crossreach prayer diary: june - sept 2015
DESCRIPTION
Join us in praying for those we support, those that support us and our staff.TRANSCRIPT
Prayer Diary June - September 2015
Week beginning Sunday 7th June Week beginning Sunday 14th June
OASIS GARELOCHHEADOasis is a Day Centre and our aim is to support people to continue to live in their own homes, promoting independence, health and well-being as well as offering support to establish and maintain friendships. Our team are committed to the principles of The National Care Standards and actively promote dignity, privacy, choice, safety, equality, and diversity in the service delivered.
l Pray for our service users, remembering those who struggle with poor health and those whose health is deteriorating.
l Pray for the families of service users. Ask for comfort for them in times of distress and for practical and emotional support, especially for those who have been bereaved.
l Pray for new service users as they come to Oasis, that they would enjoy the companionship and quickly feel that they belong.
l Pray that through the spoken word in our daily devotions and love in action shown by staff that those using the service would experience God’s love in a personal way.
l Pray that staff would be given wisdom, guidance and compassion in all our dealings with everyone using the service.
l We are thankful for the links that have been forged in our wider community. Pray that everyone who has any contact with Oasis would feel supported and welcome.
Week beginning Sunday 7th June Week beginning Sunday 14th June
POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SERVICES, LOTHIAN Postnatal depression affects 1 in 6 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers. We are one of the only independent services with crèche facilities for mothers and fathers with postnatal depression in the U.K. and we support around 140 clients a week.
l Pray that each child born this day throughout the world might be given what they need in terms of physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. May they be given opportunities to develop their potential and make the world a better place by being in it.
l Pray for all those fathers and mothers throughout our world who struggle with parenthood. May they find the resources and support that they need to create a happy and healthy environment for their children.
l Help us to be kind and considerate to those families struggling with anxiety and depression after the birth of a baby; pray that they will find peace in our busy and critical world.
l Give thanks for our medical profession and particularly for our perinatal services. May the work they do in ushering new life into the world always have the resources and time required to carry out this crucial support.
l Pray for the staff and volunteers at the PND Services, Lothian. May they always be guided in their work with the vulnerable and sometimes suicidal clients that seek support at the service.
Week beginning Sunday 21st June Week beginning Sunday 28th June
THRESHOLD SUPPORT SERVICES, LANARKSHIREThreshold Support Services helps people with learning disabilities and people on the autistic spectrum. We provide supported living, residential care, community support, short breaks and day opportunities, giving people the chance to learn, develop confidence and independence.
l Pray for good relationships with Local Authority representatives which will see increased business to address a financial deficit.
l Pray for a good response to recruitment, and the introduction of committed and skilled workers to the team, providing excellent care and support to service users.
l Pray for a number of service users who have been trained to take on the role of co-trainers, providing front line staff with first-hand experience of what it’s like to be supported by another.
l Pray for the service users’ National Forum, as a voice to influence the staff, management, service and the wider organisation.
l Pray for the staff team who have experienced a time of great change over the past few years, and who are currently adapting to the move towards personalisation and outcomes thinking and pray for a positive response to this latest change.
l Pray for the growth of Leading Lives service which is a new branch of our community support service.
Week beginning Sunday 21st June Week beginning Sunday 28th June
WALTER AND JOAN GRAY HOME, SCALLOWAY, SHETLANDA 16 bed care home in the central area of Shetland and the only home in the isles not run by the local authority.
l Give thanks that for the first time in several years our staffing levels are complete. Give God thanks for the good camaraderie we enjoy with a motivated and mutually supportive staff group.
l Pray that new staff members will soon become confident in their role and will become rapidly integrated into the staff team.
l Give thanks for the positive testimony of the home in the community, and pray that our work, done in Jesus’ name, would open the hearts of many to the love of God.
l Give thanks to God for the support and committed leadership we have enjoyed for many years from Head of Service Annie MacDonald. Pray that she will rapidly adjust to her new status and enjoy a long and happy retirement.
l Give thanks for the Friends’ Group and our many other faithful supporters. Please pray for them and their gallant efforts on behalf of the home.
l Pray for the work of the Day Centre. The needs of the clients are increasingly diverse and challenging. Please pray for wisdom, sensitivity and patience for both staff and clients.
l Pray that we might be more inclusive, drawing the families of our clients, friends and the community more into the life of the home.
Week beginning Sunday 5th July Week beginning Sunday 12th July
RAINBOW HOUSE, GLASGOWRainbow House is a substance misuse service providing residential rehabilitation, support and social care to help men and women recover from addiction and regain control of their lives.
l Pray for all new service users as they adjust to the service; may they find a supportive and safe environment and build hope and encouragement in achieving their potential.
l Pray for the volunteers at the service who work very hard and give invaluable time to supporting service users daily.
l Pray for the service users making the transition from rehabilitation to supported accommodation or their own home, which can be a particularly challenging time in their recovery.
l Pray for the service users’ families that they may find comfort and strength in all the challenges that they may face.
l Pray that God would continue to bless the service users, families and staff of the service. May any service users or staff who are feeling unwell of any sorts, be blessed with the comfort of God’s healing hands.
l Give thanks for the devotion and perseverance of the staff team as they continually support the service users and work ‘in Christ’s name’.
l Pray for all of the staff team that they may find strength and resilience in the demanding work that they carry out.
Week beginning Sunday 5th July Week beginning Sunday 12th July
WELL HALL CARE HOME, HAMILTONWell Hall is a care home service for 36 older people in South Lanarkshire.
l Pray for the service users at Well Hall as they enjoy the outings and activities planned over the summer months. Give thanks for their health to enjoy these and ask a blessing on each one that they find peace and contentment in their home here.
l Pray for the staff at Well Hall and give thanks for their continued hard work and dedication to the service. We ask for strength and grace to face the challenges that are different each day and we pray that in meeting them, we can reflect Christ to people we come into contact with.
l Pray for the families of those who live at Well Hall. We ask that God’s peace would be upon them as they manage the difficulty of having a loved one looked after by other people. We remember the importance of working with families and the huge contribution they make to the wellbeing of their relative.
l Pray and give thanks for the Friends’ Group of Well Hall. This small group of people have shown great enthusiasm and commitment to the home. Pray that they would be blessed with support and encouragement from others in all they undertake for the benefit of the residents.
l Give thanks for the members from Hillhouse Parish Church, who faithfully come each week to conduct a service for the residents - even at a time when they are without a minister they have continued to come along and enable the residents to join in a regular time of worship.
Week beginning Sunday 19th July Week beginning Sunday 26th July
CARE & EDUCATION, CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICESCrossReach provides combined care and education services for looked-after and accommodated children as part of our Children and Family Services.
l Pray for all our staff, currently in transition as they work towards the new Care and Education model.
l Pray for the appointment of a new archivist. We look forward to welcoming them to the team.
l Pray that a suitable site would be found for the new CrossReach school.
l Give thanks to all our staff and to those going through the Dan Hughes training course.
l Pray that within CrossReach Children and Family Services we would continue to work as a team,
enhancing and promoting our services as appropriate via social media platforms and direct client friendly literature.
l Give thanks to all the other teams within CrossReach helping us achieve our goals as we work through this period of transition.
Week beginning Sunday 19th July Week beginning Sunday 26th July
WILLIAMWOOD HOUSE, GIFFNOCKWilliamwood is a care home looking after 32 older people with dementia. It was the first specialist dementia home in Scotland when it opened in 1983.
l Pray for our residents, as they join our new Tea Dance Group, where they will enjoy fellowship with others. Pray for their safety while journeying to and from the venue.
l Pray for our residents who are in poor health at the moment, may they find comfort and strength from our prayers.
l Pray for staff, as they embrace the changes within the service; give them patience and understanding to mentor the newer, less experienced staff, amongst us.
l Remember the residents, staff, friends group, and relatives as they all come together to ar-range and enjoy our fundraising Ceilidh.
l Pray for our clients as they help to refurbish the Summer House in preparation for the summer months, where they will enjoy relaxation, socialising and entertaining.
l Pray for bright sunny weather as we embark on a day trip to the Safari Park this summer to allow us to enjoy our day to the full.
l Pray for wisdom, and equality for staff and residents on the interview panel, as we seek to employ new members of staff, who will be a welcome addition to our staff group.
Week beginning Sunday 2nd August Week beginning Sunday 9th August
INVERECK HOUSE, NEAR DUNOONInvereck House is a residential Care Home for Older People with dementia, 4 miles from Dunoon in Argyll. The service offers specialist dementia care to 28 individuals in an environment designed to reduce the effects of disability and enhance the quality of everyday life.
l Give thanks for summer time spent in our sensory garden, to spend time with family and friends, to enjoy meals outdoors to relax and reflect and at times seek the solitude that can replenish our souls.
l Give thanks for our wonderful Friends’ Group, Ancilliary Group and volunteers who support the ongoing care of our home. Maintaining our links with the local community is so important and we ask that God would bless each one for their continued interest and care of those who live and work here.
l Remember our staff as they continue to do the good work here in God’s name. The care and support that our staff provide is much appreciated by all the residents here.
l Pray for all who are suffering at this time and ask that they know you are with them in their difficult times.
l Give thanks that God is with us as we meet each new dawn and for the reassurance that he will always be with us through his Holy Spirit.
l Remember our residents’ families and friends as they come to terms with their loved ones’ disabilities and frailty.
Week beginning Sunday 2nd August Week beginning Sunday 9th August
CONNEXIONS, CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES ConneXions works to ensure that all CrossReach services are responding to the needs of children, young people and families, whilst being aligned to Scottish Government outcomes and making the best possible use of resources.
l Give thanks for all the hard work the ConneXions Team has put in to helping research and complete funding applications to improve the lives of more children and families through counselling and therapeutic support.
l As we enter the second half of the year, pray for the team as they continue to work on the aims and objectives set out at the beginning of 2015.
l We once again say goodbye and thank you to our interns and volunteers who have been working with us this year. Pray for them and wish them all the best in their future careers.
l Give thanks our new volunteers who will be joining the team and pray that we can help them achieve their future goals and aspirations, whilst they provide us with such valuable support.
l Pray that we would continue to work as a team towards our goal of working more interactively within our communities, supporting them in the process of building their communities and offering them ongoing support and training.
l Give thanks to the Church of Scotland and all the CrossReach services for supporting the ConneXions team and giving us the opportunity to present our work via direct presentations and also on social media platforms.
Week beginning Sunday 16th August Week beginning Sunday 23rd August
NESS BANK CHURCH, INVERNESSLooking to share God’s love in the community through our Church Haven. (Part of the CrossReach Local initiative).
l Give thanks for the leaders and ladies who support the weekly Baby and Toddler Group whose families come from all parts of the City.
l Remember in prayer our weekly Lunch Club for over 60s who enjoy a nutritious meal in good company supported by a team of Church members including mini-bus drivers and assistants. l Pray for our new project called Inverness Foodstuff, which involves the preparation of meals in our kitchen for the many homeless in our city with surplus food from local retailers. The volunteers come from different churches and the community. l Pray for all the young people and teachers as they resume full activities following the summer holidays. These include Sunday School, Kirk Youth Group and Boys and Girls Brigade. l Give thanks for the food prepared for our Lunch Club which is prepared by the Calman Group who provide support and training for unemployed youngsters which helps them towards full employment. l Remember all those not directly associated with our church who use our facilities on a regular basis including A.A., Inverness Fiddlers and the Scrabble Club.
Week beginning Sunday 16th August Week beginning Sunday 23rd August
ACNGThe Advisory, Consultative and Negotiating Group are staff representatives elected to liaise with management on issues affecting staff.
l Remember all CrossReach staff as we start another week and with your arm guiding us through supporting the Service Users.
l Give thanks to the work of the Liaison Staff Representatives on the ACNG as we meet together this week in Perth to discuss initiatives for staff.
l Pray for God’s blessing on the ACNG as we continue our negotiations for the benefit of staff in our organisation.
l Pray for services within CrossReach which are facing new challenges or changes to how their service operates.
l Pray for God’s blessing on all our staff as they carry out their daily work - both that which is seen and also the unseen work carried out.
l Give thanks for the hard work carried out caring for all our service users and for the dedication of our staff across the country.
l Heavenly Father, when the thought of you wakes in our hearts, let it awaken, not as a startled bird, but as a child who wakens from sleep with a smile.
Week beginning Sunday 30th August Week beginning Sunday 6th September
SOUTH BEACH HOUSE, ARDROSSANSouth Beach is a residential home for up to 40 older people.
l Give thanks for our great Friends’ Group and the work they do all year round for the home which is for the overall benefit of the residents and everyone connected to us.
l Pray for the residents and help them enjoy the shared company within the home and ask for them to benefit from the planned events put on for them.
l Pray for all the families of loved ones within the service especially relatives that find it hard to visit. Give them the strength they need.
l Remember the senior staff team of South Beach House and be with them as they do the work in Christ’s name all year round in good times and in bad.
l Pray that God would be with the whole staff group of the home as they are a very committed team and work hard all year round to give the highest quality of care to the residents.
l Give thanks for the good food we get provided for the home each day of the year for all our residents. Give the staff the extra wisdom they require to help the residents who have poor dietary intake.
l Pray for the South Beach building and for any repairs or work that have to be carried out to keep it in full operation and keep the good work that happens within the home functioning normally.
Week beginning Sunday 30th August Week beginning Sunday 6th September
THRESHOLD EDINBURGHThreshold Edinburgh provided housing and day care support to 20 adults with learning difficulties.
l Give thanks for all the staff who work with us and for their hard work and dedication. Pray that they will continue to strive towards excellence as they serve Christ in supporting our service users.
l Pray for the Senior Team as they juggle many responsibilities; that they would have wisdom to know how to prioritise and new energy and inspiration to fulfil their role with the many demands placed upon them. Pray for unity within the team.
l Give thanks for the service users and the positive changes in their lives as they are supported to reach their potential. Pray that they would continue to find grow and develop in their gifts.
l Pray for our service users that they would keep well and safe. Pray for those who have various health issues to contend with that they would be addressed speedily and professionally by the health care teams.
l Pray that each service user would feel loved and valued as we support them at this time.
l Give thanks for the wider CrossReach team of which we are a part; Ronnie Black, the Head of Service and the staff at Charis House who support us in many ways.
Week beginning Sunday 13th September Week beginning Sunday 20th September
CUNNINGHAM HOUSE, EDINBURGHCunningham House is a short stay supported hostel for homeless men and women. While at Cunningham House residents are supported to address the issues behind their homelessness and to find sustainable longer term accommodation.
l Pray that residents would be able to have hope despite circumstances that can sometimes seem desperate. And that staff would be able to give perspective and clarity, in the name of Jesus, when life seems overwhelming.
l Remember those struggling with addictions and pray that they would have assurance that there is a way out and that they can lead strong fulfilling lives.
l Pray that staff would retain good health and their zeal to continue to do good even when discouragements and frustrations come along. Also that staff would be able to build genuine trusting relationships with residents.
l Pray for residents who experience the break-up of relationships that they would be able to find the strength to work through their feelings of loss and change and that staff would have patience and time to care in the busyness of everyday tasks.
l Pray that those who struggle with mental health problems would find the right support to address these and be able to carry on with their lives. Pray that residents would not experience discrimination or marginalisation because of this.
Week beginning Sunday 13th September Week beginning Sunday 20th September
WHINNIEKNOWE, NAIRNWhinnieknowe is a care home with 24 residents in Nairn near Inverness.
l Pray for all of our staff and residents, that God would keep his hand on us during the summer months, leading us by his presence in all that we do.
l Pray for the new service manager Lynda Wilson as she takes up her post. Grant her the wisdom and knowledge that she will be a blessing to the home, and fit in as part of the Whinnieknowe family. l Pray that our new garden flourishes so that we may spend lots of time being blessed with your creation, and all of us may have the use of it, with staff and our families. (written by residents)
l Pray for our new activities co-ordinator Mandy, that she enjoys her new post and finds it exciting and challenging. Give her new ideas to help her with this, so that we can all experience your joy in Whinnieknowe.
l Pray for all the staff during this time of change and learning. Help us to adapt easily to new management and care plans that are being implemented.
l Pray for staff and residents who are sick at this time. We pray that God would send his healing, comfort and peace to them, that they get well soon.
l Give thanks for our Head of Service Annie McDonald who is retiring. May God bless her during this transition in her life and guide her by your Holy Spirit in all that she does in the future.
Week beginning Sunday 27th September
DAISY CHAIN EARLY YEARS PROJECT, GLASGOWWorking with families in the Govanhill area.
l Pray for the families we work with. Give thanks that in such a diverse community our service can bring together families from a variety of countries, cultures and religions and can break down barriers.
l Pray for local fathers. Guide them to our Dads’ group and help them to grasp the importance of their role and the impact their involvement can have on their children’s lives.
l Give thanks for the dedicated and passionate staff team we have at Daisy Chain. May God always keep us focussed, encouraged and united in our work.
l Give thanks for the financial support we have received from local churches, and for the many donations of toys and clothes for the families we work with.
l Pray for those we have not yet reached; for those families feeling isolated, desperate and forgotten; may we draw them close and support them to move forward together.
l Give thanks for our wonderful volunteers - so many people give freely of their time for the benefit of others. Help us to show our volunteers God’s love that they may feel valued and supported.
l Remember our project as we look for new premises. Help us to keep God and his plan for the project at the centre of all decisions.
CrossReach (Church of Scotland Social Care) was launched in June 2005 and continues the Kirk’s long tradition of providing care and support. In fact, this work started back in 1869, so we have been offering care and support for nearly 150 years.
We employ 2,000 staff in more than 70 services stretching from Shetland to Ayrshire, making us one of the largest social care agencies in Scotland. Our care and support services help thousands of people in need every day of the year. Our work is split into 8 service areas:
l Children & Family l Counselling & Support l Criminal Justice l Homeless People l Learning Disabilities l Mental Healthl Older People l Substance Misuse
The Church of Scotland Social Care Council (operating as CrossReach) reports every year to the General Assembly and has the following remit:
l To offer services in Christ’s name to people in need as part of the Church’s mission.l To provide specialist resources to further the caring work of the Church. l To identify existing and emerging areas of need, to guide the Church in pioneering new approaches to relevant problems and to make responses on issues arising within the areas of the Council’s concern through appropriate channels such as the Church & Society Council, the Scottish Executive and others. Thank you for taking time to pray for our work.
Charis House,47 Milton Road East,EdinburghEH15 2SR.
0131 657 [email protected]
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