"Restore our fortunes Lord, like streams in the Negev." - Psalm 126:4

As we enter this month of March, I've been living with the sense of expectation that the Lord will lead us into a new season of prayer, generosity and mission. One of the responsibilities of a church leader is to recognise what the Lord is doing and respond to it and I've had this growing sense that we are to gather to pray more as City Church, but also alongside other churches in the city for the blessing and prosperity of Bristol. Friday's prayer meeting at St Nicks came out of a whatsapp conversation with one of the vicars there - we had the same idea for the same date and a number of other churches are joining us for what is now called "Gather Bristol" at 7pm.

As Matthew Henry wrote, "When God intends a great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is to set them a-praying". And so that is what we are doing. We will be gathering three times this month to worship and to pray that the Lord would move mightily in our city.

Alongside our times of prayer, we are also holding Gift Days on Sunday 9th March and Sunday 16th March. As well as encouraging everyone who calls City Church their home to give regularly to the work of the church, we have Gift Days to raise funds for new initiatives. The last couple of years we have raised money towards our Trainee Pastor Programme which Tom Wilson and Christian Cunningham are taking part in, and are a huge blessing to us as a church.

The gift day this March is to support our vision of Helping Bristol Believe. One of the ways we will express this is to release 50% of Andy Cottingham's time to support and resource other churches that we have relationships with.

This is a genuine faith stretching moment for us and in order to support and resource churches like Emmanuel Belfast, Anthem Church Leicester and the South Lakes Plant, it takes time, people and of course money. The money that is given this March will increase our ability to help these churches and our prayer is that the gospel would advance in these regions and cities.

Whether you are new to City Church or have been around for years, I'm seeing this month as an opportunity to grow in prayer, in generosity and in faith. I'm praying that as we see what the Lord is doing and respond together, that we would see life and abundance flow, and that many more people who come to know the Lord Jesus.