Hi Everyone,  

Thanks so much for your support for another exciting month here at the Eden Network and welcome to those of you who we met for the first time at Elim Bible Week this month. Andy Hawthorne spoke on mainstage and we had around 100 people come to a seminar to hear more about Eden; two of our Eden partnerships in the North East are with Elim, Eden Byker in Newcastle and Eden Blyth in Northumberland and its really exciting for us to see a whole denomination so hungry to serve God and coming alongside us to see it happen. We’re still recruiting team members for both Byker and Blyth so please pray for them and in your prayers ask God ‘is it me?’  

As we draw towards the end of June our planning for getting out and about over the summer is well and truly under way. Please come and visit us in the exhibition areas at New Wine North and Transform and Momentum. You can also catch Andy Hawthorne, Matt Wilson and I speaking during these events.  

Shane Claiborne is back in the country this summer too with his Upside Down Kingdom Tour. We’ve been friends with Shane and the Simple Way gang for a year or so now since he came to share with our Eden teams last year and we’ll be at a number of the tour dates promoting Eden. Shane is an incredible example of radical discipleship and hearing him is guaranteed to inspire and encourage so do go along to a tour date near you and we’ll see you there. You can find out more including dates and venues here: http://www.upsidedownkingdomtour.com and if you would like to listen to Shane’s session with our Eden teams last year you can find it on our website, http://www.eden-network.org/Media/AllMedia.aspx  

This month please focus your prayers for Eden in two particular ways: Firstly for the newest Eden teams who are still only 2/3 people and desperately need to recruit more volunteers, Eden Notting Barns, Eden Tollington, Eden Byker and Eden Blyth. These teams are so passionate for their communities and the temptation to push yourself to meet the massive need before you can be overwhelming. We work hard to support these ‘seed teams’ but to ensure their sustainability we need to see more team members come to join them. Please pray for the people currently in the recruitment process and for the seed teams themselves, for strength and perseverance.  

Secondly please pray for a young man who has become a Christian through the work of one of our Eden teams and our Reflex prison ministry combined. He is suffering with an muscle wasting condition which is rapidly worsening. The doctors are doing tests but currently all signs indicate this is terminal. Many of our teams encounter tragedy in their communities and work with young people who have had to cope with more than any person could be expected to handle. Please pray for this young man, for healing and hope; for his family and friends and for the Eden team as they stand alongside him. And pray for all of our Eden teams who, as they allow themselves to care and become truly involved in their communities become the signs of hope and God’s presence for people who are suffering.  

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support for Eden, I know God will continue to speak guidance, wisdom and grace to you as you are such a blessing to us.  

Blessings,  

Anna
National Development Co-ordinator