Taunton Youth For Christ - Update March 2026

We're about seeing young people's lives changed by Jesus.

An update from Kelly

Over the past month, we’ve become increasingly aware of the weight of what God has called us to. We recognise that we are in a significant season of spiritual battle—not only in Taunton, but also in Wellington. As Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

But this doesn’t discourage us—it sharpens our focus. We are confident that God is at work, even when we cannot yet see the full picture. This is not a season of retreat, but of pressing forward. As it says in Romans 8:37, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” We believe God is strengthening us, deepening our dependence on Him, and preparing the ground for real breakthrough.
We would love you to stand with us in prayer. Please pray for continued strength, deep unity, and God’s protection over our team. Pray that we would be filled with fresh faith, fully equipped with the armour of God, and able to stand firm with confidence and peace. Above all, pray that the young people we serve would encounter the love, freedom, and transforming power of Jesus in life-changing ways.

We are expectant. God is moving, and we’re grateful to have you standing with us.

Updates

Easter Holidays

The Taunton Youth for Christ office will be shut over the Easter holidays. Only urgent emails will be responded to. Thank you for understanding.

Transformed in pdf

A request has been made for a downloadable pdf of our prayer requests, making this easier to print. Please find a button to download this at the bottom of this newsletter.

Prayer and Fasting Day
Due to the Easter break, our next prayer and fasting day will be Monday 20th April. We will be meeting in our office at Oakwood Church at 10:30am to pray together. 
Please come and join us as we contend for the Youth in our town.

Church Partnerships
Please get in contact with us if you'd like to:

  • Talk about outreach opportunities in your community

  • Invite us to share on a Sunday morning

  • Arrange some 'Safeguarding and Youth Culture' training for your church group

We’d love to support your church in engaging with young people and seeing God move in your community.

Prayer Points 

Weekly Prayer Covering
Please pray for and during our various activities during the week. 
That every encounter with young people would be filled with God’s love, power and revelation. That the seeds we plant today, through conversations, activities, and support, will grow into lasting fruit. 

This is our mission field and we long to see a harvest of

transformed lives.

Tuesday – Mentoring in the community, Priorswood & Halcon Outreach 6pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday - Mentoring in the community, Pyrland School - 1pm - 4pm, Bible study one - 4:30pm - 6pm, Bible study two – 6:30pm - 8pm
Thursday - Asylum seeker Outreach - 4pm - 5:30pm, Halcon Outreach - 6pm - 8:30pm  
Monday - Friday - Chaplaincy at Court Fields School & community mentoring

Outreach

Outreach over the past month has been particularly challenging. We have faced situations that have required us to make some difficult decisions in order to maintain a consistent presence in some of the darkest places we are called to serve. These decisions have not been made lightly. We care deeply about the young people, families, and communities we walk alongside, and we long to honour them in everything we do.

At times, it has felt like we are trying to break through hard soil—pressing in, sowing faithfully, yet not always seeing immediate fruit. We recognise that this is often part of the process, but it can be stretching and requires perseverance.

In the midst of this, our longing remains the same: that young people would encounter Jesus for themselves and come to accept His love and truth. Everything we do flows from this desire.

We also sense the Lord calling us clearly in this season—to “put on the full armour of God… and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Standing firm has not always been easy; it has meant pressing through discomfort, navigating tension, and choosing obedience even when it is painful. Yet we know this is part of pushing back darkness and making space for God’s light to break through.

Please pray for us in this. Pray for breakthrough in the hard soil—that seeds sown would take root and grow. Pray for wisdom as we make decisions, for grace and sensitivity in how we engage with families and communities, and for courage to stand firm where God has placed us. Pray that we would be fully equipped with the armour of God—protected, united, and unwavering. And above all, pray that in every situation, Jesus would be lifted high. This is not about us, but about Him, and we are trusting that even in the challenge, He is at work bringing transformation.

Volunteers

Please pray for more volunteers to join the team. God is moving, and we need faithful, compassionate people who are ready to step in, build relationships, and point young people to Jesus.

If you feel stirred to be part of this, we’d love to hear from you—please get in touch.

Asylum Seekers

We’ve had the privilege of building real relationships with several families and young people through our asylum seeker outreach—many of whom are now facing the reality of moving on in the coming weeks.

For many, this means being uprooted from the only community they’ve known here. A place of safety, friendship, and belonging. It’s a difficult and uncertain transition.

Please pray for them as they go. That they would settle well, find new communities and schools quickly, and that the seeds of Jesus that have been gently sown, would start to take root.


 Easter Holidays

 The Easter holidays can be a particularly challenging time for many young people. With the loss of routine, structure, and regular access to school-based support, things can quickly feel unsettled and overwhelming. For some, this also means increased isolation or time spent in difficult home environments. Please pray for the young people we are connected with—that they would experience peace, stability, and protection over these weeks. Pray that even in the disruption, they would encounter Jesus in real and personal ways, and that we would have opportunities to stay connected and be a consistent source of support and care.

School Chaplaincy

Thank you for praying with us for our recent meeting with church leaders as we explore chaplaincy in schools across Taunton. We had a really encouraging time together and are feeling hopeful as we move forward—with the right people beginning to gather around this vision.

Please continue to pray for open doors, clear direction, and strong partnerships. Our heart is to see Jesus made known in our schools and young people supported and discipled well. We believe God is building something significant for His glory across our town.

Court Field School

Please continue to lift Chloe up in prayer as she serves full-time as chaplain at Court Fields. As she heads into the Easter break, pray that she would be deeply refreshed, restored, and strengthened—ready to step back in and battle, clothed in the full armour of God.

Hold her in your prayers as she spiritually contends for Court Fields—that she would walk in authority, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as she supports both students and staff.

Thank you

This mission has never been about a few individuals—it’s a shared calling, carried by a whole community of people who are faithfully standing with us. What we are seeing among young people in Taunton is the result of that collective faith, generosity, and prayer.

 So many of you play a vital part.

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Those who serve so generously with your time and energy—you are on the ground, creating safe spaces, building trust, and showing young people what the love of Jesus looks like in real and tangible ways.

Those who give financially—you are making it possible. Every conversation, every moment of support, every step forward exists because of your willingness to invest. Lives are being changed because you chose to sow.

Those who pray—you are carrying this work in ways that often go unseen but are deeply powerful. You are covering, strengthening, and preparing the way ahead.

 

We are so grateful for each of you. If God places something on your heart for us, please do share it with Kelly—we truly value hearing how He is speaking.

 

Together, lets see Young lives changed by Jesus!

‍ ‍How to Give

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Your support helps us bring hope, love, and the message of Jesus to young people in Taunton. There are a few ways to partner with us:

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Every gift is a part of God’s work, helping us point young people to Jesus and see lives transformed. Thank you for joining us in this mission.