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 Spring 2 2025 - International Justice Mission (IJM) and Friends International

On Sunday 2 March Jonny Goodchild from IJM, one of our new Mission Partners, will be visiting Highfield and preaching at all of our services. In addition, you are invited to join him in the Church Centre Lounge at 4.30pm to explore God's heart for justice and our response. Jonny will speak about the work of IJM and its response, the outworking of which is seen in two of their field offices that we as Highfield will connect with; one in Romania (working to prevent and tackle the trafficking of women) and the second in the Philippines (working to prevent and tackle the exploitation of young children). 

There will be a chance to ask questions, discuss how we can partner with IJM in this, give your reflections and enjoy coffee and cake while doing so.

Our other Mission Partner in focus this half term is Friends International. Friends International seeks to grow friendship and faith with international students in the UK & Ireland. There are over 600,000 international students studying at UK universities and Friends International aims to give as many of them as possible chances to experience real local culture and opportunities to hear the Christian message. It also equips churches and volunteers to serve, minister, and engage with international students. We look forward to learning more about Friends International later on in the term.

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 - February 2025

BISHOP MARTIN - Goma, DRC, Church Mission Society

Please pray for Goma and consider signing and sharing the #GomaCallForPeace petition here. For Bishop Martin's latest update (29 January) - please click here.

Colin and Roni Jackson – A ROCHA KENYA

Please click here to read Colin's update from the start of February, and to read his most recent update please click here.

SOUTHAMPTON CITY MISSION - Schools Prayer Calendar

To read SCM's Schools Prayer Calendar for February please click here. 

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - January 2025

Colin and Roni Jackson – A ROCHA KENYA

An edited transcript of a voice message from Colin:

Greetings from Watamu in some gorgeous weather. There has been a good start to the work this new year. We are looking forward and back to what God has done and will do.

Roni and Kai are still in Cape Town, they were meant to fly home, but there have been problems with Kai getting his Kenyan passport and a visa is required for him to travel on his South Africa passport, so a slight delay as the visa is accessed.

Due to the delay I, Colin have been eating with the guests, and had an amazing week and a half of conversations with the diverse visitors at the Centre. One was with Justin married to a Russian. A good conversation about the world, nature, God and reading John’s gospel was suggested! A Swedish couple back with a 14-year-old daughter originally adopted in Kenya. Another Swedish guy who is visiting and would like to come back to do some film making to help ARK, so he is coming back. Chris from Singapore with his 16-year-old son have come to explore what ARK is about and Eliot is interested in the marine work. They came birding at the weekend, lots hours, and good conversations again. Do pray for the continued blessing and witness to all the visitors who come. There is a German guy who is off to teach at a University in Kenya on ‘the theatre of oppression’. Really intriguing way of communicating and involving people with theatre around a hot issue and would be a brilliant topic to include in our education programme with young people, with lots of environmental issues from climate change to disappearing species etc. So, he will do a demonstration and discussion time at Mwamba with all the staff. Please pray that goes well for blessing all around. The presence of Jesus is key to all this interest and to all those who come.

Please pray for forward planning, for good discussions among the staff.

In our marine team a boat came loose and was washed down along the beach, pray for no damage and getting the boat back in commission.

Please pray for the Finance Manager situation. So far, the right person has not been found. We look to new options. If anyone reading this is a retired accountant or who would like a break from work and would like to come and spend three months on a beautiful beach and help get QuickBooks set up on line and do an audit of the finances and to offer suggestions they will be most welcome. There is free food and accommodation! 

Please pray for Maria who will be leaving at the end of July to do a Masters in London. I, Colin would love her to fully know Jesus in her life. There is a possibility of an Alpha Course to be run, prayers that they will be able to get that organised quickly. 

Prayer for their little church service, to see how that may grow and be a blessing to many and be salt and light in this part of the world.

Thank you for your interest, care and concern and much love and prayer from us at ARK for an awesome 2025.

SOUTHAMPTON CITY MISSION - Schools Prayer Calendar

Click here to read SCM's Schools Prayer Calendar for January. The team were particularly encouraged that in the run up to Christmas some children were unusually keen to ask questions and to hear the answers. Thank you for praying!

RECENT NEWS FROM OUR MISSION PARTNERS - December 2024

SOUTHAMPTON CITY MISSION - Day Conference 2025

Equipping the Saints - Saturday 25 March at Holy Saviour Bitterne

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

Mission Partner Focus for Spring 1 2025 - Southampton Street Pastors and Open Doors

Southampton Street Pastors are Christian men and women who engage with people on the streets offering reassurance, safety and support through caring, listening and helping. They work together with other partners in the night-time economy, schools and communities to make our city safer. Click here to read 5 short but exciting stories that share just some of what happened during the last few months of 2024.

Over 380 million Christians face persecution and discrimination – that’s one in seven believers worldwide. In more than 70 countries, Open Doors supports them by supplying Bibles, providing emergency relief and helping persecuted believers stand strong for the long-term. In the UK and Ireland, Open Doors helps the church to pray, give and speak out for those who share our faith but not our freedom. Find out more about what Open Doors does by clicking here.

Mission Partner Focus for Autumn 2 2024 - 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.

Mission Partner Focus for Autumn 1 2024 - 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.