Pray for London

written by Haley King, Children & Family Ministries Coordinator (August 6, 2023)

As you are reading this, we have touched down in London and are most likely on the tube (subway) or wandering around trying to find a good cup of coffee. If you are unaware of what we are doing in London, England, let me catch you up! We are bringing our VBS - Twists and Turns - to London! Why London? Believe it or not, London is majority atheist. There is a need for believers to go to London and share the gospel. Coats Baptist also has a desire to continue to partner with Steven Wilkie and his family as they serve the Chinese churches in London. 

Why a VBS? There is a need for children’s ministry programs in the Chinese churches of London. The majority of the Chinese children speak English and it is hard for the adults to teach English curriculum. This is where our team is able to come in and meet that need. As we serve alongside the Wilkie family and the Chinese people, we ask that you pray for us. Here are some helpful suggestions and ways that you can pray. 

The Team — There is a total of 13 of us - five from Coats Baptist and eight from our partner church, Bay Leaf Baptist from Raleigh, NC. Mission trips can be hard to balance personalities and relations even with people you know well, so we ask first that you pray for unity among our team. Our goal is to serve. The 8 people from Bay Leaf are absolutely lovely and it will be a joy to get to know them more throughout this trip. 

  • Pray for safety as we navigate traveling to and from the church everyday. 
  • Pray for Aaron Wilson (Bay Leaf Missions Pastor) and I as we lead the team. 
  • Pray for strength, energy, and endurance as the VBS is Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm. 
  • Pray for spiritual, personal, and relational growth in each member of the team. 
  • Ask God to give strength to the leaders when they are weary and power when they are weak. (Isaiah 40:29)  
  • Pray that each member on our team will be pleasing to God and give Him all the glory for everything that happens on this trip. 

Names of the London Team: Aaron Wilson, Bill Howard, Mark Kmak, Scott Bryant, Georgia Bryant, Amanda Bailey, Elizabeth Lineberger, Megg Martin, Haley King, Hannah Sailors, Samantha Grimes, and Bryan & Anna Sanders

The Children — The age range of the children we will be serving is 5-18 years old. We will break them up into three different groups — lower (5-7 yrs), upper (8-11 yrs), and youth (12 & up). There is a total of 41 children that have pre-registered so far!

  • Ask God to prepare the hearts of these children to fully understand the concepts of sin and the gospel so that they might apply these concepts to their daily lives. 
  • Pray for kids who already follow Jesus to be challenged and encouraged to deepen their relationships with Him. 
  • Pray that the kids will have a meaningful worship experience through the music. 
  • Pray for the safety of all the children as they participate in recreation. 
  • Pray that children will continue to increase in wisdom concerning God’s Word. Luke 2:52 

The Pastors & Leaders — I ask that you pray for the Chinese pastors and leaders at the Chinese church.

  • Ask God to help our team build relationships with these leaders. 
  • Pray that we can find opputunitev to disciple and teach them how to run children ministry programs. 
  • Ask God to prepare their hearts for personal and spiritual growth as leaders in the local church. 
  • Pray for the leaders that follow-up with unchurched guests and that they will begin attending a worship service or Bible study after VBS. 
  •  Pray that their church will continue to bear fruit and glorify God. John 15:8 

The Daily Lessons — I  ask that you pray over the daily lessons being taught. 

  • Day 1 Pray that participants will recognize that Jesus is holy and will call on His name. Acts 2:21 
  • Day 2 Pray for participants to understand that Jesus is trustworthy even when they doubt. Isaiah 41:10 
  • Day 3 Pray that participants will learn that Jesus forgives even when they sin. Colossians 1:14 
  • Day 4 Ask God to help participants grasp that Jesus is worth following even when it gets tough. Acts 4:12 
  • Day 5 Pray that God will reveal to participants that Jesus is for everyone, including them. Acts 10:43 
  • VBS Scripture Psalm 25:4 

Finally, pray that everyone involved in this VBS and trip will continue to seek God with all their hearts and grow in their relationships with Him. Coats Baptist, we thank you for the prayers and look forward to updating you on everything that happens in London on August 20 at the Summer Missions + Ministry Report! 

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