THE ACORN – 1st Anniversary Newsletter

Dear Friends,
We hope you had a good summer and are starting to look forward to Christmas. Time flies, it is one
year since we started our Drop-in at St Mary’s. Thank you for your ongoing interest, support and
prayers for our ministry. We are grateful for the continual support of the following churches and
organisations: ‘The Big Difference’, Southampton City Mission (SCM), St. Mary’s Church, Freemantle
Baptist Church, St. Mark’s Church Archers Road, St. Saviour’s and St. Nicholas’ Churches
Brockenhurst and St Denys Church.

Team News

We thank Astrid, Senior Pastor of Thornhill Baptist Church, and said farewell to her, after spending
three months of her sabbatical with us over the summer at the Drop-in. Her presence with us has
been positively impactful. In September, we welcomed Linda, Pastor of Freemantle Baptist Church,
back after her three months sabbatical. She has been missed by the team and the guests alike at
our Drop-in.

Ministries

God continues to bless and guide us in all our ministries.

Drop-in

It was this time last September when we first opened our Drop-in. In the last twelve months we have
seen attendance grow steadily, from 36 to 106 guest attendances each month. Our Drop-in remains
a God given safe space where His love is shared, friendships of trust are founded, camaraderie
develops, and mutual support is taking roots. We are filled with gratitude to God for His continual
care and protection for both team members and guests.

Recovery Community

With God’s grace, with growth in relationships, and trust being forged with and among our guests,
we started the Recovery Community in May, a 15-week small discussion group with the aim of
growing deeper in self-discovery in relations with their recovery journey, God and those around us.
This group, led by members of the Acorn team, meets every Monday at Freemantle Baptist Church.
During my writing of this newsletter, this group is more than two thirds of the way through. During
this time, we are thrilled to see confidence, friendships and mutual support grow and flourish.

Good Fruits for the Anniversary

We are filled with joy to share with you on the occasion of our first anniversary what God has done
through the mission of Acorn Chaplaincy. During this last twelve months, we have seen two into full
time paid employment and one into part-time paid employment, two moved into better independent
living, two into voluntary roles, one abstention from gambling, and two have gained in confidence
that they are helping us serving others at our Drop-in.

Prayer requests for Acorn Chaplaincy

Massive thanks and gratitude from our whole team for your ongoing support and continuing prayers
for our guests, our team and mission.
We would love you to continue to pray for all our guests who come to our Drop-in and for those
who are remaining in contact and in receipt of our pastoral support and care.
Please continue to pray for:

• Guests struggling with sobriety and those who have lapsed.
• Pray that our guests can be encouraged, become fully committed to their recovery and grow
in relationship with God.
• The Acorn team for physical, emotional and spiritual health that we have resilience in
ministering to our guests and bear good fruit for God’s Kingdom. Thanking God for His
steadfast upholding of all that we deliver and to continue to guide us in growing our
ministries.
• Pray God for more volunteers to join our team that more people with addictions can be
supported.
• Pray for those who have sobriety but don’t yet know Jesus; to discover and love Him.

God bless you all
Revd Mary Nicholson October 2022