Prayer Focus: June 2014
1 Sun. UK – Christian Resources Together
The CRT annual retreat for the UK Christian Book trade takes place June 2nd and 3rd. About half the shop managers and a team from CLC Wholesale will attend. As the book trade continues to face uncertainties and upheavals, particularly in the area of distribution, pray that this event will continue to bring together all parties in a spirit of mutual care, concern and support for the good of Christian literature in the UK.
2 Mon. Indonesia – New Shop
It was not ‘planned’ by CLC in Indonesia, but recently God gave the team an opportunity to take over an existing Christian bookshop that has been in operation for five years. This shop, a corner booth in a shopping centre, has been under CLC management since the beginning of March. It will operate under its original name until July when CLC hope to take on a full year contract and change the shop name to CLC.
3 Tue. Austria – Graz
Marina Sautter has been helping in the CLC bookshop for several months but will
be leaving when she gets married in July. Please pray for the wedding preparations and that God will guide her and her husband as they plan their future. At the same time, Edeltraud Heumann, who manages the shop, needs more time to be with, and to care for, her husband Armin who has been seriously ill for many years. Pray for God’s guidance in planning the necessary changes for this shop’s future.
4 Wed. USA – Team Trip
“Please pray for a small team from CLC USA – Dave and Dianne Desch, Davy Montgomery and team leader Keith Beale - as they travel to Sierra Leone in June to help with the remodelling and renovation of two bookshops. This is a follow-up trip from the one that took place in 2012 when the main bookshop in Freetown was expanded and remodelled.” Dave Almack
5 Thu. Spain – New Madrid Centre
At the time of writing, the date has not been confirmed but it is hoped that in these days the new combined bookshop/warehouse will be inaugurated in Madrid. A location has been identified and the necessary modifications are being made. This move will require changes in the way the staff operate the new centre. It is very close to our current bookshop in the heart of Madrid.
7-8 Sat/Sun. UK – Blackpool
Pray for CLC Blackpool as they are now in the middle of their tourist season. Visitors to the town ‘do the shops’ and enter the bookshop to see what we have to offer. Pray that they may find it a place of peace and calm, and pray for Sheena Burwell and the team as they minister to believers and non-believers in this spiritually needy holiday town.
9 Mon. Mozambique – Bookshop Timetable
“We are looking at re-structuring the bookshop timetable in Maputo, in order to be available when activities are going on at the Bible School where we are located. Please pray that we can recruit suitable staff with the flexibility to make this possible. Also, this bookshop is the registration centre for a pastors’conference in July. Please pray that as many come to register, they may find good things at CLC!” Liz Patten
10 Tue. Austria – Trade Contacts
“At the end of June the representatives of our publishers are coming and we need to order all the material for the Christmas season. Please pray for wisdom in making orders and for some personal time with these people to encourage them and be a witness for Jesus. Some of them don’t know the Lord personally.” Edeltraud Heumann
11 Wed. Poland – Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham will be holding an evangelistic festival in Warsaw on June 14th and 15th. He will also be visiting Katowice on June 12th for a meeting in the cathedral where CLC will be holding a book table. CLC Poland will have three Franklin Graham titles and two Billy Graham titles printed and available in time for this visit. Although we are not distributing the books at the Warsaw festival, we pray that there will be a very large interest in these titles across all of Poland! Please pray that they will sell well and that many lives will be blessed.
12 Thu. Brazil – World Cup
The football World Cup in Brazil starts today and runs for the next month. Although CLC does not currently work in Brazil, many countries where we do work will be represented in the competition! There may well be some light-hearted chat between CLC members who follow this sport but, on a much more serious note, a lot of literature evangelism will be taking place around the games’ venues; please pray that this will make an impact for the Kingdom.
13 Fri. Portugal – Publishing Progress
Carlos Cunha, who manages the bookshop in Coimbra, is starting a publishing arm of CLC Portugal. The first book will be Holiness Without the Halo by Stuart and Jill Briscoe. It was anticipated that the book would be complete by now, but delays mean it will not be ready until the second half of this year. Please pray for steady progress, and blessing from the end result
14-15 Sat/Sun. UK – OM/CLC Bolton
On Friday June 20th, CLC Bolton is hosting an evening event at Claremont Church with George Verwer of Operation Mobilisation as the speaker. This celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the OM Bookshop in Bolton, which is now run by CLC. Pray for good numbers to attend and a joyous and inspiring evening.
16 Mon. Ecuador – Thompson Bible
“We give thanks for the Thompson Bible seminars that have taken place in conjunction with CLC Ecuador recently. The seminars provide teaching and encouragement for those in ministry - pastors and leaders - and have been appreciated in the various cities where the sessions have been held. We also thank God for the benefit to CLC as we make new contacts and, of course, sell more Bibles.” Carlos Marin
17 Tue. Philippines – New Website
Currently we are working on a new website that will be able to respond to new market trends. We trust that this new website will enable us to develop our ministry.
18 Wed. Colombia - Two New Bookshops
CLC Colombia was asked recently to take over two existing bookshops in the city of Ibagué. Ibagué is about an hour’s drive from Bogota and is known as the music capital of the country. Both bookshops are now being managed by CLC staff; Kike Aguierre and María del Carmen Castañedas.
19 Thu. Cyprus – Limassol
“A group of young Christians in Limassol is planning to start a mini library/Christian bookshop sometime in June or July. It will be run on a voluntary basis and will be open to the public as well as believers. As this group consider CLC an important ministry, they want to help us and so they asked if we could provide books and gifts on a sale or return basis, which they will sell for us. It is encouraging that those involved are young and have hearts to evangelise and the desire to see the book ministry develop. Please pray for this project in Limassol, a city with a large evangelical community.” Sotos and Eva Photiades (CLC Nicosia)
20 Fri. USA – CLC Publications
Please pray for Kevin Walker and Dave Almack as they represent CLC Publications at the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta from June 22nd to the 25th. This is an important time of meeting with international Christian retailers and presenting CLC’s new books to a global audience.
21-22 Sat/Sun. UK – Ipswich
‘Talitha Koum’, an Ipswich based charity, was set up to help girls recovering from alcohol and drug addictions after 5 prostitutes were murdered in the town in 2006. A centre is under construction to house a ‘Christian therapeutic community’ for those recovering. CLC Ipswich had the privilege of donating 12 Good News Bibles to Talitha Koum. They were presented to Ken Donaldson, the project Director. Photo of Ken with Penny (CLC Ipswich)
23 Mon. ICRS
The international book trade fair ICRS started yesterday in Atlanta and runs until June 25th. A number of our CLC teams will be represented – the USA, the Caribbean, India and the UK - and there is always opportunity for fellowship with each other, and with publishers and other distributors. Pray for key relationships to be established.
24 Tue. eBooks
We continue to move forward in faith towards the development and implementation of our eBook platform. Please pray that we will fulfil the words of Matthew 24:14 through this tool for the digital age. eBooks give us the opportunity to reach people that have been outside our sphere of influence until now.
25 Wed. Ecuador – Wholesale Location
CLC Ecuador is looking to relocate their warehouse. Please pray as, at the time of writing, there is an opportunity to buy a plot of land belonging to a Christian radio station. The land is well situated in a commercial sector with good access and there are various evangelical churches in the area too.
26 Thu. France – Financial Analysis
Tomorrow the Board will meet in France to consider the financial position of the ministry. The book industry is being challenged to change in many ways. Pray that the directors of CLC France will have a clear sense of direction for the coming months and years, being prudent with our resources while holding on to our vision.
27 Fri. PNG – Demand for Bibles
“There is a high demand for Compact KJV Bibles for Christian School students this year, and for the Good News Pocket Bibles for public schools due to Religious Instruction classes being introduced in public schools in Port Moresby. This is encouraging, but we don’t have enough stock to meet the demand! Pray for us as we look for a better way to source these Bibles and at a reasonable freight cost.” Vere Babona
28-29 Sat/Sun. UK – Tour de France!
The Tour de France cycle race is starting its 3rd UK stage in Cambridge on July 7th. It starts just round the corner from the CLC Cambridge bookshop and goes past the shop very soon after. The cyclists will be going past quickly of course, but not as fast as they will go once they get on the route to London! Please pray as we hope to prepare an attractive window display, and work with local churches in using this opportunity to spread the good news to visitors and spectators.
30 Mon. – Prayer Times
Most, if not all, our CLC teams have regular prayer times – even if it is just one or two people together before opening the bookshop for the day. Please pray that in the midst of busy lives and work schedules, we will all give priority to prayer. Some teams get together to pray via a conference call. CLC Canada do this twice a week, linking the four shops, wholesale and office staff. Of course it does not need to be limited to local staff, other CLC members can be invited to join in and share CLC news for prayer from their country as well!