February 2023 Update
It has been another encouraging period concerning how things are developing with the ministry.
Lunch Event
Our lunch event took place in November at Trinity Methodist Church, Lisburn. Around 50 people came along, and we enjoyed time together socialising and had an inspiring devotional talk from Robert Lacey. Robert reminded us that God wants to work through each believer, regardless of our situation. When thinking about the future, he also encouraged us that the best is yet to come. May we surrender ourselves to God daily and step out in faith as He gives us fresh opportunities to serve Him.
The Cost of Living Crisis and People with Sight Loss
The cost of living crisis is having a massive impact on our lives, as we pay more for household expenses. People are struggling to make ends meet and this is also a challenging period for those with disabilities, many of whom have extra living expenses for everyday life. The same is true for people with sight loss. However, the good news is that help and support are available from several sources. On the 24th of February, we held a Zoom Event focused on the cost of living crisis. Ashleen Johnston from Christians Against Poverty (CAP) shared how people can get practical help through CAP services and elsewhere. The session also included time to chat, questions, a worship song and a Christian epilogue by John Lattimer looking at how we can trust in God and follow His plans for our lives.
Day trip
Last summer, we held a day trip to Londonderry. Just over 20 people travelled on the train. After lunch, we did different activities, including shopping, a walk around the city walls and by the river, as we enjoyed the sunny weather. We received good feedback from this trip, encouraging us to plan another one for the following summer.
Full-time Missionary Worker
At the end of December, Leonard Campbell took voluntary redundancy from his role with Torch Trust to start serving as a full-time missionary with SLM on a permanent basis. It is a big step for Leonard and his family, as he undertakes a new role solely dependent on raising support and trusting in God to provide. It also opens up fresh possibilities for SLM to develop the ministry in new and exciting ways. In particular, we want to do more activities that involve drawing alongside people with sight loss and offering support and encouragement.
Administration & Training
Running a charitable company brings up a lot of compliance matters to be dealt with, like safeguarding, safer recruitment, ensuring we have the correct policies in place and reporting to the Charity Commission and Companies House. Progress has been made with preparing our first-year accounts, reports, working through the Fundraising Code, undergoing training and identifying further training needs. These tasks can be very time-consuming, but also necessary to operate in the right way.
Prayer Points
1. Give thanks for God's blessings to us during our first year as a charity, especially for being able to come together for friendship and fellowship at our events.
2. Pray for our outreach event on Zoom, that new people would come along and have their physical and spiritual needs met.
3. Pray for God's provision for us as a charity and also for Leonard in his missionary role.
4. Pray for being able to connect locally with more people with sight loss.
5. Pray for wisdom for the leadership of SLM as they seek God's guidance in developing the ministry.
Thank you for your interest in SLM and your prayerful support.