Urban Impact Christian Ministries
ROCK STREET CHAPLAINS
Prayer Letter – Summer 2025
 

1. LOOKING BACK

Dear Praying Friends, When we think about how stormy our winter was and how sunny our spring was, it is a reminder of how different each season can be. With a ministry so dependent on the weather, it means the work of ROCK Street Chaplains can be so different from one season to the next. While many nights had to be postponed in the winter, come late spring it is full-on with students finishing exams and the next cohort of ‘18’-year-olds start trying out the nightclubs.
 
This spring, there have been many opportunities to share the gospel with folks on the streets during the day and at night around the bars and nightclubs in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Our teams have met and chatted to lots of people from all walks of life, some who have never been in church before and have very little time for the things of God. It’s been a blessing to share the gospel with them and show them their need of a Saviour.
 
During the winter season we distributed one thousand Gospels of John to homes in the Lurgan and Banbridge areas. We were chased out of gardens by a few family dogs but had many conversations with people at houses during this special outreach. Please pray that these gospels will be read and souls will come to the Saviour.
 
Our teams of street chaplains have been faithfully operating in Dundee, Newcastle, Lurgan and Ballymoney, and plans are in place for festivals in the coming months. Please pray that many bibles and tracts will be given out and well received. We believe God will be working in lives this summer. We should never underestimate the power of a gospel tract even if it is thrown away. I heard recently of a woman who saw a tract in a bin. The lady took the tract out of the bin and read it. After reading it she went and asked a member of a shop’s security staff who happened to be a Christian could they explain the message to her, they gladly shared the message of the gospel to her. Please pray that the lady will trust the Lord as Saviour.
 
One of our street chaplains was doing some outreach in a town during the day and called into a shop to buy some water, he was wearing the Street Chaplains t-shirt. A lady came over to him and asked him what he was doing and who Street Chaplains were. He spent twenty minutes talking to the lady about the things of God. The lady was very concerned and worried and fearful of the future. What an opportunity to share that the Lord Jesus Christ can bring peace to troubled souls.

Below are a few reports from our thee main teams:
 

1. Ballymoney

The ladies in the Ballymoney team go out earlier at the weekend and have had many opportunities to chat with shop assistants and bouncers at the doors of bars and nightclubs in the town. On one occasion a man confronted them and said they were handing out junk mail. The ladies said the tract was a message from God for the people of Ballymoney and not junk mail; they went on to explain the gospel to the man. Please remember the Ballymoney team in your prayers as they could do with more help. We hope over the winter to continue to develop our ministry in Ballymoney. Ballymoney main street has more bars and nightclubs on it than any other town in Northern Ireland!
 

1. Dundee

Dundee Street Chaplains have had a few new volunteers join them and this has helped greatly with our outreach. Please pray for ongoing ministry in the bars and nightclubs as the night club chaplains are allowed into premises to help care and share the gospel.
 
Also we hope to start daytime chaplains in the city in the near future as there is a big need and great opportunity to develop this ministry in cafes, shops, museums and also among the homeless and addicted in the city centre. There have been many conversations with bar staff on quiet evenings inside the bars, sharing the gospel and praying for this special outreach.
 
In the coming months I hope to travel over to Scotland more often to take meetings and promote and develop the work of Street Chaplains in the city. There is such a need there.
 

1. Newcastle

The work at the hot drinks Safe Zone in Newcastle continues to be a steady ministry with conversations with young and old each weekend. We have chatted to a young lad who came to our table each week without fail, however not so long ago he told us he had been called up to join the army in his country. He asked for prayer and we gave him some tracts and a New Testament to read and promised him that we would remember him in prayer. Please pray for his safety and also that he will come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus.
 
Pray for our safety too. Last week a young man took issue with our faith and ransacked our hot drinks tables, throwing our flasks across the street. It’s the first we have been targeted for who we are and it’s a reminder of how the Lord has protected us for many years, even last week as no harm came to us. We have asked the Police just to allow him to apologise and buy a new flask and we pray he would reflect on his need for a Saviour.
 
Please remember the work in Newcastle as we need young people to join our team.
 

1. St Patrick’s Day Outreach

Many Tracts have been given out in housing estates in the Mourne area, in Annalong I had a very good conversation with a man who has gone to church all his life but sees no need to put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Another lady was not happy with the tract as she said she always felt guilty when she read them and gave it back to me. Please pray that God will move in the lives of these people.
 

1. LOOKING FORWARD

Prayer requests are from all the teams in Scotland and NI:

• That the tracts given out last year and conversations we had would lead to the Lord bringing Salvation to all we have talked to.
• For safety/wisdom for the teams on the streets at night.
• That the weather will be favourable. The storms over the past few months have hindered our ministry.
• As I meet weekly with the Warrenpoint footballers as their chaplain, that relationships would deepen.
• For other young people to catch the vision and join us. The majority age of our teams is 60+. Where are all the young people?? It is their generation we are reaching.

 
Please pray for our support that God will continue to supply all our needs. If you would like to support us personally, please see the link and the bottom of the page.
 
On behalf of the teams thank you for your continued prayers and interest shown in this ministry, we trust you have a blessed Easter and a summer of God’s blessings.
 
Andy & Marina Burns
 ________________________
OUR BOOK: Feet on the Street: The Story of ROCK Street Chaplains
Buy in local Faith Mission shops or online here: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325894511937
________________________
2 Kilkeel Rd, Annalong, Down, BT34 4TH
www.dundeechaplains.org.uk | [email protected]
07914751466
 
If you would like to support our ministry, the bank details are:
RBS – Sort code: 83-50-00 | Account Number: 10308447
Or donate via our website

We are delighted to announce that our leader Andy Burns has produced his first-ever book, which will soon be officially launched in Kilkeel (10th Nov), Lurgan (18th Nov) and Dundee (2nd Nov).
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The book is about Andy’s life in full-time ministry and the work of Street Chaplains. It is titled: ‘𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘖𝘊𝘒 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴’ – as told by Andy Burns BEM and written by Callum Bowsie (one of our volunteers).

Come along to a book launch near you:
Kilkeel Baptist: Fri 10th Nov – 7pm
Lurgan Baptist: Sat 18th Nov – 3pm
Dundee, Central Baptist: Sat 2nd Dec – 3pm
Signed books will be available at each launch for £8.

𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃:
"Andrew Burns BEM began his Christian ministry as a Child Evangelist with CEF Ireland before launching Scotland’s first ‘Street Chaplains’ in Dundee in 2000. ROCK Street Chaplains now operates in several towns across Scotland and Northern Ireland, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in and around nightclubs. After four decades in Christian ministry, Andy shares for the first time the full story of how God has put ‘feet on the street’ to enable Street Chaplains to develop. With an Ulster-Scots flavour, this book gives a personal, frank, and sometimes humorous account of the joys and challenges of nightclub outreach across these two lands, offering along the way biblical reflection on street evangelism in an ever-changing world. It is a story of perseverance, faithfulness, and common sense which should stir every Christian to ‘Reach Out to make Christ Known’."

Urban Impact Christian Ministries
ROCK STREET CHAPLAINS
Prayer Letter – Christmas 2022
 
Dear Praying Friends,
 
     We trust this letter finds you well and looking forward to Christmas as we reflect on the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

TEAM UPDATES
This year ROCK Street Chaplains have with God’s help been able to have a full outreach at the weekends in Dundee, Lurgan and Newcastle, as well as a new team in Ballymoney this month and opportunities to consider starting new outreaches in the city of Belfast too.
 
Below are a few reports from our thee main teams:

Lurgan
The team in Lurgan has had some new team members and they have been a blessing, like Newcastle there has been a number of fights on the streets near the hot drinks table, thankfully these have calmed down over the past few months. Lots of gospel tracts have been given out and the team have had many opportunities to share the Gospel. Please remember one of the Lurgan team members, Mrs Heather Osborne, who has been unable to work with the team over the last few months due to ill health. Please pray for heather and her family in these days.
 

Newcastle
This outreach has grown very well post-lockdown – an answer to prayer. We are having some very good conversations with people at the hot drinks table. Similar to Lurgan, there have been lots of confrontations on the streets as young people are consuming too much alcohol. This is a concern for all involved in the night-time economy. Over the past few weeks, we have had a lot of opportunities to chat about the Lord to people who come to our table on a regular basis. At Halloween we set up a hot drinks table during the firework display in the town and where able to give out some children’s literature supplied by CEF. Also we have been doing some tract distribution in the town and have been able to leave a John’s gospel in many homes. Please pray that the gospel will be read and that many will come to the Lord.
 

Dundee
The small team in Dundee continue to work every weekend. We have had great chats about the Lord with door staff and students. We thank the Lord for all the meaningful chats we have had with people, the openness and friendliness we experience, and for continued opportunities to share the Gospel. We also thank Him for our protection and safety. The need for gospel knowledge in Dundee is immense. We are in desperate need for new team members, so please pray that new people will join the team in the coming season. Pray that we’d be able to refresh connections with the Christian Unions.
 
Next year we plan to start an evening Street Chaplains team in the Fintry area of the city. This will be an evening outreach mainly to young people in the area following recent rioting. I will be going over to do training in January.
 

Christmas outreach
This time of the year gives us great opportunities to reach people in different ways. In Newcastle, we hope to hold our open-air carol services outside the Elim charity shop and in a nursing home again. Please pray that God will speak to all who pass by, and that God will use the leaflets that will be given out. We also hope to give out boxes of sweets to the local businesses. Boxing Day and News Year’s Eve will be busy nights for us in Newcastle
 

New role for Calvin
In November, Calvin Burns (our son) joined out ministry on a full-time basis. Calvin has been a volunteer for Street Chaplains for 10 years working in Dundee and also in Northern Ireland. During Calvin's time in Dundee he was in charge of the Street Chaplains Homeless team working with the homeless and people with drug addictions in the city. Calvin has studied in Austria and has worked with Dublin City Mission and has just graduated from a two year bible college course at the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh. He believes God has led him to work with Urban Impact Christian Ministries to continue to work as a Street Chaplain, working mainly during the day in the towns of Northern Ireland. We would like to welcome him to the team and ask you to pray for him as he settles into this new role of ministry.
 
If you would like to support Calvin, you can do this by getting in touch with us or click donate on our website and follow the giving options. Please state in the reference: ‘support for Calvin Burns’.


‘Reaching Out to make Christ Known’
Our main aim in reaching out at night to nightclubbers and bar staff is to tell them the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to have your sins forgiven and be right with God.
 
Thankfully many do listen to the gospel on the streets, and they have many questions. Can we ask you to pray that God will reveal Himself to them and that in the days ahead we will have the joy of leading many to the saviour? Time is short and the days are evil, but Jesus saves. As we look forward to 2023, we trust that many will come to the Lord.
 
Please pray for the teams in Dundee, Lurgan, and Newcastle, as well as developing Street Chaplains outreaches in other places, such as Ballymoney. Please pray for plans for the summer of 2023, that if it is God’s will, we will be able to be involved again in the  Festivals in Scotland and events here in NI.
 
Thank you for praying for us and also supporting us financially, may God richly bless you this Christmas and also in 2023.
 
Yours in Christ
 
Andy & Marina Burns

​2 Kilkeel Rd, Annalong, Down, BT34 4TH
www.dundeechaplains.org.uk | [email protected]
 
If you would like to support our ministry, the bank details are:
RBS – Sort code: 83-50-00 | Account Number: 10308447
Or donate via our website

Street Chaplains are delighted to welcome onboard to our missions team Mr Calvin Burns on a full time basis.
 
Calvin has been a volunteer for Street Chaplains for 10 years working in Dundee and also in Northern Ireland.
 
During Calvin's time in Dundee he was in charge of the Street Chaplains Homeless team working with the homeless and people with drug addictions in the city. Calvin has studied in Austria and has worked with Dublin City Mission and has just graduated from a two year bible college course at the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh.
 
He believes God has led him to work with Urban Impact Christian Ministries to continue to work as a Street Chaplain, working mainly during the day in the towns of Northern Ireland.
 
We would like to welcome him to the team and ask you to pray for him as he settles into this new role of ministry.
 
If you would like to support Calvin you can do so via the four options listed here. Please state in the reference: ‘support for Calvin Burns’.
 
Street Chaplains and other outreaches are under the governance of Urban Impact Christian Ministries which is a Scottish Reg Charity. Charity Number: SC030734
 
ROCK STREET CHAPLAINS

We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to showcase the work of ROCK Street Chaplains in Dundee and Northern Ireland on the BBC.

Hame is a series about Ulster-Scots connections and Andy Burns appeared in the final episode last night featuring those who have made the east coast of Scotland their home and place of work.

You can watch our 4min clip here: https://youtu.be/vcxwoVJ1wHU

Or the full 30min episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/.../m001521b/hame-series-4-episode-3

Please join us in praying for Street Chaplains this week. A different themed prayer card will be posted on our Facebook page each morning this week.

If you'd like the prayer cards email to us let us know.
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#SCWeekOfPrayer

The Sunday Service featuring several of our local projects. You might hear a few familiar voices. 

From: Daybreak with Helen Jones
Sunday Worship is led by Paul Blakey, the Founder of the Street Angels - 06/06/21

Listen here

We were back into full swing last night, operating a hot drinks table for the first time in over a year. This time we were in a new location in Donard Car Park.
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We also used our new table screen for the first time, kindly made by Alistair Bowsie Joinery.

More pictures on Newcastle SC FB page.

Dear Praying Friends,
As I write this, we are all hoping to soon be out of this lockdown and back to some form of normality.
 
Since Christmas, street chaplains have been restricted in what we can do regarding the night-time outreach that we are used to. However, God has been good and has given us new opportunities to reach out.
 
PRAYER:
Prayer is the main stay of our ministry on the streets and although we cannot do our normal ministry because of the restrictions at night – which has closed the bars and nightclubs – we can pray.

Since January, most of the street chaplains have been prayer walking around the city of Dundee, the seaside town of Newcastle in Co Down, and in a market town called Lurgan in Co Armagh. We’ve been asking God to bless the seeds of the gospel that have been given out in tract form and also to bring to remembrance in people's minds the chats we have had with them regarding the good news that God loves them.
 
We have also met together for prayer as team members on Zoom to ask God for guidance about our ministry. It has also been good to catch up and have fellowship together and pray for each other.
 
PREPARATION:
As lockdown slowly lifts, we look forward to going out again very soon. Some teams in Dundee city have started to go out again on a Friday night and chat to people having a meal and a drink in open air venues.
 
The Newcastle team started again on Saturday 1st May by walking around and chatting to door staff who we hadn't seen for a few months. Also, the Lurgan team have continued their prayer walking each Saturday evening in the town.
 
PRESENCE:
Over the past few months, despite the restrictions, the team of Street Chaplains has enjoyed having many conversations while they have prayer walked. They have been able to give out many Gospel leaflets and chat to individuals who they have come to know over the years. Even with Covid restrictions, it has been a joy to be able to share the Gospel and give out a number of new testaments.
 
Thank you for your prayers and support for us over these past few months as we seek to Reach Out to Make Christ Known in NI and Scotland.
 
PRAYER POINTS FOR THE COMING MONTHS:

• We hope to change the Street Chaplains van as it is getting old and we need an undated one. (If you’d like to support us financially for the cost of a new van our contact details of at the bottom of this prayer letter)
• Our Outreach as it restarts again at night (God willing at the end of May.)
• Plans for outreach at summer festivals in Scotland.
• Wisdom as we seek to start Street Chaplain outreach during the day in new towns in NI and in the city of Dundee.

 
May God Bless you all in the coming days.
 
Andrew & Marina Burns ​