A very special first birthday is being celebrated this month in Bath, as The Trauma Recovery Centre is one!  Birthed out of Freedom Bath and Bristol, the TRC became a charity on May 3 2011 and since then has helped over 45 children in their centre through the provision of play therapy. In addition over 90 percent of the parents have group therapy, parenting classes or individual therapy.  Find out more!

Jane or Janey as she likes to be called didn't start off in stand up, in fact she was performing tragedy monologues for her Performing Arts degree, when she discovered she could make the exhausted audience laugh, in order to break the tension... Since those first chuckles, Janey has found the sound of other people's laughter to be the catalyst to trust God to overcome the nerves and take to that stage.. again and again. 

So BANES have street preparations in place, the excitement is palpable.. and in less than seven days the Olympic Torch will be carried aloft through the streets of Bath, on its national route to cover the country!  Next Tuesday (22nd May) we will be getting ready to see the torch aloft, but did you know there will be a praise bus ahead of it?  The Journey from Escalls is sending a half open top bus, courtesy of Bath Bus Company, around the country, ahead of the Olympic flame, with local Christian Bands and Groups, playing in rotation, bringing praise to the nation.

Christian Aid Week began with a Hunger Lunch at Nexus Methodist Church.  A simple meal of Dahl Baht - or lentil curry was enjoyed on Sunday 13th May - and the money usually spent on a roast dinner was contributed to the fundraising.  (Those unable to attend are encouraged to organise a similar meal at home).  Nexus have also organised door to door collecting. As members of Bath Christian Aid Partnership, Nexus are happy to report meeting their £5,000 target for Christian Aid's Zimpro project in Zimbabwe - a project aiming to bring food and security to 1,500 households in Southern Zimbabwe. 

As part of Grace Community Church's Loving The Community On Purpose, Trevor and Ros Dunlop are appealing for buyers and donators for their annual plant and cake sale, taking place on their drive on Saturday 19th May from 11am to 3pm.  Last year's event helped saw them raise more than £600 for Haven Home orphanage in India.  This year's proceeds will be going to Mercy In Action.

Cakes, plants and handcrafted cards by Denise Wells will be on sale!

As the momentous occasion of the Olympics gets nearer and the eyes of the world are drawn to our island, would you like to decree and pray blessings over the Torch Relay through the UK and Ireland?  Keep Praying and Bless is a 70 day Prayer Guide enabling you to do just that, created by House of Glory.  Useful also for the Global Day of Prayer and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.. Prepared by Call To Prayer - a group of Christians from assorted church background, it is aimed at making prayer more and more the heart of the church's life.  

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY!