January: Cheltenham Street Pastors

"Street Pastors" was founded in 2003 by the Ascension Trust and has grown rapidly, with more than 180 teams established around the UK. The teams have seen a decrease in crime in some areas and a great deal of good will generated between church, the police, local authority, and consumers of the night time economy.

A local committee runs each project with support from Ascension Trust, local churches, local government, and other groups. A Street Pastor is a church member willing to engage, often in very practical ways, with those (especially the young) using town centre bars, pubs, and clubs. To be a Street Pastor you need to be 18 or over (no upper age limit and many teams consist exclusively of over 50’s), a church member, and able to commit to the training programme.
The Cheltenham Street Pastors scheme currently consists of fifty trained volunteers from twenty different churches who, as a team of six, go out one Friday and Saturday night a month between 10pm and 4am. Prayer backup is provided at "team base" throughout the night. The first anniversary was celebrated in December and good relationships have been established with police, pub and club staff, medics and taxi marshals. Teams are now out every Friday and Saturday night and on other occasions such as Cheltenham races and University Freshers’ week.
We are asked to pray for:

• Encouragement, stamina and wisdom for the teams on the streets at night
  The on-going training programme for more Street Pastors in our town
  More people to hear of the Street Pastors’ work in Cheltenham
  More Prayer Pastors to support and encourage their work
  Understanding that all is done in Jesus’ name to offer him glory

If you would like more information you can make contact in any of these ways:

www.streetpastors.co.uk(current location, South, Cheltenham)

cheltenham@streetpastors.org.uk

01242 231644