Partner Organisations and Community Notices

Millions of Christians face violent persecution for their faith in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Open Doors World Watch List research, over 90% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in sub-Saharan Africa. This rising violence is being driven largely by Islamist extremists taking advantage of political instability in the region.
In response, the African church is calling for their brothers and sisters around the world to help stop the violence and start the healing by joining them in the ***Arise Africa*** campaign. It aims to see that the global community acknowledges and acts against extreme violence and supports the church to persevere – and to be resilient, resourceful and influential. Join the Arise Africa campaign today to help stop the violence and start the healing.

**Sign the petition** **here** **by 2nd November.**
Find out more at https://www.opendoorsuk.org/act/arise-africa/

Do you want to understand more about how the Bible speaks into the specific struggles and pressures of everyday life — both your own and those of the people around you?
From January 2027, there’s an exciting opportunity to explore this together in Beeston, through ***Dynamics of Biblical Change***, a course run by Biblical Counselling UK (BCUK).
The course explores how the gospel brings change to every area of our lives. We look at how our hearts respond to life’s circumstances, what our struggles and desires reveal about us, and how God meets us with his truth and grace. As we grow in understanding how he is at work in our own lives, we learn to walk alongside others, helping them understand their struggles in the light of Scripture and grow in their relationship with him.
You can find out more at the link below, or speak with Becci Bitsios-Esposito, who will be helping to deliver the course:

https://bcuk.org/dynamics-of-biblical-change/
**The deadline for** **applications** **is 15 November.**

Open your home, impact a life, with Local Link

Could you meet up with an international student for occasional social activities throughout the year? It's a great opportunity to be a witness of God's love through sharing our lives with students.

This year, we would love to increase from 35 to 50 hosts to connect with even more students this year. Could you help? You can sign up on the Friends International website: friendsinternational.uk/host

**Pray with Friends International**
Join us for our next online prayer meeting on Tuesday 27th October, 7-8pm on Zoom, as we hear stories from Welcome, discover what’s happening in our regular ministries and pray for our new Sutton Bonington staff worker.
Meeting ID: 869 5093 6733
Passcode: FIPrayer26
Or click here to join

We also provide cross-cultural Bible training for International Students and Professionals who would like to develop their skills in understanding God's word and sharing it faithfully in a variety of contexts. We also welcome others who are seeking to share the Gospel across cultures. You can find out more about the Philip Project with this video or at The Philip Project: International Student Christian Training - Friends International. It will start on October 24th with a free trial session and continues on one Saturday a month at Cornerstone until next June.