A Couple of Prayer Requests to the Bristol Churches
July 2024

 
Greetings
 
We are writing out to thank everyone for their support and give a brief update on where things are at with our pursuit of the ongoing ministry in the George Muller homes in Cotham.
 
As many of you know we have been pursuing the purchase of two of the three George Muller community homes on Cotham Park. 
 
No10 has been for sale for a number of weeks now and in the last couple of days we have been encouraged to make a clear offer on this Community home, as No7 is still not yet available. This would be for LoveBristol the first step towards purchasing both No10 & No7 and we feel this offer needs to be made within the next 7 days .
 
The other George Muller home we are pursuing (No7) has not yet received planning permission and so it is not yet being actively marketed by the agents.
 
For No.10 we have received some gifts and investment but to move forward we still need an additional £500,000 of investment. We are writing today to all our friends across Bristol and beyond to ask once again for prayer for us and to be thinking if there might be anyone they know who would be interested in supporting us in the ongoing ministry in these George Muller homes.  
 
There is an opportunity to give through the go-fund me (link here) or to invest for a period of 2-5 years and gain a return of 3.5%.
 
The prayer support we have received during this journey has been a lifeline for us and the amazing community living here at No10. Thank you
 
God's love is the anchor that holds us steadfast in the storms of life.
 
George Muller
 
Blessings
 
Greg & Clare
 
Trustees LoveBristol
 
Church & Charity
 
On behalf of LoveBristol & Friends
 
www.lovebristol.org

 

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Apologies for the unsolicited message and sorry this email is slightly rambling and long but we would really appreciate your prayers as we seek to preserve something we feel is very precious which maybe about to be lost in our city.

You may or may not be aware that The George Muller Charitable Trust is selling their 3 large community homes in Cotham (to use funds elsewhere in their remarkable wider work) and LoveBristol and friends are working hard to try and retain at least two of them for ongoing ministry.
 
29 years ago these homes were set up by Mullers and others in the city as Christian community homes and LoveBristol joined the journey a few years later.
 
The three Cotham homes have been intentional Christian communities, (an expression of ‘New Monasticism’ in the 21st century) for almost 450 community members. They have supported (without any additional government support) nearly 50 vulnerable people with a really diverse set of backgrounds and needs.
 
It has been a rich and fruitful journey for all of us in it and yet another unique expression of faith in our city of refuge. The George Muller Charitable Trust's generosity has helped launch what is now possibly one of the largest networks of contemporary Christian intentional community anywhere in the world with, until recent weeks, 150 community members living in 15 homes across the city.
 
We would love to continue the 180 years of this incredible residential support of vulnerable people in our city, which George Muller and his wife started in Wilson Street, St Pauls.
 
LoveBristol and friends are working hard to try and raise capital to purchase these unique properties, as we are sure you can imagine this has been somewhat of a rollercoaster journey.
 
Last week we made our offer with a planned payment over 18 months. This has not been accepted and so now we are asking people in our city to join us in praying for the finances to enable us to pay the full amount at the time of purchase.
 
This week a large For Sale sign has gone up outside two of the three communities, which is a real and present reminder of the time pressure we are facing.
 
LoveBristol have found willing partners for the development of 18 additional spaces of social housing in the grounds of one of the houses plus we will be able to offer additional refugee housing, all connected to the community of 25 people living there and the 15 more community members living over the road. We have plans to start a volunteer-led community garden in one of the properties, offering social connection for the new home dwellers, and well-being benefits and positive engagement with our neighbours. There will also be befriending opportunities for local churches and various training opportunities through innovative social enterprises on the site.
 
The next chapter, yet to be written, is to be an exciting development of what has been an amazing journey so far and we are asking you to pray for us as we try and get over the line of having an offer accepted. We have met some truly inspiring and generous people so far and if you can think of anyone specifically who might want to get involved please do feel free to forward this to them.
 
If you got this far in reading this thank you so much and please do pray for us. Interestingly in recent months we have been drawn to reading about George Muller, and his gift of faith and this week someone sent us a powerful story of George Muller - delayed from a preaching engagement due to being stuck on boat out at sea in the fog. His response to the captain's bad news, in classic George Muller style, was something of what we are seeking for ourselves in this situation:
'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.'

 
Many Blessings
 
Greg & Clare Thompson
 
On behalf of LoveBristol & Friends

www.lovebristol.org