CLC International (UK)
Bookshops with mission in mind

Prayer Focus: April 2015

Wednesday (1st) - Publishing:

Having started publishing books last year, with Josh McDowell’s book More than a Carpenter as our first book, we want to continue in this area. Our goal this year is to start a new project every month. Please pray that we might find good authors and good books that will reach and bless the readers.
 

Thursday (2nd) - Staff Training:

Last year, we arranged staff training sessions, but on a ‘need’ basis. This year we plan to hold training sessions every quarter. Please pray that the training will be relevant and contribute to improving the service we give to our customers.
 

Friday (3rd) - Distribution:

We have been distributing to other book shops for the past 20 years. We have specialized in DVDs and games, with only a few books. However, we now want to significantly increase our distribution of books. Please pray that the Lord will open up opportunities for us in this regard.
 

The Weekend (4th/5th) - ZETeO:

In 2014 we set up a regular event we have called ‘ZETeO’. Zeteo is a Greek word which means ‘to look for’. Every two months we hold a lecture in one of our bookshops. These are given by a guest speaker, based on his or her theological specialty.
The speakers are professors or students who have published an academic thesis (masters or doctorate).
Pray that our guests will be inspired and able to impart knowledge that can be used to build-up and attract the interest of listeners.  (ZETeO event photo)

Monday (6th) - Relocation in Burkina Faso:

Please pray with us that the ministry in Burkina Faso finds its place again after having to relocate the Ouagadougou bookshop in 2014. Pray that customers will find us easily and that we will be more effective in serving the church and the country.
 

Tuesday (7th) - The Health of CLC Burkina Faso and its team:

Good health is important. Please pray for the financial health of CLC and also for the physical health of the workers and their families.
Requests sent in by Prosper Weda, Director for CLC FSWA Wednesday (8th) - Three Specific Needs for CLC Benin:
  • Pray for someone with a clear call from the Lord to serve with us in Benin through Christian literature *Sometimes we encounter problems related to the way in which we pay our invoices. May the Lord help us to find the best way.
  • Pray for a miracle, that the Lord would open up the way so that we could have our own property.
 

Thursday (9th) - Benin Mail Bags:

The method of sending new merchandise via mail bags to the post office is very helpful for us. However, some of our suppliers do not know this method, so they often send our orders via transportation companies. This means that we have to pay a transport tax, which can be very high. Please pray that our suppliers will understand and that they will use the mail bag system. Thank you.
Requests sent in by Emmanuel Ladeyo, CLC Benin Manager
 

Friday (10th) - Bouake, Côte D’Ivoire:

“Please pray that CLC in Bouake will go well and that the Lord will lift up the sales again to the point where the bookshop can fully cover its own expenses and then begin to make a profit. Please also pray for the town of Bouake that has a much greater Muslim influence since the 2002 crisis (the first civil war in Ivory Coast).  Pray for a spiritual awakening as Christians return to the country and that this will also have an effect on our sales. May God bless you!” Martine Foto, shop manager
 

The Weekend (11th/12th) - Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire:

“The past few years have been tough for the ministry but now it is a year since the introduction of new leadership and, slowly but surely, the direction of the work is beginning to change. Give thanks with us for the fact that debts are being paid off to suppliers and generally things are improving. However, there is still the matter of the CLC apartment, which has not yet sold. These funds are needed to help clear an outstanding debt to Livr’Afrique. Please pray with us that we can soon find a buyer and be able to get a fair price in the transaction, so that we may meet our obligations.” Liz Patten, CLC Regional Director for Africa 
 

Monday (13th) - Paris:

We plan to move out of the current bookshop because the landlord wants to double the rent. We need to find an appropriate new location
in the same area of Paris, somewhere big enough to present a lot of books and easy to find for our customers. At the time of writing, we don’t know if we will find an affordable shop – either to purchase, if at all possible, or to rent. We need God’s guidance in all our decisions. Please pray also for our shop team in Paris managed by Quentin Lala.
 

Tuesday (14th) - Rennes:

CLC Rennes is the only Christian bookshop in Bretagne (western France). There are very few evangelical Christians in this region and CLC France wants to maintain a presence here although the sales are not so good. Please pray with us for a revival in Bretagne. We were so happy last year to see a young lady, who was going through serious difficulties with depression, become a Christian after visiting the bookshop and receiving help and encouragement from the shop manager Marie-Pierre.
 

Wednesday (15th) - Marseille:

You may have heard about tensions in France with Muslims, and our Marseille bookshop is situated in a Muslim area. Please pray with us for the security of the shop, and for Martine who manages the shop, and her helpers and customers. We want to be a light in this big multi-ethnic city.
 

Thursday (16th) - Lille:

Ruth Williams has served with CLC in France for many years and has had a number of responsible positions. Ruth took over as manager of the bookshop in Lille almost two years ago. A major prayer request is for more voluntary help for Ruth and co-worker John Pierre. While Ruth has been there, 10 volunteers have come and gone (one returned) and we are grateful to all who have helped, but volunteers who can commit to helping longer term would make a huge difference. As Ruth says “It takes a tremendous amount of effort to keep a bookshop vibrant and working well.”
 

Friday (17th) - Montélimar Bookshop:

Heidi Lauber has been working with CLC over the last 36 years. She is now back home in Switzerland. Emmanuelle, who just moved to the area in January, replaced Heidi as manager of the Montélimar bookshop. Emmanuelle has a lot to learn about how to run a bookshop and she also has to help the purchasing department as she sends regular orders to 12 suppliers. Please pray for Emmanuelle during
these early days in her new job.
 

The Weekend (18th/19th) - Montélimar Warehouse:

We increased the size of our building by 220m² in 2013 and a further 600m² in 2014 in order to serve more publishers. We are now doing the logistics for 5 publishers and the Scouts Association. This means that we stock their books, receive their orders each day and deliver to their customers. This is a good activity because delivery costs to us are greatly reduced, and we achieve better rates from transport companies and for packaging material. Please pray with us for a good and efficient organisation in this developing
department.
 

Monday (20th) - CLC Ecuador’s Hospital Connection:

In 2012, CLC opened a second bookshop in the city of Guayaquil. Carlos Marin, the National Director for CLC in Ecuador, writes to say that the shop is well established and has a steady flow of customers. Many customers are visitors to a major university hospital that is close to the shop and CLC is becoming an ‘oasis’ for family members of people who are admitted to the hospital. The team pray that they will be sensitive to the needs of these customers and have opportunities to give spiritual encouragement.
 

Tuesday (21st) - CLC India’s Hospital Connection:

Six of the 21 CLC bookshops in India are located in hospitals, or in the surrounding hospital grounds. In Vellore, Bangalore, Ludhiana, Guwati and Ranipet they are linked to hospitals run by Christian organisations or denominations and in Pondicherry the bookshop is part of the campus of the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Science. These shops are open to the general public as well, but have an
important ministry among people who are unwell and their visitors.
 

Wednesday (22nd) - Hospital Connections for CLC Trinidad and CLC Belarus:

In both Trinidad and Belarus there are CLC members involved in ministry in local hospitals. In Trinidad a member of staff visits patients and, as the opportunity arises, prays with them. Some people have come to know the Lord personally through this ministry. In Belarus, the involvement has extended to the bookshop where relatives of patients in the local Children’s hospital visit the bookshop. Some just
want somewhere to go, while others buy books or want to talk to someone. Currently, three mothers of children who are seriously ill attend a weekly Bible study that is held in the bookshop. 
 

Thursday (23rd) - CLC Italy Connecting with Prisons:

CLC Naples, in partnership with the rest of CLC Italy, has a project to collect books that cannot be sold - because of minor damage for
example - to be donated to prison libraries. Volunteers have taken deliveries of books to a prison near Naples and we hope to give more
books, as we are able, in the future.
 

Friday(24th) - CLC USA Connecting with Prisons:

CLC USA sends free books to prisoners on a regular basis, as they are requested. Carolyn Moore coordinates this program and communicates with the recipients of these books as they are being sent out. Very often she hears back from prisoners about how meaningful the books have been. One prisoner said, “I want you to know that you have not only been a blessing to myself, but after reading the books, I have passed them into the system to be read by others as well, so you have been a blessing to many men in here over the years.” 
 

The Weekend (25th/26th) - CLC Chile Connecting with Prisons:

CLC Chile takes books to one of the prisons in the capital city, Santiago. The aim is to provide a complete library of reference books for each individual prison block. Claudio, a member of the CLC team, is committed to carrying out this ministry. In 2014 CLC arranged for prisoners to attend a Thompson Bible seminar and we praise God for the opportunity to hold this event. 
 

Monday (27th) - Inverness:

 “Once again this year, we plan to travel to outlying areas in the north of Scotland with bookstalls. These will include a large selection of children’s books etc., for the churches’ Annual Prize Giving in May. With Christian bookshop closures, there may well be some additional venues on our route this year and we need wisdom in the planning. Pray too for safety as we travel extensively in the Scottish highlands.” Les and Esther Dowey.
 

Tuesday (28th) - Sheffield:

The Sheffield shop fittings and layout are starting to look old and are in need of attention. Pray for Jan Burnham (shop manager), Mick
Goodman (Operations Manager) and the retail team as they begin to consider the options for at least a partial refresh sometime this year.
 

Wednesday (29th) - Newcastle:

Pray for the Newcastle shop as they try to fill the gaps created by the recent closure of two local bookshops. Pray that they can link up with churches and individuals from these areas and provide the materials and services they need. Pray too for more staff/volunteer help for Brian Taylor, the manager. Give thanks that Imon Ragui’s visa has been approved! At the time of writing, he has just returned from
India and should soon be joining Brian in Newcastle.
 

Thursday (30th) - London:

Pray for the recruitment of a deputy manager for the London shop. The manager, Shelley Webb, and her team need more help so that they can develop the possibilities provided by a shop in this key location near to St. Paul’s Cathedral. As the tourist season approaches pray that many foreign visitors will find, appreciate and use the shop.

 

Pray without ceasing!

Thank you for praying for CLC ministries worldwide. Pray because more might depend on it than you know! Since updates are easy and fast, there may be slight differences between these online CLC prayer/praise topics and what is available in printed form.