You are invited to join members of the churches in Bradley Stoke in prayer walking your neighbourhood on Sunday 22nd June.
Why are we doing this?
We long for God to transform the people and places of Bradley Stoke – to magnify the great things that we value as well as restore broken people, neighbourhoods and situations.
We believe that God will do this as each Christian resident – no matter which church fellowship they belong to – unites around a common purpose of praying, loving and serving the people around us in their daily lives.
What will it look like?
There are many ways that we can walk and pray
1. Some might simply choose to walk to and from church on this occasion, and consciously pray for the neighbourhoods they encounter and observe on their journey
2. Others might pick a road [or two] to walk along and pray for God’s blessing to rest in each home step by step
3. Some might “beat the bounds” by walking around the closest we can get to the circumference of the town, surrounding the town with God’s blessing as we go
4. Some might pick a road that they don’t know well to get to know a part of the town which has been hidden or unknown – maybe the opposite end of town from home, or part of the commercial area at the north end of town.
5. Some might do this in pairs, some might use this as a focus for a walk as a household, involving children and the whole family in being “out and about” in praying around the streets and pathways as we go [Hint – try stopping from time to time, inviting each member of the group or family to “Stop, look and listen” to prompt topics of prayer]
6. All of us
Can simply use a part of this day to focus on praying for God’s blessing to be known in the households, businesses, schools, neighbourhoods, surgeries, shops, leisure areas and green spaces that make up our unique town and community.
7. Each of us
are uniquely placed to pray for the groups that we are involved with, the areas of town in which we live and work and move, the people we meet, the situations we observe, the concerns that trouble us, the great things we want to thank God for.
How will it be organised?
We offer four things which we hope will inspire and help you:
1) This invitation! We want to make this an invitation – for some amongst us to try a new thing and for those who are familiar with prayer walking - to make this a specific day to pray and walk. We want the invitation to inspire you to take your own initiative, rather than fix one way of taking part.
2) Prayer-helps: For those wanting added help and guidance, each of our churches will have two resources available:
a. A form of prayer for God’s blessing for our town [back page of this leaflet]. The Ffald-y-brenin community have been using this form of prayer for some while now and seen lives changed, people healed, their community transformed. Many churches are now seeing their communities impacted simply by consistently praying for God’s blessing.
b. Some notes from the Neighbourhood Prayer Initiative about prayer walking. NPI is encouraging Christians to pray for, love and serve their most immediate neighbours and the streets in which they live.
3) Map: Each church will have a map of Bradley Stoke, on which we would like you to mark the road[s] / area[s] that each person/household will be covering in prayer, so that we can hope that each street, each neighbourhood will be walked and prayed for
4) Feedback: We’d love each person or household taking part in this day of prayer walking to give us some feedback – simply where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, what you’ve prayed [in brief!]. Also please let us know if you’d like to join a small group in your neighbourhood who will pray for your neighbours and neighbourhood [or other prayer initiatives]
Thank you
for taking part in this prayer initiative of the Bradley Stoke churches. We hope this will be a blessing to you as we each seek to be a blessing to our town and communities.
Yours in Christ
The ministers of the Bradley Stoke churches
Christ the King, ctkchurch.org.uk
BSEC bsec.org.uk
Bridge bridgechurchbristol.org
Holy Trinity htcbradleystoke.co.uk
==============================
Prayer resource:
Friday Blessings from Ffald-y-Brenin
Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus we speak to every household in the communities we serve, the neighbourhoods we live in, and we say: “We bless you in the Name of the Lord.”
We bless the relationships within each household that there may be peace, love and understanding flowing between each one. Especially we bless your marriages that they may be strong and whole. We bless the relationship between each marriage partner that it may be loving, forgiving merciful and strong. In Jesus name, we bless every network of wholesome and supportive friendship.
We bless your health that you may be strong and well. In Jesus name we resist any sickness or disease which seeks to invade this area and to each person we say “Be well, be strong, be healthy”. To any who are unwell right now we say, “We bless you in Jesus name with a speedy recovery”.
We bless your wealth that you will have enough to live and enough to give. We bless the work of your hands that whatever you turn your hands to may be profitable. We bless every wholesome enterprise that is conducted by you that it may prosper and be successful.
We bless the fields that crops and wildlife may flourish together. We bless flocks and herds that they may be well and strong and that they may multiply. We bless the roads and the railways that all who travel them may be safe and whole.
We bless the schools that they may be full of joy and peace for teachers and pupils. We bless the children’s capacity to learn and develop relationships and we bless them that simple trust in Jesus may grow and become enriched.
We speak to the churches, chapels and all Christian communities and we say, “We bless you in the Name of the Lord that the Holy Spirit and the Word of God may powerfully flow out from you.”
We bless the hearts of all who live in this area that you may be quickened to hear and respond to the Voice of the Living God. We bless all who live and work here, that the overspill of the blessings of the Kingdom of God may fall upon you. Amen.
Why are we doing this?
We long for God to transform the people and places of Bradley Stoke – to magnify the great things that we value as well as restore broken people, neighbourhoods and situations.
We believe that God will do this as each Christian resident – no matter which church fellowship they belong to – unites around a common purpose of praying, loving and serving the people around us in their daily lives.
What will it look like?
There are many ways that we can walk and pray
1. Some might simply choose to walk to and from church on this occasion, and consciously pray for the neighbourhoods they encounter and observe on their journey
2. Others might pick a road [or two] to walk along and pray for God’s blessing to rest in each home step by step
3. Some might “beat the bounds” by walking around the closest we can get to the circumference of the town, surrounding the town with God’s blessing as we go
4. Some might pick a road that they don’t know well to get to know a part of the town which has been hidden or unknown – maybe the opposite end of town from home, or part of the commercial area at the north end of town.
5. Some might do this in pairs, some might use this as a focus for a walk as a household, involving children and the whole family in being “out and about” in praying around the streets and pathways as we go [Hint – try stopping from time to time, inviting each member of the group or family to “Stop, look and listen” to prompt topics of prayer]
6. All of us
Can simply use a part of this day to focus on praying for God’s blessing to be known in the households, businesses, schools, neighbourhoods, surgeries, shops, leisure areas and green spaces that make up our unique town and community.
7. Each of us
are uniquely placed to pray for the groups that we are involved with, the areas of town in which we live and work and move, the people we meet, the situations we observe, the concerns that trouble us, the great things we want to thank God for.
How will it be organised?
We offer four things which we hope will inspire and help you:
1) This invitation! We want to make this an invitation – for some amongst us to try a new thing and for those who are familiar with prayer walking - to make this a specific day to pray and walk. We want the invitation to inspire you to take your own initiative, rather than fix one way of taking part.
2) Prayer-helps: For those wanting added help and guidance, each of our churches will have two resources available:
a. A form of prayer for God’s blessing for our town [back page of this leaflet]. The Ffald-y-brenin community have been using this form of prayer for some while now and seen lives changed, people healed, their community transformed. Many churches are now seeing their communities impacted simply by consistently praying for God’s blessing.
b. Some notes from the Neighbourhood Prayer Initiative about prayer walking. NPI is encouraging Christians to pray for, love and serve their most immediate neighbours and the streets in which they live.
3) Map: Each church will have a map of Bradley Stoke, on which we would like you to mark the road[s] / area[s] that each person/household will be covering in prayer, so that we can hope that each street, each neighbourhood will be walked and prayed for
4) Feedback: We’d love each person or household taking part in this day of prayer walking to give us some feedback – simply where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, what you’ve prayed [in brief!]. Also please let us know if you’d like to join a small group in your neighbourhood who will pray for your neighbours and neighbourhood [or other prayer initiatives]
Thank you
for taking part in this prayer initiative of the Bradley Stoke churches. We hope this will be a blessing to you as we each seek to be a blessing to our town and communities.
Yours in Christ
The ministers of the Bradley Stoke churches
Christ the King, ctkchurch.org.uk
BSEC bsec.org.uk
Bridge bridgechurchbristol.org
Holy Trinity htcbradleystoke.co.uk
==============================
Prayer resource:
Friday Blessings from Ffald-y-Brenin
Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus we speak to every household in the communities we serve, the neighbourhoods we live in, and we say: “We bless you in the Name of the Lord.”
We bless the relationships within each household that there may be peace, love and understanding flowing between each one. Especially we bless your marriages that they may be strong and whole. We bless the relationship between each marriage partner that it may be loving, forgiving merciful and strong. In Jesus name, we bless every network of wholesome and supportive friendship.
We bless your health that you may be strong and well. In Jesus name we resist any sickness or disease which seeks to invade this area and to each person we say “Be well, be strong, be healthy”. To any who are unwell right now we say, “We bless you in Jesus name with a speedy recovery”.
We bless your wealth that you will have enough to live and enough to give. We bless the work of your hands that whatever you turn your hands to may be profitable. We bless every wholesome enterprise that is conducted by you that it may prosper and be successful.
We bless the fields that crops and wildlife may flourish together. We bless flocks and herds that they may be well and strong and that they may multiply. We bless the roads and the railways that all who travel them may be safe and whole.
We bless the schools that they may be full of joy and peace for teachers and pupils. We bless the children’s capacity to learn and develop relationships and we bless them that simple trust in Jesus may grow and become enriched.
We speak to the churches, chapels and all Christian communities and we say, “We bless you in the Name of the Lord that the Holy Spirit and the Word of God may powerfully flow out from you.”
We bless the hearts of all who live in this area that you may be quickened to hear and respond to the Voice of the Living God. We bless all who live and work here, that the overspill of the blessings of the Kingdom of God may fall upon you. Amen.