Our summers are filled with camps, conferences and missions. People across greater Sydney are diving deep into God’s word and taking it out to those who need to hear it. So we’ve put together a 10-day prayer diary featuring some of the great kingdom initiatives that could use our prayer.
Day One: Scripture Union Family Missions
Throughout December and January, all over NSW
Scripture Union sends teams of Christians to spread the gospel to holiday-makers in beach and rural towns across the state. This season there are 24 mission teams, made up of more than 1200 volunteers, running children’s programs, family events and gospel activities in campsites, caravan parks and town centres. More than 15,000 people are expected to come along to mission activities and hear the gospel.
Pray:
- that God will soften people’s hearts and open doors for gospel conversations
- for the teams building and rebuilding relationships after years of upheaval, with COVID and natural disasters impacting regular Scripture Union Family Missions
- for safety ahead of a risky bushfire season
- for leaders and volunteers, especially for those who are new, that God would grow and equip them, and help them use their gifts to lead missions into the future
Day Two: SYC (Summer Youth Camps)
Cabramatta SYC – January 2-6, Shoalhaven
Fairfield SYC – January 8-12, Springwood
SYC (Summer Youth Camp) is an evangelistic camp for teenagers and their friends, packed with adventure and gospel truth. For a week in January, teens spend time making new friends, experiencing new things and exploring the hope Jesus offers. SYC camps have been running for almost 20 years. This summer will have two camps, co-ordinated independently by St Barnabas’, Fairfield and Cabramatta Anglican.
Pray:
- for teens at SYC to respond to the good news of Jesus
- for good rapport and relationships to build quickly between leaders and youth
- for effective follow up post-camp, and for many young people to connect with local church youth groups to continue growing in their faith
Day Three: CMS Summer School
January 6-12, Katoomba
CMS Summer School is a global mission conference with a focus on growing hearts for long-term cross-cultural mission. Attendees start the year with in-depth Bible teaching, encouraging missionary sessions, corporate worship and a youth and children’s program that gets young people thinking about the role they can play in global mission.
Pray:
- that God would use the conference to cultivate partnership, motivate participation and set apart those seeking to serve in mission
- that the missionary sessions would inspire people to action in supporting global mission
- that youth and children will be impacted by God’s heart for the nations
Day Four: The Green Tent & NIGHTLIFE
January 15-19, Turramurra South
The local parish of St Philip’s reaches out each January to the people of Turramurra South and neighbouring suburbs with its fun filled, gospel-focused programs. The Green Tent is a daytime program to connect primary school kids with Jesus and explores the good news of the gospel. NIGHTLIFE is for junior high schoolers, providing a space for dinner, games and exploring what the Bible has to say in a talk and small group discussions.
Pray:
- for the significant number of volunteers and leaders supporting this ministry, and for those stepping into leadership for the first time. Pray they will feel supported, encouraged and equipped to serve Jesus
- for new connections to be made between local families and the St Phil’s community, that follow-up would be smooth and effective, and that many families would join the parish’s weekly kids’ and youth ministries once the school term begins
- that over the course of the week many young people would come to know Jesus, grow in their understanding and want to follow him for life
Day Five: SWEATCON
January 16-20, Hoxton Park
SWEATCON is a Bible training conference for every Christian, equipping people in southwest Sydney to know, teach and share the message of Jesus with others. Day sessions see people from a range of churches grow in their Bible knowledge, while at evening sessions more than 200 people hear solid Bible teaching and connect with other Christians in their area. The aim is to build up Christians for service in southwestern Sydney churches, which are often resource-poor, and see people equipped to talk about Jesus with their colleagues, neighbours and networks.
Pray:
- that delegates will be equipped to serve and teach the Bible in many under-resourced churches in southwest Sydney
- for delegates to use what they learn to share the gospel in their families, workplaces, and cross-culturally in their communities
- for the conference as it re-establishes children’s programs after COVID. Pray for the new preschoolers’ program this summer, and pray that programs for older children can restart in future years.
Day Six: Summerfest ’24
January 17-21, Menai
Since 2017, Menai has run Summerfest to provide holiday fun for everyone – kids, youth and families. Every event includes games, food, music and an opportunity to hear the good news about Jesus. During the five days of Summerfest, the church at Menai connects with more than 500 people from its local neighbourhood.
Pray:
- for lots of gospel conversations with people from the community
- for God to soften hearts and bring people into his kingdom
- for energy, wisdom, and love for all the Summerfest team members
Day Seven: Cultivate Conference
January 18-20, inner-western Sydney
Cultivate Conference is an initiative by churches in the inner west to see Christians in their area learn to teach adults, youth and kids the Bible. It began in 2021 as a collaboration between churches in the area, and the hope is that it will grow as a central place for teaching future local leaders.
Pray:
- God would raise workers for the harvest field in the inner west and beyond
- for the delegates as they put their new skills into practice by preparing and delivering a Bible talk or youth group study at the end of the conference
- for the delegates as they return to lead in their churches in different ministries
Day Eight: Leaders in Training Conference
January 24-28, Port Hacking
January 25-29, Shoalhaven
Youthworks Leaders in Training has been growing youth in years 9-12 as Christians, as leaders and as servants of Jesus since the early 2000s. More than 600 youth are registered to attend and explore 2024’s theme of The Unexpected Hero – how God often works in ways we would least expect him to, using the people we would least expect to achieve his grand purposes.
Pray:
- for good partnerships with the 130 local churches who support LiT by sending their teens to be trained, and supplying leaders who help run the camps
- for the young leaders, that they will be raised up in the gospel and strengthened for a life of discipleship and ministry for Jesus, wherever he sends them
- that what is done at LiT might be a blessing for local churches, and help them do effective children’s and youth ministry.
Day Nine: Life Saving Chaplaincy Australia
All summer, beaches everywhere
Our beaches are always busy in the heat of January, but the water can be a dangerous place. There are 67 chaplains who care for surf lifesavers across Australia, working closely with various lifesaving clubs. These chaplains walk alongside surf lifesavers in the various challenges and griefs that their vital role can bring. In the Sydney Diocese, there are eight Anglican chaplains involved with surf lifesaving clubs up and down the coast.
Pray:
- for protection and safety in the waters for all beachgoers and surf lifesavers
- for wisdom and words as chaplains support the lifesavers who have been on the front line, rescuing and attending to people hurt or in danger
- Praise God for the opportunities chaplains have to uniquely care for surf lifesavers and their families and offer spiritual guidance and resources to those who want them
Day Ten: LAUNCH Conference
January 29-February 1, Stanwell Tops
LAUNCH is a place for Christian school leavers about to start university to connect with each other, with current university students, and with a number of Christian campus groups at each of Sydney’s major universities. It’s a place for young people to work out what it means to align your priorities to God’s in this next phase of life, while meeting others who are doing the same thing.
Pray:
- that LAUNCH would help a new generation of school leavers live for Jesus in 2024
- for the team of students from many different universities to be united in the gospel as they prepare to lead on the camp
- for Richard Chin and Phillip Jensen as they prepare talks on Habakkuk and 2 Corinthians
