Finance - Reminders went out to those who had not paid their subscriptions.

Report From Youth In Action – 35 children were at the Baptist celebration. Ann Donaldson was the speaker; she gave the children 11 topics to pick from, talking on four of them. Now called encounter. Music was by a university band that encouraged the youth to get involved in producing their own music and worship. They do a draft policy statement on how to move in the prophetic; to have an oversight so as reduce the possibility of going ‘off the rails’. Austin Foot (Baptist Church) is the man in the know.

Family Action Group – Need to re-envision. Is there enough interest to be involved with ‘Lark in the Park’? St Luke’s morning services are growing and the twice morning service is doing well.

Marion’s Learning Disability Team is doing well. They are running an Easter activity on 2^nd March and doing the Easter story on the 13^th April; both 2.30pm to 4.00pm – open to all.

Informed the group about Eternity’s ‘Shoe Box Gifts’ at Christmas and the response they received. The meeting thought this was a good idea and a challenging concept. They wished that other youth might know this.

Report From Prayer Action Group – Every first Saturday in March, St Luke’s will host a prayer breakfast from 8.00am to 10.00am. The Inspector said that he could see the difference prayer makes even though he is not a Christian himself.

He asked us to pray about the sex industry. There is a sex supermarket open in Hockley.

With the increase in gun crimes our local police sometimes have to go and support the city police.

Also please offer prayer support for Marion’s disability workshop!

The Friary Drop in Centre ‘day of prayer’ raised £400. Still needs prayer, as their furniture trade is having to come to an end due to lack of funds. Rushcliffe Council is supporting two Tenancy Support workers to work on Hound Road to help the homeless. Pray for the Christian voice on the council as they shout up for our youth as well.

Churches were thanked for their prayer.

IMPORTANT! – I’m sure I read in EA about a time of prayer on 9^th February – 1.00pm in America and 7.00pm in England – so that both countries might pray at the same time to try and stop the war in Iraq. Others at the meeting had not heard about this venture.

Church News – City Churches Together are looking at the place on St James’ Street, now called the Potter’s House. It has been empty for a while and they are proposing to re-open it as a refuge with a Christian ethos, for the youth in the town.

Easter services were discussed. It was decided not to walk along Rectory Road as before but will give out Easter Eggs on the Avenue. Churches will be given half hour slots – each end of the Avenue – for this purpose. June, John and Paul are to organise the event.

Paul Johns, who has a heart for Bosnia, is organising a group to meet on the Avenue on Saturday, 10.00am to 12.00pm.

Fairtrade Fortnight – we are not so involved in this area. There will be a training session at the Central Methodist Mission on the 5^th March to explain what Fairtrade really means.

Lent Groups – For those wishing to be in the choir for the Easter Service, the Friary are meeting for rehearsals on 12^th February.

The Methodist Services – 10^th March 7.45pm to 9.45pm & 13^th March 7.30pm to 9.00pm.

The Holy Spirit 11^th & 15^th March, 8.15pm to 9.45pm and 18^th Good Friday service hymns and anthems, at 7.30pm.

Notes taken by Yvonne Wright