The 12 mission partners that we support are:
Locally:
Amber, Caraway, Friends International, Fusion, Street Pastors and Southampton City Mission

Internationally:
A Rocha, CMS - Diocese of Goma, IFES, IJM, Kreativity and Open Doors

To find out more information on all of our partners click on their names above or click here to read the first Mission Partnership letter that was sent out in June 2024.

Most recent updates and prayer points from our Mission Partners are below - simply click on the links to read more.

It is important to note that these updates are addressed to us as Highfield Church only, so please do not share beyond our community. Thank you for your understanding.

Mission Partner Focus for Autumn 2 - A Rocha Kenya and Southampton City Mission

A Rocha Kenya (ARK) is one of 21 national organisations of A Rocha, an international Christian conservation organisation that is committed to practical biodiversity conservation through scientific research, environmental education and sustainable community-based conservation programmes. A Rocha bases its work on the recognition that the Bible clearly teaches about the importance of the environment as God's creation. The Bible speaks about God's love for his world and of our responsibility to look after it.

Southampton City Mission exists to equip the church, and to love and serve the city. It provides opportunities, training, resources and support, to help the whole church reach out to those around them with the love of Jesus. In addition to Basics Bank and its work in schools (going into around 50 primary schools with its Question of Faith day programs), SCM works closely with other charities, agencies and the Council in Southampton, chairing several networks and making sure that Christian love and service is at the heart of Southampton's Civic life.

BASICS BANK

Warehouse stocks at Basics Bank are very low.  Please bring your donations to church when you can and place in the box by the West doors.

Please use this link to keep up to date with items that are needed.

https://southamptoncitymission.co.uk/get-involved/how-to-donate

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - December 2024

SOUTHAMPTON CITY MISSION - Day Conference 2025

Equipping the Saints - Saturday 25 March at Above Bar Church

Join SCM for an exciting one-day equipping conference designed for the whole family and the whole church of Southampton, featuring a rich program of worship, speakers, discussions and activities. How can we all be better equipped to love, serve and share normally with those around us at home, at school, at work and at college in Southampton? 

Cost
£10 per adult
18’s and under – free

Booking
Tickets can be booked via the following link:
SCM Conference
For further enquiries, please email:
conference@southamptoncitymission.co.uk

A ROCHA, Kenya

An update for prayer from Watamu, Kenya... *Ngulia bird migration project* - this annual starts imminently in Tsavo Nat Park...

The clearance letter from Kenya Wildlife Service for park entrance arrived just in time, but the rings ordered did not arrive in time for a volunteer from England to bring them, please pray they find a way to get these rings to Tsave National Park! Nairobi rings stuck in customs for 2 years have finally been cleared for a smaller sum than was being asked! Also pray for safety on the road - am driving up in a borrowed Landi from Watamu with Roni & Kai (who has a high temperature today!) and 2 of Kai's keen birding friends, Lempi and Lesi + an ARK volunteer, Jack. If you're interested to follow the ringing I'll be tweeting using #nguliaringing

*Wader ringing in Tanzania* - in Jan 2023 I went to Tz with Kirao for a wader ringing expedition. Kirao is going for the second expedition which is happening next week while we are at Ngulia. Pray for safety & good conditions and for Kirao as a witness among the team.

*Watamu Conservation Festival* - happening at Mida Creek organised by ARK + our partners, Bahari Hai. It's a day of fun activities and awareness about marine conservation including a fishing competition for the local fishermen - they have to use hook and line - to raise awareness of how nets are unsustainable. Pray for Lenar & team running this and that it goes really effectively.

*End of year wrapping up* - it's not yet December but I've only 2 days left in office before 6th Jan! MUCH to do as yet and staff to plan with as well as getting ready for Ngulia. Roni, Kai and I travel to Cape Town for Christmas on 10th Dec. Many other staff are taking very-needed leave in December too but the centre, Mwamba, will be very busy with guests - and will need all the prayer support they can get! There are several reports needed by end of the year as well + finances to be sorted.

*Finance Manager* - the guy I met in Nairobi a month ago is going to be interviewed by a finance person we know in Nairobi and if he has the right skills we'll take him on for a 6-month contract to get systems sorted out, move our accounts across to an online system etc. Pray for the final decision-making and that if he's not right we have clear warning bells!

Judy off to Zimbawa for a week of meetings.

An auditor arrived to help sort out the accounts where some data had been entered wrongly.

 Its been a delight to have various visitors, a great week, hectic but some joyful times.

...there's MUCH else going on but these are headlines for prayer - THANK YOU for praying!!

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - November 2024

A ROCHA, Kenya

Colin sends love from Nairobi where they have been for a conference for a week. They have also linked with a local church there.

The local church fellowship

The fellowship in Watamu is a small group, with lots of kids, they have visiting speakers from many places and countries, very encouraging and giving a fresh vision for the church in Watamu and what God can do in and through this fellowship. Someone to come and lead that small fellowship would be really good as leading and planting church is not the primary focus for A Rocha Kenya. 

Praying for staff members

Pray for Tony who came 2 months ago to volunteer with the comms team. He has found a bit of a spiritual home at Mwamba, pray for a deeper walk with Jesus, we hope to be able to stay with us long-term.

Pray also for Philip, Philip has for the last year been doing marine work as part of his degree work at a local University. Philip has had a significant bereavement and has found comfort in the bible studies on Mondays at ARK. He has been working with Dawn, an Australian missionary in Watamu who works with abused children but does Marine snorkelling in her spare time as a way of relaxation. So pray for Philip that he will deepen his faith and trust God to be with him through thick and thin.

Pray for Maria. We are really praying that our Monday morning fellowship times will become deeper and more meaningful for all our staff and have a real impact on them.

Update on Laura

Laura is back in the UK with her family and is back in hospital. There is a suggestion of infection in the bone in her ankle and the bones in the ankle need better alignment so she is going back in for surgery. Please pray for a good outcome.

Prayers also please for …

• Still looking for a Finance Manager.
• Various proposals and grants in the pipeline. One submission is to INM foundation, a bank here in Kenya.
• Oceans grant did not go through. We will reapply in January.
• A wonderful week with friends Dave and Margy, from A Rocha South Africa.
• Nick Warren from A Rocha International is visiting this week together with a new staff member Sylvia on their comms teams. For good meetings.
• Mike, an elderly man, who is still with them after his broken leg. The League of Mercy have accepted him to help him. He will be with us for six more weeks. So pray for commitment to Christ and for healing to enable him to walk and get around.
• The 25year celebration was great, lots of fun with staff and friends. Thanks for prayers.
• Roni’s health. Feeling nauseous for some time, pray for healing and relevant investigation to get to the cause and solutions.

 Just a week back in Watamu before Colin goes away again . So it will be busy time tying up loose ends before the end of the year. Please pray.

Do please check the Facebook page for A Rocha Kenya for more details of their work.

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - 6 September 2024

OPEN DOORS - Arise Africa Campaign

Millions of Christians face violent persecution for their faith in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Open Doors World Watch List research, over 90% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in sub-Saharan Africa, and the number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa recording extremely high levels of violence against Christians rose from 13 to 15 from the previous year. This rising violence is being driven largely by Islamic extremists taking advantage of political instability in the region.

 The number of people affected and the area affected are both increasing rapidly. The region is facing a displacement crisis, with millions forced to flee their homes. Most of these people are living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) either in their own country or in neighbouring countries. Many have lost their means of livelihood too, as Islamic militants – particularly in Nigeria – take their land.

And yet the world has not noticed.

In response, the African church is calling for their brothers and sisters around the world to join them in the Arise Africa campaign. It aims to see that the global community acknowledges and acts against extreme violence and supports the church to persevere – and to be resilient, resourceful and influential. Continue reading...

Mission Partner Focus for Autumn 1 - Fusion and Bishop Martin (Goma, DRC, Church Mission Society)

We are excited to share that the netball tournament in support of Fusion's Sow the Word project was a success! It was wonderful to see different generations come together, encourage one another and unite over the same cause. We had four teams compete, thirty people take part, and we raised over £500 - that's fifty Bibles gifted to spiritually hungry students! Thank you to all to took part and donated! For those that would like to hear more about the work of Fusion, their National Team Leader, Luke Smith, is visiting to speak at all three services on Sunday 13 October. 

Did you know that Bishop Martin in Goma is keeping a blog? Started when he and his family first moved, it records all that has been happening, the challenges and the joys, things to praise God for and current prayer requests. You can find the blog at gordonsingoma.org, so do have a read and get to know our new Mission Partner.