Hesed Christian Fellowship

Focus on Iran: PPSC January 2026

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:42:56 -0800

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our praying friends! 2026 contains the 20th Anniversary of Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church and we’re thankful for all the support across the years.

2025 ended on a high note when, thanks to generous donations, fund-matched, PPSC was able to contribute £1,600 to the One by One ‘She’s Coming Home For Christmas’ appeal, funding the charity’s Mercy Centre’s restoration, healing and returning home of one of 80 trafficked girls in Uganda.

PPSC starts this year with an Iran-focussed meeting at Pembroke Apostolic Church, Mission Hall, Station Road, Pembroke SA71 4AH. It’s on Tuesday, January 27, 7.30pm-9pm and will feature praise music, audio visual, open prayer and refreshments.

Last PPSC meeting of 2025

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 23:57:05 -0800

THIS coming Tuesday evening, November 25, sees the final meeting of Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church, with a focus on Africa, some first-hand reporting from the Congo and a live link with Matthew Murray from One by One with an exciting fundraiser to announce.

There will also be an update from China and some timely encouragement from Nazareth, as well as a small selection of praise music.

The meeting will take place at Bethel Chapel, Pembroke Dock (Schoolroom entrance in Bush Street), and starts at 7.30pm.

We hope you will be able to join us.

Last month’s offerings totalled £445 which was sent to China Aid. This month, any money will be sent to One by One.

October PPSC

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 23:44:23 -0700

OCTOBER’S Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church (PPSC) meeting takes place at Zion Free Church, Pembroke Dock on October 28 with a focus on China that also touches North Korea.

The informative meeting, held at 7.30pm on the last Tuesday of each month, features audio-visual presentations and practical opportunities to provide encouragement. It is open to people of all denominations who wish to intercede for Christians around the world who suffer persecution or hardship.

PPSC, September 2025

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:15:45 -0700

Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church is back at Zion Free Church, Pembroke Dock for the September meeting, which takes place on Tuesday the 30th, the last day of the month at the usual time of 7.30pm.

Lynda will be sharing about some specific situations in India, as well as bringing updates about Päivi Räsänen and the One by One charity.

To download a poster, click here.

PPSC: August 26 at Bethel PD

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:05:03 -0700

This month’s Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church meeting is on Tuesday, August 26, a precious and poignant date marking the Golden Wedding Anniversary of our late founder Rev. Peter Richmond (1954-2019) and his wife, Lynda, who will be leading the meeting at Bethel Chapel, Pembroke Dock.

Theme for the evening is Africa - and we will welcome a special guest speaker, Steffan Jones, Regional Coordinator at Barnabus Aid.

As well as worship, refreshments, presentations and prayer, there will be opportunities to give and actions to encourage.

Please join us if you can - start time is 7.30pm, and make the event known in your churches and communities.

Reach 1000

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 23:57:18 -0700

AS a result of offerings at the July meeting, Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church has given £150 to the Samaritan’s Purse Reach 1,000 appeal, blessing and discipling five children in persecuted church countries.

One in seven Christians around the world lives in a place where following Jesus is restricted - or even illegal. Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse aims to reach 1,000 children in countries like this with the Good News that Jesus loves them.

Every £30 given provides one child with a seat on The Greatest Journey discipleship programme and an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift specially packed to make it through customs in their location.

In places where the church is under pressure, and where open Christian activity can be dangerous, these gifts can open the door for the Gospel to break through. In fact, shoeboxes donated online are often the only way the charity can reach children in these communities.

Each shoebox gift sent is lovingly filled with toys, school supplies, and personal care items appropriate for each child’s age. Every box is delivered alongside a message of hope in the person of Jesus Christ. Children are also invited to join The Greatest Journey.

“Hooray, Daddy! Jesus is our Lord!”

At an Operation Christmas Child outreach in the Middle East, one little boy received a shoebox gift and heard the Gospel for the very first time. Overjoyed, he ran home shouting: “Hooray, Daddy! Jesus is our Lord!”

But his father was furious. He told his son to be quiet—and banned him from going back.

When Ilsa*, who runs the centre where the outreach took place, heard what happened, she didn’t panic. She mobilised her team,...Read More

July 29: Pembroke Apostolic, 7.30pm

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:29:35 -0700

This month’s PPSC (Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church) meeting will take place next Tuesday, July 29 at 7.30pm in the Mission Hall, home of Pembroke Apostolic Church, which can be found next to the railway station.

Find out what’s happening to Christians suffering persecution or hardship around the world - combining prayer with actions to make a difference.

A link to download the poster is below:

PPSC welcomes Paul Thomas, June 24

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 13:20:58 -0700

Pembrokeshire Prayer for the Suffering Church welcomes back Paul Thomas (Release International) THIS TUESDAY at Zion Free Church, Pembroke Dock. We look forward to his updates and hope that you will be able to join us, downstairs at 7.30pm.

If you’re reading this message in time, please make this event known in your church service.

Encouragement

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 08:51:08 -0700

On holiday recently we found ourselves in the situation where we had to go up an extremely steep and difficult path for half a mile. I had actually done this path before, but when I was 30 years younger. I was really unsure that I could make it.

In the first few minutes we heard a man behind us trying to encourage his teenage daughter to keep going at a sensible pace, and using me as an example. A few minutes later he helped me up a step which was too high for me to manage.

About half-way up, a lady who looked about 40 had stopped to rest again. She called me an inspiration, saying that she kept going by watching me and telling herself that if I could do it, so could she…..and I found that her words gave me a real lift in spirit.

Further up there were still quite a few of the real big steps that were impossible for me to manage alone, but with a little help at each of those I reached the top.

The lessons of perseverance, helping each other and the value of encouragement speak for themselves, but I went on to think about the problem of discouraging others. When a group consisting of a leader from each tribe of Israel (Numbers 13) was sent to give a report on the promised land, ten of them returned saying that the task was too difficult. They focussed on the problems, and deliberately spread discouragement among the people- with disastrous results. The Lord took a very dim view of their conduct, leading to many years in the desert for everyone else. This should make us think very carefully about discouraging others.

In Deuteronomy 20 v 8 there is an instruction that those who are fainthearted and afraid should not go into battle… because they might discourage others! I had not previously noticed that there was a reason given with this instruction.

The...Read More

PPSC Anniversary meeting - update

Sat, 24 May 2025 11:46:15 -0700

Dear praying friends,

Sadly, for reasons best explained at the meeting, Ben Kwashi has had to cancel his planned live video link for next Tuesday evening at Bethel, Pembroke Dock.

There will still be a Nigeria focus, including prayers for the former archbishop of Jos and his wife Gloria. And we’ll be looking back on 19 years of PPSC and lifting our voices in praise songs together.

I hope you can join us at 7.30pm.

Paddy