s opinion, hasbeen a tragic set of circumstances.

‘A’ arrived at our tea table ready for a fight! He showed aggressivebehaviour towards the team members and told them that the problemwith Christians was that they never listen to the opinions of other ‘faiths’.They just assume they are right! He then went on to ask the team toprove that God existed. He wanted so many answers to some quitebizarre questions. When answers were given he either didn’t listen or hewasn’t interested. He said that he was now an atheist because when heprayed to God, nothing ever happened. His quick fix faith had provenunsatisfactory. Before he left he apologised for his strong language.Having calmed down he thanked the team members for taking time totalk with him and, to their surprise, shook their hands. This was by nomeans a wasted conversation.

‘G’, a university student, stopped for a coffee and a chat a coupleof weeks back. He explained that although he comes from a Christianhome and understands who Jesus is and what the Bible teaches, headmitted to not knowing Jesus personally. ‘G’and the team membertalked for a long time about Jesus’ life and ministry and what it meansultimately not to have Christ ruling in your life. Pray for ‘G’ that God wouldhelp him to see the truth.

‘B’ is in his late fifties and has spent a lot of his adult life livingabroad for long periods at a time. He has a daughter with whom hehas had little contact. He would like nothing better than to be reconciledto her soon. He was brought up Roman Catholic but his father had afalling out with the Catholic Church and as a result ‘B’has had little in theway of ‘religion’ in his life. He said he had attended other churches but hasnot settled into any yet.

During another conversation, two men, one claiming to be anagnostic the other an atheist, expressed the opinion that beinggood was good enough to get into Heaven. They said that God wasbad if he allowed good people to go to hell but allowed other people intoHeaven who claimed to have accepted Christ, but whose lives, in theiropinion, did not reflect significant change. They could not see the reasonfor Jesus in their equation.

‘C’ believes God is only there when you really need him! ‘C’wantedGod to be more evident in his life and enquired how this was possible.The team members spent much time talking with him. He also explainedthat he has a two year old child with a weak heart and a father who ispresently in hospital in a coma. Please pray for ‘C’and his family.

Proclaiming and Demonstrating the Kingdom of God through Word and Action

CONVERSATIONS WITH CLUBBERSThe team members at the Odyssey have said they are experiencing somany conversations with ‘clubbers’ that it is quite overwhelming. Wethank God for these conversations which have taken place and pray thatwhat these young people have been told about Christ will bring aboutreal change in their lives.

About two years ago a young security lad at the Odyssey became aChristian through Nightlight team members sharing the Gospel. We aredelighted to say that ‘M’has applied to a Bible college where he hopes tocommence his studies in September 2013. Pray that God would continueto guide him and bless his time at college.

For over two years now the Odyssey team have spent time with ‘G’, asecurity man within the arena. He has been faithfully reading the Biblewhich he was given some time ago, and also working his way throughhis daily reading notes, underlining anything that he either does notunderstand or finds interesting. Please pray for ‘G’as he continues toexplore the Christian faith and learns more about Jesus.

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