Across the diocese, many of our churches have been praying for their local communities, and for those who don’t yet know Jesus, as part of the global initiative ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ - which runs annually from Ascension Day to Pentecost.
This year, for the 11 days between 29 May and 8 June, our worshipping communities, schools, and chaplaincies, took part in a variety of everyday prayer acts to focus and encourage the flourishing of faith.
We hope you find the following stories both inspiring and encouraging.
One church who answered the call to a season of focussed prayer was All Saints in Blaby. They began the Sunday before Ascension Day by exploring the Lord's Prayer at their Cafe Church, offering copies of the Thy Kingdom Come Novena resource and providing children’s activity bags containing prayer ideas.
On Ascension Day, they held a special evening service and set up prayer stations in the church, available throughout the 11 days until Pentecost, based on the book Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott.
Over Pentecost weekend, they hosted an eco-focussed open day on the Saturday with many interactive activities including a prayer tree and on the evening of Pentecost Sunday they welcomed the Leicester Cathedral Choir to lead a very ‘special and uplifting’ Evensong.
St Lukes Stocking Farm and Christ the King Beaumont Leys chose to mark Thy Kingdom Come in their parish by praying for all their local schools, culminating with a prayer walk to each one on Saturday 7 June.
The idea of a prayer walk came from Gloria Wright, one of their Churchwardens, who says schools are an important part of the church’s ministry.
“During the pandemic we supported the nine Primary Schools and three Secondary Schools in our parish with letters of thanks and encouragement and assurance of our prayers,” she explains.
“When restrictions were lifted and our new Vicar, the Revd Rob Hinsley, arrived we were delighted he chose to run schools programmes - Experience Church, Experience Christmas and Experience Easter.
“Together with our school assembly visits we have been able to grow the relationship with our nine Primary Schools and include one just over the border in the next parish. Our hope is that not only would the children we reached directly benefit, but their families would begin to hear the Good News too.
“Carrying out a 7.5 mile walk round all the schools during the period of Thy Kingdom Come felt like a natural extension of the love and care we have for the people living in our parish.”
Some prayer-walked on their own in sections, others joined the whole walk on the Saturday, gathering at St. Luke's to light a candle for each school and to enjoy hot soup. For those unable to walk the distance they made a finger map to ‘walk’ from the comfort of their armchair.
Every walker was invited to carry a pebble and bring it to Christ the King on the Day of Pentecost. Pictures of the schools were set out on a parachute and people were invited to add their pebble to the Prayer Cairn and light a candle to place on a school of their choice.
Gloria has been encouraged to see people’s willingness to pray and participate. “Not only have the people of St. Luke's and Christ the King supported our schools with their prayers they have also grown in knowledge of the schools in our care,” she says. “Currently we are developing our programme of Prayer Spaces in schools.”