Laying Foundations for Launch: Prayer & Praise, December 2025

As we move through December and towards Christmas, we have been encouraged by the steady and practical ways God has been strengthening the work at the Hughenden Centre. Some progress has been public and outward facing, and some has been quieter and behind the scenes, but together it is helping Weston Ark grow in readiness, stability, and reach.

Below are key reasons to give thanks, followed by ways you can pray with us as we step into January.

Praise: Reasons to Give Thanks

1) The Christmas Tree Festival: a simple idea that opened real doors

This month, Weston Ark took part in the St Nicholas Church Christmas Tree Festival at Uphill on Friday and Saturday (12 and 13 December), with Stacey creating a beautiful Weston Ark tree as part of the display. It was a genuine joy to be represented in a warm community setting and to see people stopping, reading, and asking questions. We are thankful for the creativity and care that went into the tree, and for the many conversations it sparked.

We also want to give particular thanks for Diana Thomas, one of our trustees, who made a great number of connections during the festival. She gathered contact details from people interested in Weston Ark, and those connections have already helped widen invitations and engagement for what comes next.

Stacey’s Weston Ark Christmas Tree at St Nicholas Church Tree Festival, Uphill.

2) Sharing the story: featured in the Weston Mercury

We are thankful that Weston Ark was featured in the Weston Mercury (4 December issue), including a photograph celebrating the Asda grant and the developing Ark Café Warm Space. This kind of coverage helps raise awareness, build trust, and open doors for new connections in the community.

Link to the digital article: Weston Ark receive grant to open café at Hughenden Centre | Weston Mercury

 Weston Mercury (4 December) - a great way to share what’s growing at the Hughenden Centre.

3) Provision for improved toilets: a major step towards greater dignity and welcome

We want to give heartfelt thanks for very practical financial provision towards improving the toilet facilities at the Hughenden Centre. Weston Ark has been awarded a £4,000 grant from Benefact specifically towards toilet refurbishment, which is a significant step forward in making the building more welcoming and accessible for all who use it. We are also thankful that the work is scheduled to begin in January, and we are grateful for this tangible support and for the way God is providing through external partners as the Centre develops.

4) Ark Café readiness: moving from preparation into responsible operation

We give thanks for steady progress that is moving Ark Café from vision into operating reality, including clear planning, training expectations, and practical readiness. We are grateful for each person giving time and energy to make this possible, and for the way the café vision continues to gather momentum.

5) Strengthening the Centre as a place of welcome

We thank God for practical improvements and preparations that help the Hughenden Centre feel more settled and welcoming. This includes visible signage being put in place and thoughtful planning for upcoming building work and facilities improvements. These details matter because they shape first impressions and help people feel they have arrived somewhere cared for and well ordered.

A small sign, a big message: you’re welcome here. Ark Café is getting ready.

6) Foundations that protect the work: safeguarding and good practice

December has included ongoing work to strengthen safeguarding and ensure training, records, and procedures are in place. We are grateful for trustees, staff, and volunteers leaning into this, because doing things properly is part of honouring God and caring well for people. We give thanks for every step that makes Weston Ark safer, clearer, and more accountable as the work grows.

7) Growing volunteer engagement and clear next steps into January

December has also been a month of purposeful invitation. Supporters and volunteers have been invited to drop-in sessions and to a Welcome and Worship gathering in January, so that people can see the Centre, hear the story, and explore how they might get involved. It is encouraging to see interest growing, and to have a more organised pathway for people who want to help.

Prayer Points: Looking Ahead in Faith

1) Follow-up from the Christmas Tree Festival

Please pray for the connections made at St Nicholas Church, especially for those who shared details or expressed interest. Ask God to continue drawing the right people, and to help us follow up warmly, wisely, and with good pastoral care.

2) The January drop-ins and the Welcome and Worship gathering

Pray that these gatherings will be spiritually fruitful, relationally strengthening, and well attended by those God is calling to be part of this work. Pray for unity of purpose and clear communication across the team.

3) Ark Café: readiness, volunteers, and confidence

Please pray for the café team as they finalise plans, training, and routines. Pray for peace, clarity, and confidence as practical details come together, and that Ark Café would become a place of warmth, dignity, and listening, where people sense God’s welcome.

4) Building work and facilities improvements

Pray for wisdom and favour in the planning and delivery of upcoming work and improvements. Pray for the right contractors, fair pricing, safe work, and good outcomes that improve accessibility and welcome.

5) Safeguarding culture and shared responsibility

Please pray that we will continue to build a strong safeguarding culture, with training completed, records kept well, and responsibilities shared appropriately. Ask God to protect the team from overload, and to provide the right helpers at the right time.

Thank you for standing with us in both praise and prayer. We are grateful for God’s steady hand, and for everyone who is supporting the work of Weston Ark as it grows.