Compassion Ministries

Members and attendees at Highfields seek to demonstrate practically God’s love to those who are in physical and spiritual need both in Cardiff and across the world.

Highfields Church wants to communicate the gospel of hope to those living near to us and to those God brings to our city. We want to extend the love of Christ to vulnerable people in word and action. We want to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus.

This page outlines the compassion ministries currently supported by Highfields and how you might get involved and/or how you might pray effectively for these ministries to make an impact for the kingdom.

North Cardiff Debt Centre
(Christians Against Poverty)
Dalton Street Lunch Club
Homeless Run
Red Community
Street Pastors
Foodbank
Bundles of Joy
Samaritans Purse
Tearfund
International Justice Mission

North Cardiff Debt Centre

Background to the Ministry

Highfields, in partnership with St Mark's Church, Gabalfa has set up a debt centre in the north of the city. Christians Against Poverty is a Christian charity which helps lift people who are trapped in debt and poverty to debt free living. There is currently no other CAP centre in Cardiff.

How can you get involved?

As well as the Debt Coach, befrienders are needed to help support the client through the process – this is likely to involve perhaps three visits over as many months. You will need a caring, non-judgmental attitude but you do not need to be a financial expert!

What is involved in the Ministry?

A CAP Debt Centre provides debt counselling through community-based visits to lift people out of debt and poverty
There are a few stages to the process:
Visit the client to discuss the process and gather data
CAP head office (FCA authorized) consolidate the debts to a single monthly payment to CAP and Cap deals with the creditors taking the burden from the client
The client is visited to explain the the budget and repayment plan

What is the impact for the kingdom?

"I am overwhelmed by what God has done. To see thousands of lives changed every year is truly wonderful. I do believe that God has given us a 21st Century answer to one of the most pressing social needs within society today. Jesus met people's needs with love, compassion and practical help. Our desire is to simply do the same and watch the miracles unfold."

John Kirby, Founder, CAP

Prayer Requests

That the ministry would become firmly established in Cardiff as a real partnership with St Marks, with a trained Debt Coach and sufficient befrienders;
That clients would be helped and provided with necessary financial help;
That clients may experience the love of God through the empathy and compassion of the ministry

How can you get involved?

Find out about the One Year Celebration event
Watch or listen to the Christians Against Poverty Ministry Launch service held on 11th April 2021
Email the Church Office to find out more about getting involved.

Homeless Run

Outline of the Ministry

Churches from in and around Cardiff meet every night in central Cardiff to provide food and hot drinks for homeless people who gather there. Highfields church does this once every 4 weeks, on a Sunday evening.

Who is the Ministry intended to help/serve?

Anyone who needs food, hot drinks or a chat. We are often able to provide other things such as clothes, toiletries, sleeping bags and gloves. We are there to help anyone who is in need. The people we help aren't always actually homeless – but they have real need for what we provide. Some people do have places to live, but many are homeless and live in tents or on the street. Many have drink/drugs dependencies and others have mental health issues. All are vulnerable in so many ways. As well as providing food, this is a caring ministry and we aim to get alongside and engage with these people who may be suffering from depression and loneliness, and often other desperate situations, to listen and chat with them, showing and sharing the love of Jesus the best way we can.

What is the impact for the Kingdom?

Jesus said we should love our neighbour. This is a real and practical demonstration of how we can do this and share the love of Jesus to those who are in real need. We can't fix the problem of homelessness, but we can help those in real need even in this small practical way. We serve Jesus by serving these people.

Prayer requests

These people have nothing, no hope - their situation is desperate. Please pray that this would change.
Safety for all those who are living on the streets and also for us as a team when we're out there on the street.
That we have sufficient regular volunteers to help us maintain this Ministry throughout the year.

Skills and attributes needed

Heart for the homeless and disadvantaged, caring, listening
Non-judgemental
Email the Church Office to find out more about getting involved.

Red Community

Outline of the Ministry

Red Community is a gospel-centred justice ministry that exists to raise awareness about, and support survivors of, modern slavery and human trafficking, especially in the context of Wales. As well as numerous awareness raising initiatives in local churches, schools and community events we also provide financial support and a befriending service for survivors.

Who is the Ministry intended to help/serve?

Primarily Red Community seeks to help and support survivors of modern slavery. However, we also have a passion to serve the local church in Wales and to help them better understand the issues around modern slavery and human trafficking whilst also providing opportunities to respond.

What is the impact for the Kingdom?

The Bible is literally dripping with references to God's heart for the poor, the marginalised, the suffering, the exploited and the enslaved. Scripture also reveals that God is passionate abut justice and that His
desire for His people is to pursue justice in a way that honours Him and reflects His Kingdom here on earth. Every prayer that is prayed, every penny invested, and every person liberated and loved out of slavery is a flesh-and-blood demonstration of God's Kingdom advancing here on earth.

Prayer requests for the ministry

Survivors: to receive the love of Jesus though the various ministries we offer.
Public: to be impacted, informed & inspired to respond to the need.
Money: to be raised for us to be able to deploy & develop our ministry

What and when?
Trustees meet quarterly, Embrace befriending / sponsorship happens throughout the week every week, monthly prayer meetings, Outreach events happen as and when booked. We also host an annual conference and other events alongside Anti-Slavery Day each October.

Skills and attributes needed

Friendliness, godliness, patience, generosity
A pastoral character reference is essential. DBS
Email the Church Office to find out more about getting involved

Street Pastors

Outline of the Ministry

Street pastors are trained volunteers from local churches that care about our community. We patrol each Friday and Saturday night to care for, listen to and help people who are out on the streets. The role of a Street Pastor is not about preaching, but is one of caring, listening and helping to show the love of Jesus in practical ways.

Who is the Ministry intended to help/serve?

All those potentially at risk in the night-time economy such as revellers after a night out particularly vulnerable women who may be under the influence and unable to get home safely without assistance.

What is the impact for the Kingdom?

Practical demonstration of Christian compassion for the needy – witness to people who tend to have little or no other exposure to Christians. Provides many opportunities when asked, to “give the reason for the hope that we have, with gentleness and respect”. (1 Peter 3:15)

Prayer requests for the ministry

That those enjoying a night out in Cardiff may do so safely and may return home without incident.
For safety and resilience for all workers in the night-time economy such as Police Officers, Medical Staff, Taxi Marshalls, Door Staff.
For the Street Pastors to be a consistently positive witness demonstrating Christ’s grace and love to the lost and those in need.

When?

Between 10pm and 4am each Friday and Saturday night (with extra shifts at Christmas and Fresher’s week). [1 night per month].

Skills and attributes needed

Caring, calm, non-judgemental
Reasonably physically fit as need to walk several miles per shift
References and DBS
Email the Church Office to find out more about getting involved

Foodbank

Outline of the Ministry

Cardiff Foodbank is the largest foodbank in Wales (one of the largest in the UK as, unusually, it operates across the whole city) and provides emergency food supplies to people in crisis. Cardiff Foodbank collects, sorts and stores food at a central warehouse which is then given out to those in need at seven distribution centres located throughout the city.

Who is the Ministry intended to help/serve?

People find themselves in food crisis for many reasons such as being on low income and struggling to find the spare cash when a crisis hits or being the recipient of benefit cuts, delays or changes. We also help people who are homeless or seeking asylum. Increasingly, we help people who come to us for reasons such as sickness, redundancy, debt, bereavement, relationship breakdown or domestic violence.

What is the impact for the Kingdom?

Practical demonstration of Christian compassion for the needy – witness to people who may have little or no other exposure to Christians.

Prayer requests

That those people in food crisis will receive what they need to feed their families
That the clients of the service will feel blessed by the experience and that volunteers will sensitively identify appropriate opportunities to share the gospel
That the Cardiff Foodbank will receive the resources it requires to carry out its function – food, volunteers’ time and funds (to pay for the overheads of the organisation)

When?

Distribution Centre sessions are operating throughout Cardiff most days of the week. The collection and distribution vans, warehouse and administration offices operate 4 days per week.

Skills and attributes needed

Physically fit, able to lift for warehouse and distribution centre work
Driving licence for volunteer drivers; Computer skills
Caring, non judgemental
Email the Church Office to find out more about getting involved

Bundles of Joy

Outline of the Ministry

We are a Cardiff based initiative that seeks to bless vulnerable, pregnant women who are refugees, asylum seekers and victims of trafficking with a hospital bag and essentials for giving birth and the first weeks of having a baby.

Who is the Ministry intended to help/serve? Pregnant asylum seekers and refugees in Cardiff. What is the impact for the Kingdom? We look to provide these women with opportunities to make friendships and connect with local churches. We also desire for these women to experience the love of God through word and action.

Prayer requests

For these ladies’ greatest need for a saviour as well as their physical needs to be met.
Pray that we will be able to make good connections with more organisations in Cardiff who can refer to us so that we can provide bags and friendship to more new mums and their babies.
For the team that we would be equipped and have courage and compassion as we often step into situations out of our comfort zones.

When?

Anytime but usually on weekdays in the daytime

Skills and Attributes needed

Wide range of gifts needed from kindness and sensitivity to sewing skills and photography.
We are always looking for donations for the bags.
Email the Church Office to find out more about getting involved

Samaritans Purse

Outline of the Ministry

Operation Christmas Child is a project of the evangelical Christian charity, Samaritan’s Purse UK and it seeks to demonstrate the love of God through supplying the world’s children with a shoebox gift at Christmas. Each shoebox gift is packed with fun gifts, school supplies and hygiene items for children worldwide in areas suffering poverty, famine, war, disease and disaster.

Who is the Ministry intended to help/serve?

Operation Christmas Child works with 75,000 local church partners in over 100 countries each year with the aim of offering them an effective tool to engage their community’s needy children and engage long term with their families. The ministry shows Jesus’ love through the demonstration of the gospel in action and by equipping and resourcing local churches worldwide to share the gospel effectively to unreached people groups.

What is the impact for the Kingdom?

Since 1990, more than 178 million children in over 160 countries have experienced God's love through the power of simple shoebox gifts from Operation Christmas Child. When a child receives the loving shoebox gift, they are offered an illustrated booklet in their own language called “The Greatest Gift” which shares the gospel message. They are also invited to attend a follow up 12 session bible discovery course at their local church. On completion of the Greatest Journey course, all children completing have a graduation service and are presented with a Certificate and a New Testament in their own Language. Since 2009, over 23 million children have attended “The Greatest Journey” with over 11.2 million reporting having made a decision for Christ – this amounts to 1 in every 5 shoeboxes packed, leading a child to faith in Jesus!

Prayer requests

For individuals and churches in the UK to continue to be encouraged by the ministry of Operation Christmas child and to joyfully pack shoeboxes to send to children overseas.
That God continues to use OCC shoeboxes to see more children, families and communities transformed as they hear the gospel and receive Christ.
We thank God that 77 countries can still operate with OCC this year despite the impact of Covid-19.
Please pray for our UK staff, volunteers and overseas Church partners as they seek to receive and distribute the shoeboxes through a difficult year.

When?

OCC Shoebox packing promotion Sept-Nov (yearly) National shoebox collection week – 2nd week of November (9-16th Nov 2020)

How can you help?

Pack a shoebox for a child this year and pray for the child who will receive it, that it will have great impact and lead them to hearing more about Jesus.
Consider a gift for the Greatest Journey programme (this is funded separately to the shoebox shipping cost – roughly £5 per child that attends).
Explore Samaritan’s Purse and its other disaster response programmes and ministries.
Pray for our overall ministry, for our church partners especially as they seek to love their communities, plant church and reach unreached people groups with the Gospel.

International Compassion Ministries

Tearfund

As a Christian charity, Tearfund believes that everyone has an amazing God-given potential to create change. Tearfund shows people around the world how to unlock these gifts and put them to use escaping poverty. Many of Tearfund’s partners in this work are local churches, who discover how to offer their communities material and spiritual hope. When disaster strikes, Tearfund is ready to respond. They encourage men and women like ourselves to speak out about issues that affect those affected by poverty. Supporting Tearfund empowers millions more to end extreme poverty.

International Justice Mission

International Justice Mission is an organisation founded on the Christian belief that God loves all people and everyone deserves to experience that love. IJM believes that persistent violence is one of the main causes of poor people remaining in poverty and it seeks to bring justice to those that are living outside of a safe justice system. Their work is not just about rescuing the victims of violence, but it is also about bringing criminals who live outside of the law to justice, as well as supporting rehabilitation for the victims of these crimes whilst working with local authorities to improve justice systems. See also ted.com/talks and search -Gary Haugen (President): The hidden reason for poverty

Highfields members support these ministries both financially and as volunteers.

Go to the websites (www.tearfund.org and www.ijmuk.org) to find out how you can assist and how to pray for a more just world.

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