Please pray for the Diocese of Vellore, its Officers

and Mission Priorites

Here is a list of prayer topics, one for each day of the month:

1. The Bishop in Vellore  -   pray for the Bishop in Vellore, Bishop Sharma, and his episcopal ministry 
2. Work of the gospel, church planting, and building up new congregations – many new churches are under construction, and several missionaries are sent out to work with unevangelised villages.
3. Those recently baptised and confirmed – mass baptisms are common, particularly in newly evangelised villages.
4. Women’s empowerment - particularly supporting young women from poor families to develop their skills 
5. Work with those who are suffering and work amongst the rural poor -relief work includes supporting some of the poorest and outcast people, and giving a helping hand to rural communities through cows and goats
6. The Women’s Fellowship – which is linked to the Mothers’ Union – supports women’s empowerment projects
7. The Diocesan Youth Board, working with young people across the diocese
8. The work amongst Sunday Schools – an important part of diocesan life
9. Development of Lay people – the diocese relies on a large number of lay people to help run the churches and teach the congregations – catechists, Bible women, missionaries, all play their part, alongside many other people in each church. 
10. The Diocesan Treasurer and the growth and stability of funds and finance.  The diocese has plans to develop a plot of land it owns as a commercial property, in order to raise the income of the diocese.  Please pray for this project.
11. Please pray for the institutions of the diocese.  The Diocese has an ambitious priority to get many of its educational establishments upgraded, so that the qualifications of the students are recognised nationally and internationally
    The Elementary and Secondary Schools in the diocese Many of these are found in the villages and work amongst the poorest people. The diocese is seeking new sources of funding to keep the school hostels open 
12. Voorhees College, Vellore Voorhees College is a Higher Education college, making Higher Education available to able but poor students.
13. Katpadi Industrial Institute.  Within the diocesan plans, it is hoped to be able to have this training college, mainly for young men, upgraded to a technical college 
14. Katpadi Agricultural Institute – many of the surrounding villages depend on the well being of the Katpadi Agricultural Institute at Kassam 
15. Women’s Industrial Institute in Palamaneer. Please pray for the future direction and development of this training centre for teenage girls. 
16. The School of Nursing at Ranipet.  It is hoped to upgrade this to a College of Nursing, so that students study BSc nursing.  The School of Nursing at Vandavasi, training Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (18 month course)
17. The Beattie Memorial Teacher’s Training Institute at Ranipet . Again, this is hoped to be upgraded to offer B Ed courses
18. The hospitals at Vandavasi and Ranipet. These local hospitals do invaluable work both in their towns and in outreach work in the surrounding villages
19. Anbu Illam, in Vellore working with children with cerebral palsy, offering children hope
20. Adiakalam HIV/AIDs programme which helps to support those who are affected by HIV AIDs, family members and also to educate others about it
21. Please pray for all those who minister in the diocese
    Other institutions located in the diocese
    •             the CMC Hospital and College
    •             The Christian Counselling Centre
    •             Karigiri Hospital
    The diocese works alongside these institutions and receives much support from them.
22. The pastors of the Diocese and their families – many of the pastorates cover several villages.  Often there is no adequate pastorate house so pastors have to live some way from their pastorates
23. Training and support for junior pastors.  The diocese is particularly keen to offer opportunities for development and study to younger pastors, to help enhance their ministry
24. The Northern Area, its pastorates and Area Chairman.  Many of the pastorates in the Northern Area are in Andra Pradesh and the predominant language is Telagu
25. The Southern Area, its pastorates and Area Chairman.  The southern area is arid and a much poorer area than the rest of the diocese
26. The Central area, its pastorates and Area Chairman
27. The Western area, its pastorates and Area Chairman.  The pastorates in the Western area cover the remote hill areas of the Jawadi and Yelligiri hills
28. The Arcot Theological Seminary, newly reopened to train lay people, and its Director
29. All those who work in the Diocesan Office in Vellore
30. The work of the Cambridgeshire Ecumenical Council – supporting all the churches in Cambridgeshire, and looking to offer pastoral support in all the areas of new housing
31. The Vellore Link Support Group and those who help to sustain the link.  Other partners with the Diocese of Vellore, including the Reformed Church of America