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Dear Church Leader

The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust is now in its third year and we are privileged to have helped over 700 people with our counselling services. Our building in Hampden Park is very busy and we are starting to consider the possibility of finding additional venues where our counselling team can meet with clients.

Charity Status
At the beginning of the year, we were pleased to be awarded charity status which we hope will enable us to attract more funding to help those who otherwise would not be able to access the help they need. This also means that we will be able to reclaim Gift Aid on donations to the service, allowing us to help more people.

Operations Manager Vacancy
We are recruiting for an Operations Manager to take on the day to day running of the service alongside our Counselling Manager. The role is for a minimum of 20hrs per week (flexible). Please pass this information on to anyone in your congregation who might be interested. An Application Pack is available from office@theoldbankwellbeing.org.uk and I’m happy to be contacted for an informal chat.

Pastoral Support and Supervision
We continue to offer support to those working in pastoral roles in churches and charities locally. We are providing bespoke mental health awareness training and regulated First Aid for Mental Health courses (Level 2) together with offering individual and group supervision for those involved in pastoral work. Our First Aid for Mental Health courses are on Thu 11 May, Wed 27 Sep and Sat 18 Nov and cost £60 per person for those coming from churches and charities.

Counselling
Our counselling team numbers over 50 counsellors working with all ages. Although not a Christian service, the team includes counsellors who are Christians and have trained to work through a Christian worldview and we have welcomed many Christians through our door. We continue to offer online counselling alongside our in-person services, meaning that we have been able to work with clients and counsellors from different parts of the country as the need has arisen.

For most of our individual services, we’re offering a mix of low-cost sessions with counsellors who are in training (£20) and full cost sessions with qualified counsellors (£50). We have a growing team of counsellors working with couples (£70). Where people can’t afford these services, we have created a bursary fund to subsidise the cost for those who otherwise could not access our services. We continue to seek funding support for this as the need for counselling continues to grow whilst financial pressures increase.

We continue to operate a discreet service for those experiencing compulsive sexual behaviours such as porn and sex addiction (£70). The majority of this team are Christians who are specifically trained to work in this highly sensitive area. When contacting us, people can ask for Sam and we will put them in contact with one of our specialists.

Referrals for all services can be made through our website theoldbankwellbeing.org.uk, phone 01323 502827, text 07737 570702 or email info@theoldbankwellbeing.org.uk. If a discreet referral or discussion is needed, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you
We have been so grateful to the local churches that have supported us on the journey so far in many practical ways. If you haven’t yet had opportunity to meet with us and see the centre, please get in touch – you’d be very welcome and the kettle is always on.

With very best wishes

Claire

GATEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
has a vacancy for a
CHURCH MANAGER
£22,000pa pro-rata
22½ hours-a-week
Starting as soon as possible

We are looking for a practising Christian to be responsible for managing the Gateway Centre and the Administration, Communications, Facilities, and Finance functions of Gateway to ensure that the daily operations of the church are effective and efficient.

If you are interested, email Terry Boatwright (terry@gatewaychristianchurch.org.uk) for an Information Pack and Application Form.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 5PM FRIDAY 14TH APRIL 2023

Gateway Christian Church, 66-70 Lottbridge Drive, Eastbourne BN22 9PB

Every blessing,

Terry Boatwright
Team Minister

The CAP Money Course is a free course that will teach you budgeting skills and a simple system to successfully manage your money.

In just a few weeks, you will get to grips with your finances so you can budget, save and prevent debt.

Whether you already feel pretty organised or whether you feel the panic rising when you try to spend money from your account, the CAP Money Course will help you take complete control of your finances.

The Eastbourne CAP Money Course will be held at Victoria Baptist Church, on Friday 5, 12 & 19th May, 5-6:30 pm.  Please email helendiplock@capuk.org if you would like to attend.”

You can get the materials below for printing in your local congregation by contacting info@hopeastsussex.org

World Day of Prayer Service at 2pm on Friday 3rd March 2023 at Our Lady of Ransom Church, Grange Road, Eastbourne.

The annual World Day of Prayer Service was hosted at Our Lady of Ransom Church, Grange Road, Eastbourne on Friday 3rd March, written this year by the women of Taiwan on the theme ‘I have heard about your faith’.

We received a warm welcome from the Priest, Father Kevin Dring and were pleased to have the Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Pat Rodohan and his wife with us in the congregation of over 100 people.

Before the Service and for the six hymns during the service we enjoyed the Children’s Choir leading us, conducted by their Musical Director, Marylou. One of the teenagers accompanied some of the hymns for us on the piano.

Five months leading up to the Service the eleven members of the local World Day of Prayer Committee representing 8 Churches in town have been busy preparing for the Service and then they all participate in the Service.

After the Service we enjoyed tea and cakes in the Church Hall and a narrated slideshow with pictures of Taiwan. Thank you to all who contributed to the offering of £700 + gift aid which will help the work of World Day of Prayer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and projects run by Christian charities around the world
The Service was livestreamed and has had 60 views and is available on You Tube under Our Lady of Ransom, Eastbourne.

The 1st one is called ‘Who do you think you are?’ and is about Identity in Christ. It’s a free workshop but registration is required: mindfulofchrist(dot)net/event/wdytya

The second is a course of Christian Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for seven weeks. This will be £45 & includes a paperback copy of the book. (Available on amazon.) (sign up sheets available at the workshop)

Crowhurst Christian Healing Centre are holding a morning on loss and grief called ‘A Space to Remember’ on Friday 31^st March (10-1pm).  The day will be led by Revd Steve Gurr Chaplain at HMP Ford in West Sussex.  Steve served 15 years as Lead for Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy at St Barnabas Hospice in Worthing and Chestnut Tree Children`s Hospice.

 A Space to Remember will offer us an opportunity to reflect on the losses that have been, and are still significant to us. This may be about remembering before God a loved one who has died. Or it may be about having a space to consider prayerfully other kinds of losses experienced and how these impact on life. Our morning together will give us time to pray for a greater sense of the Lord’s accompanying of us as we face the future.

 The time will include a service of Holy Communion with a brief thought for the day, as well as time for personal reflection, prayer, remembrance and a chat with someone if you’d find that helpful.

 If you would like to, please feel free to bring a photograph, or another (smallish) item that can be placed on the chapel altar throughout the morning to represent the thoughts you carry into this day.

 10am – Gathering and introduction

10.30am – 12pm – Time for reflection and remembrance activities

(coffee available throughout)

12pm -1pm – Holy Communion

1pm Lunch available at Howard’s Well if desired.

 £12 per person book online https://www.crowhursthealing.org.uk/retreat.php?retreat=782 or by calling 01424 830204

NEW PARISH SECRETARY POST: the Parish of Our Lady of Ransom, St Agnes and St Gregory (Eastbourne)  is seeking to employ a new Parish Secretary to begin in post on 24th April. This role will be 16 hours per week (£12ph), Monday – Thursday (9.30 am -1.30 pm). The role will be to provide an efficient secretarial service and personal assistance to the Parish Priest and clergy and good communication and administration within the parish. If you would like further details or wish to apply for this role please contact Fr Kevin directly by email: kevin.dring@abdiocese.org.uk . The closing date for applications is 9 am on Friday 31st March.

St John’s Church, Meads 1.30pm onwards 25 March 2023

Debra Green – Christans & Community Transformation

Are you a community volunteer with your church or a charitable agency? This special event is for you.

Debra Green OBE is the National Director and Founder of Redeeming Our Communities (ROC). Debra has 25 years of experience in bringing organisations together towards the goal of social transformation, starting with her home city of Manchester.

Since 2004, this work has expanded and she has acted as a consultant to many other towns and cities with significant results. Such work has attracted interest from public services and local authorities who are impressed by the proven track record and results achieved. She received an OBE in 2012 in recognition of services to community cohesion. Debra is author of a few books including: ‘City-changing prayer’ and ‘ROC Your World – changing communities for good’. For further information on Debra see https://roc.uk.com/about/founding-director/

There will be stands and information around the Church about Local Christian Organisations so feel free to arrive from 1.30pm.

An offering will be taken to help cover the costs of the event.

Please do invite anyone you think may be interested – we look forward to seeing you!

There is also an additional session for Church and Christian agency leaders with Debra at 11am-12.30 on Saturday to learn from her experience of working with organisations, churches and local authorities to see communities transformed and discuss the situation in Eastbourne. Please let us know if you’re interested in participating in this session.

For any more details please contact : roland@kingdomwaytrust.org

Roland Brown
CEO
Kingdom Way Trust