World Mission - Liverpool YMCA

At a recent Monday evening YMCA Alpha group meeting, someone asked if we could place a Bible in some of the 115 bedrooms that were missing one. We said we would follow it up and prayed about it.

The next morning, a stranger came to the YMCA and asked if we could make use of forty Bibles!! He was from the Gideons and the previous evening, (the same time as our Alpha meeting), he asked God who he should take the Bibles to - they had been in his house for a couple of months. He had never been to the YMCA before nor had any connection with us, but he said the answer to his prayer was "take them to the YMCA"!!

The brand new (NIV) Bibles he gave us are similar in appearance to our own pew Bibles and we have enough for the rooms without one, plus some spare ones to give people on the Alpha courses.

(Some would perhaps say this was a co-incidence, but we know it was a God-incidence, and we thank him for it. What a perfect example of "Ask and it shall be given unto you").

Hope & Jeff Calvert

November 2003 - Liverpool YMCA (2)

We have just had our third Alpha Away Day for YMCA staff. The Alpha courses have been both a challenge and a reward with more than 20 people attending in total. God has clearly been at work changing the lives of many of the people who have taken part and we have all grown spiritually together.

We are still going through the stages involved in selling our 126 year old grade 2 listed building in Mount Pleasant. We aim to have a purpose built building that will enable us to better meet the needs of our homeless young people. During Advent we will be holding weekly services for staff and residents finishing with a Carol Service and Christmas dinner. Please pray that God will touch the lives of those in need and re-assure those who seek to help them. Your interest in the YMCA and prayerful support for our work is very much appreciated and we feel privileged to be members of the "World Mission" at St Luke's.

November 2003 - Liverpool YMCA (1)

Did you know that…

The YMCA is now one of the biggest Christian charities in the world and the largest youth welfare organization in the country. Today, the YMCA works in over 120 countries with over 30 million members worldwide. At Liverpool YMCA we provide life and job skills training and opportunities for personal growth and challenge. We also provide parenting programmes and activities which support young people's transition to adulthood, and we provide housing, community activities, sport and health, exercise and fitness programmes. Many of the young people who live at Liverpool YMCA are registered as homeless because of family breakdown, victims of physical, mental or sexual abuse, recovering from addictions, ex-offenders, single parents, runaways, or just seeking overnight refuge.

In your prayers, please remember all these young people less fortunate than ourselves and all the staff and volunteers who work with them in an effort to restore their self-esteem and equip them with the qualities and skills to live wholesome lives.

this page was last modified on 30 November 2003