At the front or back of each church (it moves!) you will find a signpost that tells you "Ways to Pray". Praying is a really big deal for Christians as it is a way we relate to God (talk with him) and how as a church express our dependence on Him.
"Ways to Pray" are things we are trying as a Church at the moment to increase our prayerful dependence on God in all that we do. We want to be a praying Church and these are the simple tools to help us in this.
They are:
- Pray for people to be saved
- Pray for our streets
- Pray for mission together
- Pray for every activity
- Pray for you
- Pray for healing
- Pray for our year ahead
- Pray for one another
- Pray for our week ahead
Pray for 5 uses an initiative from our Diocese. Wanting to see friends come to faith in Jesus is at the heart of our hearts!
We have a number of keen prayer walkers who pray around the streets. We also have more who have have joined the Neighbourhood Prayer Network to pray regularly for their own street
Sometimes we find we need central prayer gatherings particularly to pray for a new mission initiative. Called as needed.
We encourage our teams to pray together before any activity (Foodbank, PCC). Because we don't want it all to be a fruitless waste of energy, but a work of God!
We are trying to learn to respond to each others needs with on the spot prayers (whether in church or Asda)
Often there is prayer ministry available at services of Holy Communion. But we'll send a couple round to the house to pray as well!
So we will some sort of 24/7 prayers or week of prayer at the start of a year. Start how we mean to go on!
Have you got one of our prayer diaries? With names and projects to pray for for each day of the month.
The faithful handful would love to be a couple of handfuls. But they carry us all bringing the week ahead to God. Mondays 9.15 -9.45am in Christ Church