CDs of Bible stories or similar so as she

could listen to them on her way to work

(approximately a 45 minute drive to the

North Coast from her home). Within a few

days suitable material was given to her. As

yet she has not come out and directly told

any of the Odyssey team that she has be-

come a Christian but she certainly appears

very interested. Please pray that through

reading her Bible and listening to the CDs

that God would speak to her and that she

would come to faith in Christ.

From the beginning of September this year

Brian Simons, as well as heading up the

team at the Odyssey, has been involved with

the Rev Chris Bennett in ‘The Dock’ project

in the Titanic Quarter. Every Tuesday Bri-

an will be in The Dock, just behind the Od-

yssey, getting alongside people and sharing

God’s love in a real and meaningful manner.

This ‘daylight’ work will continue as a trial

until the end of the year. Please pray that

God would continue to use Brian in this ven-

ture.

Can you encourage others to grasp the vision and become more involved?

BY PRAYER (Points for Prayer / Prayer Topics in NIGHTLINES and Web Site below)

BY FINANCIAL SUPPORT (Direct Debit / Gift Aid)

BY BECOMING A VOLUNTEER

WHY NOT JOIN US ONE EVENING FOR A NIGHT TOUR? Give the Nightlight office a call

NIGHTLIGHT 13 Botanic Avenue, Belfast

BT7 1JG

028 9033 2777

Email:- info@pcinightlight.org Information online at:- www.pcinightlight.org

and:- www.missionireland.org/nightlight

NIGHTLINES AUTUMN 2012 The Quarterly Prayer Letter of the

Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s Night Ministry Specific Prayer Requests

It has been quite alarming

the number of people who

have recently told our team

members that though they

genuinely believe there is a

God and would not deny the

truth contained in the Bible,

they unfortunately feel they

have to earn forgiveness. In

other cases people have given

up trying, stating that their

past is somehow too awful for

God to excuse. Please pray

that the team members

would be able to explain

God’s grace to such people.

Please remember in your

prayers all the new universi-

ty students, many away from

home for the first time. Pray

that they would be kept safe

and that their new found

freedom will not result in too

many nights of heavy drink-

ing and missed lectures the

next day! Many students

quickly learn where the

Nightlight tea table is and

have found the team mem-

bers to be of much help when

they have needed assistance,

especially if their evening

does not turn out as planned.

There have been quite a

number of men who have

arrived at our tea table who

are going through divorce

proceedings. Divorce is nev-

er pleasant and in most cases

involves less time with their

children. There is such a

mixture of emotions in their

stories and inevitably a sense

of despondency. Pray that

the team members would be

able, with God’s help to listen

to these people and offer

hope, found only in Christ

A few months ago,

while my daughter was

in the back garden

studying for her end of

year exams, she no-

ticed our big fluffy cat,

Jebediah, sauntering

across the garden with

a mouse in his mouth.

While this is not an un-

usual sight, it is still a

rather unpleasant one.

Knowing Jebediah only

too well, my daughter figured

he was only going to

play/torment the poor creature

and so she quickly embarked

upon a rescue plan. Just as

she was about to lift the cat, he

dropped the mouse and some-

how the mouse managed to fall

down a grate. She continued

to carry Jebediah to the front

of the house, hoping to give the

mouse a chance of escaping.

Not so! The mouse was now

struggling to stay above the

water and appeared unable to

climb out of the grate. On dis-

covering the plight of this most

unfortunate mouse she put on

a pair of ‘old’ rubber gloves and

pulled the soggy and exhausted

rodent from the water. I would

point out that while all this

was going on I was at the far

end of the garden shouting

words of encourage-

ment but refusing to

come any closer! She

placed the mouse

well away from Jebe-

diah who by this time

had returned to see

what he was missing.

The mouse was saved

and the mission ac-

complished. God has

a rescue plan for our

lives and it is so sad

the number of people

who still refuse to ac-

Proclaiming and Demonstrating the Kingdom of God through Word and Action

cept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. The

cross, and all that it represents, is

meaningless to so many. Please pray

that the team members will be given

many opportunities, by God, to explain

his perfect and eternal rescue plan.

In the following stories initials have

been used to protect individuals’ ano-

nymity.

Bin-men! What have they got to do

with Nightlight? Well, when most of

us are tucked up in bed, many bin-

men are out in the small hours clean-

ing the streets of Belfast, which of

course includes the Golden Mile area. The

bin-men have been grateful for the cup of

tea or coffee offered to them during the cold

winter nights. And, like so many, they have

been baffled as to why this group of Chris-

tians are out at that time of the morning.

They have since recognised the effect that

the team members have in this area of town.

The team members are conscious that the

bin-men are working but have been able to

share a little about Jesus Christ.

‘S’ is a young Roman Catholic lad from Bel-

fast who stopped for coffee and a chat at our

tea table on Botanic Avenue. He said that

although brought up Roman Catholic he has

attended a number of services in Protestant

churches. And while he respects what they

believe and teach, he suggested that he

would not be travelling along the Christiani-

ty road. He believes that all faiths are right

and all faiths are equal. Please pray that ‘S’

would be challenged to look again at the

Christian faith.

“God must hate me because of the suffering

I have had to endure during my life.” A

statement made by ‘M’ at the beginning of

the summer. He claimed to have researched

many religions and went as far as to say he

would like to believe in God but just could-

n’t. He believes Jesus was a prophet but

does not believe He is the Son of

God. When the team member gave

answers to his many questions ‘M’

simply did not accept the answers

given. He could not understand

that God loves him and has a plan

for his life. Surprisingly, he is in-

terested to talk some more. Please

pray that he would stop by again

very soon.

‘R’ spoke of how after fourteen

years living with his partner and

children that the relationship has

ended, and not harmoniously. He is

angry with his ex-partner’s pastor

for not making time for him and, as

he sees it, rejecting him. He told the team

member that even though he does not go to

church he does believe there is a God. ‘S’

also mentioned that he believes God is not

perfect and that Heaven is not a perfect

place. He therefore believes that he will

have no problem going to Heaven as he has

lived, in his opinion, a reasonably good life.

Please pray!

Please remember the Odyssey team as re-

cently they have had a number of very in-

tense and difficult question sessions. Some

questions have related to demons or fallen

angels. Others have included people dis-

tressed that a parent, whose mind is too

confused to consider eternal life, will spend

eternity separated from

God.

A young man, ‘C’, was

asked to leave one of the

Nightclubs at the Odys-

sey. As he stood com-

plaining at the door of the

Club, and asking to be let

back in, he noticed Brian

and made his way over to

him, mistaking him to be

a doorman. Brian told

him that he would be

much better not going

back in as it was a waste

of money and ultimately

not good for him. Surprisingly ‘C’

agreed. He said that he had come out

with £80.00 and had already ‘drunk’

£60.00. He told Brian that he and his

girlfriend had recently had a baby

and were intending to marry. Brian

suggested that he would be far better

getting a taxi to his girlfriend’s house

to spend time with her and talk about

their future together. Brian also sug-

gested that they go along to a local

church and get to know some people

there and through time learn just how

much God loves them. At that ‘C’

broke down and cried for quite some

time. He said that he was leaving to

go and see his girlfriend, but before he left

he asked could he give Brian a hug. Cer-

tainly was the reply. He thanked Brian and

noted that it was no coincidence that he had

been thrown out of the nightclub and had

had this conversation. Please pray for ‘C’

and his girlfriend that God would guide

them to a church where people will be wel-

coming and non-judgemental. Pray that

God would be pleased to move in their lives.

About a year ago a young girl at the Odys-

sey asked for a Bible following a conversa-

tion she had had with a team member. A

Bible was supplied and she promised to

read it. She was in the Odyssey a few

weeks ago and asked if it was possible to get