Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…. Be alert and always keep on praying for all God’s people.
Ephesians 6. 18

Opportunities for prayer with others, to which all are welcome

Mondays at 9.15 – 9.45am Morning Prayer

A simple form of prayer and reflection on a Bible passage following the Church of England’s liturgical year. Each week 4 members of our church family are remembered in prayer, responding to specific needs they have highlighted. (Held in the Trinity Chapel). 

Wednesdays 7am – 7.30am #ThyKingdomCome prayer

Open prayer for the issues facing our society and the needs of our world. (Held in the Youth Hub)

Prayer for Persecuted Christians

Once a month – An hour of prayer with stories of specific situations highlighted by Open Doors. 

Mahabba Prayer

Monthly at 2pm on a Thursday. Please contact the Office if you would like to come to this meeting to pray for Muslims in our locality.

Before Worship and other events

There is prayer before the 10.30 service from 10.10 – 10.25am in the Trinity Chapel to seek to listen to the Spirit. Gatherings for prayer happen before Messy Church, Jigsaw and before and after each youth evening too. Anyone is welcome to be part of these times. 

Prayer chain

If you have a specific prayer request you can have it included on the prayer chain via Mary Freestone:  ianandmaryfreestone@gmail.com or 0117 9566630. These requests will be circulated to a number of trusted church members who will hold them in prayer before the Lord…. and then rejoice as prayer is answered!

Prayer and care

Requests for prayer and practical support can be given to our Care Co-ordinators on carecoordinators@christchurchdownend.com   

Kathy Prosser may be contacted on chaplain@christchurchdownend.com in relation to home Communion and hospital visits. 

Personal Prayer

We want to encourage everyone to be open to praying for one another after our services or in our Life groups etc. There are a number of people with some experience and training ready to pray with anyone after 10.30am service. They have PRAYER badges on and will usually be near the Trinity Chapel.

If you would like to explore deeper prayer ministry, please contact Pauline Pearce for a confidential appointment on 0117 9563917.

Discipleship

Thanksgiving and Answered Prayer

  • Messy Church was able to run in February online and we delivered lots of bags so that the families could do their crafts together with us online. We are developing some loyal families, who have also signed up for March in person.
  • Our Mothering Sunday gifts took 38 people to carry out the plan, and were well received. We are grateful for so many thoughtful people who are keen to serve.
  • Give thanks for so many of our older congregation and vulnerable groups being vaccinated. 

Special Events:

  • Jigsaw moving back to the park in April, meeting in groups of 6. Some of our leaders have had their work patterns changed so please pray for leadership. 
  • Experience Easter Outside with schools in Holy Week and over the Easter weekend. Signs will guide individuals and families round by themselves. Please pray for good weather, for safety and people to experience the power of the cross and resurrection even though we can’t all do the experience together. 
  • Tree of Hope  The church family and wider community are invited to tie a ribbon on the tree in the churchyard to remember loved ones and say their own prayers. From 20 March to Easter. Then from Easter Sunday people are invited to bring a flower to decorate the tree as a sign of hope. Pray that this will be a chance for people to mark their grief, find a way to pray and sense God’s presence perhaps for the first time, and to receive his comfort and hope.
  • Wellbeing Course: This course on Monday evenings has been helping people find God’s plan for their wellbeing, through looking at Scripture and hearing advice from Christian leaders and expertise from academics. Pray for the participants as the course draws to a close after Easter, especially those who are not yet Christians. Pray that from this they might sign up for Alpha or want to draw closer to God in another way. 

Specific Needs:

  • Pray for the Life Groups that can’t meet online
  • Pray for those working in extremely pressured frontlines at the moment, for those whose mental health is suffering from this and other pressures.
  • Pray for those struggling with loneliness as restrictions still prevent indoor meetings

Anita Dobson: anitadobson@christchurchdownend.com

Youth

  • Education has never been a level playing field, but never less so than now. Please pray fervently for our Young People in their GCSE and A-Level year, as the unprecedented uncertainty around assessments remains a constant and additional pressure for them. 
  • Give thanks for the excellent weekly attendance of the young people to the Sunday morning group and the Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Courses. Give thanks for their faith and relationships which continues to flourish. Give thanks for the Youth Team of volunteers, who have now been serving for a full year on Zoom, not missing a single week.
  • Please pray for our Youth Team and the students of Downend School as we go back in after Easter to deliver another wellbeing course. Pray also for the Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Course being offered to the Youth Team and the parents of the Young People. 

Diane Paddon: youth@christchurchdownend.com

Leadership Development & Worship

Thanksgiving and Answered Prayer

  • We give thanks for the gradual opening up of additional live services in church, including the 9.15 at the Church Centre, Families at 4, the Thursday 9.30 Communion and Celtic Compline. 

Significant Events

  • All our worship over Easter and Pentecost (23rd May). That Sunday will also be the date of our Annual Parochial Church Meeting when we review the past year and look ahead with trust. Please pray for the elections of Church Wardens and PCC members.  
  • Both Helen and David Owens and Esther and Nadeem Sardar, with Alice and Amelia, will be moving homes shortly and serving the Lord in different places. Their impact and influence in the worship ministry has been huge for which we are deeply thankful. 
  • The continuing monthly One Church One Day 24 hours of prayer on the first Friday of the month, starting at 7pm on zoom

Specific Needs

  • For the whole leadership of Christ Church as we put in place a process that will prepare for Jo and Shahne’s leaving this summer as Jo retires after 19 years at CCD. 
  • For the music team as we look to rebuild and the tech team as we go back to live streaming

Rev Jo Vickery: vicar@christchurchdownend.com

Mission and Outreach

Thanksgiving and Answered Prayer

  • Give thanks for the roll out of the Wellbeing Course which has been appreciated both by Christ Church regulars and by others in the wider community.
  • For the creative ways in which our mission champions have promoted the work of mission agencies and raised funds to support their work.
  • Give thanks for a small online Alpha Course run by Shahne Vickery, Liz Misselbrook and Eloise Phillips and for those who’ve benefitted.

Specific Needs

  • Off the back of the Wellbeing Course we intend to run another Alpha Course in mid May once lockdown restrictions are eased. Pray that God will use this as a means of drawing people to himself and strengthening faith.
  • As Leyla finishes her stint as CAP Centre Manager at the end of April, pray for the right person to be identified to take the Centre forward.
  • Pray that our Easter Services and the Tree of Hope initiative engage with the wider community and prompt faith conversations. 
  • Sally Grier will be taking a lead with our Care Home Ministry and Home Communions when Kathy Prosser moves on to another church placement at the end of May. We give thanks for Kathy’s ministry amongst us and pray for Sally in her new role.

Paul Peterson: paulpeterson@christchurchdownend.com

Children

  • Children’s ministry continues to adapt to needs and restrictions. Please pray for our families at 4 service as it moves to meeting alternate weeks in church (rather than on zoom). Likewise pray for jigsaw as it recommences meeting at King George V playing fields.
  • Pray new leaders for children’s and families work as our teams are not currently sustainable. 
  • Pray for wisdom and discernment for the right way forward for children’s and family ministry, particularly for Anita, Liz Leeson and Aidan, along with Jo and the PCC.
  • Pray for those families who are not yet comfortable to meet in person

Aidan Watson:  children@christchurchdownend.com

Ministry: Resources – finance, staffing and governance

Thanksgiving and Answered Prayer

  • For the work of our Staff, Ministry Heads and their teams during the past 12 months when there have been so many challenges.
  • For levels of financial giving holding up strongly during lockdown.
  • Give thanks that we’ve been able to restart services at the Church Centre and to reinstate our Thursday communion services.

Significant Events

  • Wednesday 31st March – PCC 
  • Friday 30th April – Deadline for applications for CAP Centre Manager and Debt coach roles 
  • Sunday 23rd May – APCM and elections

Specific Needs

  • Pray for God’s provision of suitable church wardens, PCC and deanery synod members at the APCM on 23rd May. 
  • Pray that as covid restrictions are relaxed, our regular hirers will feel confident in returning to our church halls and providing the excellent services they offer to the wider community.
  • Give thanks for Jamie our treasurer, and the Giving 4 Life team as they seek to manage our finances and ensure that we steward them well.

Paul Peterson: paulpeterson@christchurchdownend.com