Preparing the way with Prayer

Ambition for Mission

the permission and the direction to think and act missionally in order to see spiritual and numerical growth across the Diocese, and churches growing in their capacity to love, serve and transform their communities.”

The first recommendation of the group that considered innovating mission was a programme of ‘intentional prayer’ across the Diocese.

Preparing the Way with Prayer is offered as a resource to clergy, readers and PCCs to work with that recommendation if, as we hope, it commends itself to

Ambition for Mission was the process by which three task

groups asked how we might refresh our approach in the areas of innovating mission, sustainable solutions to financial challenges and clergy and lay development and deployment.

The goal for the work that emerged from the theological reflections of each of the Ambition for Mission groups was expressed in the following terms:

“Our goal as a Diocese is to give local churches the opportunity, the resources,

Preface

you. Though it is intended to have coherence as a programme for prayer, you are welcome to use it in whatever way works for you, using as much or as little of it as suits your needs and context. It isn’t intended as a one-off, so much as an approach for embedding mission in the life of the local church. The fundamental disposition is, of course, openness to what God might be doing and where God might be leading and a readiness to be available for his purposes in the world.

You may have already developed ways to pray into

mission. It would be good to hear from you if you would be prepared to share these. Please use the dedicated space on the website or write to one or both of us.

To prepare their way into fulfilling the calling to share in God’s mission, the Acts says of the first disciples, “All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer...”

John & James

Pentecost 2012

Mission begins with God. To share in God’s mission means first of all to pray:

• theHeartformission

• theContextformission

• theResourcesformission

• thePlanformission

Mission begins with...

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Praying the heart for mission means a church being in touch with the

‘heart’ of God, aware of the ‘heartbeat’ of the Gospel, the closeness of the kingdom of God.

“God so loved the world that he gave... ” (John 3:16)

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him... ” (Mark 10:21)

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all... ” (2 Corinthians 5:14)

This prayer is the foundation for mission. It is about exciting a desire

for mission that is shaped by God’s own desire to create goodness, to redeem what is fallen and to make holy. Through it we are allowing God’s word to shape the mind and heart of the church to become outward-looking, concerned with God’s concern for both the local and global community. We are allowing God’s Spirit to show us where we fall short and to give us the will to act with God. The outcome of the prayer may well be a renewed sense of corporate vocation and the shaping of a shared vision.

Praying...TheHeartforMission

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The way we go about this prayer could include any or all of these

elements:

Prayerfully seek a passage or verse that might be specially appropriate for your church and so formative of a new heart, a renewed heart. For example:

“Love one another as I have loved you; by this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; you

shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

“. . . that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend, with all the saints the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians3:17-19)

Or you could use: John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 13; Ezekiel 36:26.

Involve everyone in reflecting on the passage personally and in groups, including the PCC;

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Create space personally and corporately and simply ask God to make his love known to you;

Ask people what the passage is saying in a nutshell, so that there is a simple prayer for all, e.g. ‘Christ dwell in our hearts.’;

Embed the prayer in the liturgy e.g. use a hymn both to sing and to use as a prayer

“Give us, O Lord, concern of heart and mind; a love like yours which cares for all mankind.”

“O Breath of Love, come breathe within us,

Renewingthoughtandheart;

Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,

Reviveyourchurchineverypart.”

Stick with the prayer for a significant period of months - persistence in prayer is a way that the prayer shapes the desire of the church as well as telling God that we really mean it.

Check out ways in which the prayer is being answered –how attitudes are changing and action is emerging - asking how we are living for others and acting for others locally and globally.

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Praying...The Context for Mission

Praying the context for mission means a church being in touch with the

place in which it is set and the people who live there, aware of the needs and issues and energies of the community.

“Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone . . . .” (1 Timothy 2:1)

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you..., andpraytotheLORDon

its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)

“I have compassion for these people; they . . have nothing to eat...” (Matthew 15:32)

If praying the heart for mission began to shape the mind and heart of the

church to become outward-looking, concerned with God’s concern for both the local and global community, this prayer gives attention to who we are called to serve, what is actually around us, and what God is doing, with which we might join in. An outcome of the prayer may be

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the development of a culture of listening and curiosity.

The way your church gives itself to praying the context for mission

might be in any or all of the following ways:

Consider prayer walking – in small groups walking around the parish and praying for its people, institutions, visitors etc.

Invite local organisations, businesses, clubs etc to identify something they would like their – parish – church to pray and give thanks for/pray for a number of streets/areas of the parish each Sunday,

and tell the residents that they are being remembered in prayer, inviting them to share their prayer/thanksgiving with the church.

Make sure that the intercessions include local people, issues, occupations, enterprises, events.

Invite a couple of people to make a weekly prayer board with articles and pictures from the local newspaper under the headings of: “Our church prays for...”; “the church gives thanks for...”; “the church grieves with...”.

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Praying...TheResourcesforMission

Praying for resources means a church recognising its

dependence on God for all it needs, becoming aware of his gifts in each other, in ecumenical partners and in the wider community.

“Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest...” (Matthew 9:38)

“. . wait for the gift my Father promised . . and you will be my witnesses...” (Acts 1:8)

“There’s a lad here with five small barley loaves and two small fish... Jesus took the

loaves, gave thanks and distributed...” (John 6:9-11)

“As the Father sent me, so I sendyou...receivetheHolySpirit ...” (John 20:21)

“... he gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service... ” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

This prayer centres on the recognition that God’s grace is

sufficient, understanding that our inadequacy may

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make room for God to reveal his adequacy. God gives us all that we need for the following of Jesus and the sharing in his mission. The amazing thing is not that some churches have huge resources, but that two or three suffice for the presence of the risen Christ and their agreement together to guarantee a divine outcome; just as the smallest amount of faith may produce the greatest results! Furthermore, it is quite clear from Jesus’ encouragement to “ pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into the harvest” that they themselves are the answer to the prayer!

The way your church gives itself to this prayer can take a

varietyof forms.Herearesome ideas which might be helpful in themselves or may stimulate your own ideas:

Focus on giving thanks for one another in the church as part of growing a culture of appreciation and valuing;

Create space for people to tell their stories so that you value more deeply those who are there and learn what they bring with them;

Ask each person and/or family group to pray for

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insight into the resources they have to offer (time, talents and treasure) and the resources they are aware of in others in the church or in those close to the church, and then create an event to bring these resources to Christ (e.g. as cards laid on the altar or paper flowers laid at the foot of the cross . . .);

Holdaserviceoraseriesof services on the theme of “in each for all”, reflecting on 1 Corinthians 12. As part of this, you could tease out a whole list of graces (gifts and fruits of the Spirit) and give people cards, each with the name of a grace.

Ask people to choose which of the graces they believe that they have been given (or which grace they long to receive); e.g. hospitality; communication (with a range of manifestations!); encouragement; pastoral care; teaching; healing; helping; administration; prayer; music; praise; reconciliation/peace-making. Then there are people’s passions and skills which might also be helpfully identified.

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Praying the plan means a church seeking God’s direction, aware of the

grace and guidance of the Spirit.

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them . . . and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch . . . . And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish. . .” (Luke 5:4-5)

“Eat what is set before you, heal the sick, and say, the

Praying...The Plan for Mission

kingdom of God is near you.” (Luke 10:8-9)

“While they were worshipping theLordandfasting,theHolySpirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” (Acts 13:2)

It is not a matter of us coming up with bright ideas, so much as seeking

insight. Prayer for a plan of action which your church will adopt will be informed by your prayer for a heart shaped by God’s love, generosity, hospitality and mercy. It will be informed by your prayer for the context and by

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your prayer for resources. These prayers may begin to suggest pointers to praying for an action plan - not least the resources available suggesting what you are being called to do. In God’s plans shown in the Bible, being, doing and showing often precede saying and telling, so don’t be surprised if your church feels drawn to take action for others, or for the environment.

The way your church gives itself to this prayer might be

expressed in a number of ways, building on the prayer for the heart, for the context

and for the resources of mission, and reminding people of the outcome of those prayers:

Begin every PCC meeting with prayer that invites all to contribute their insights and then an agenda item on mission. If every church can get mission at the top of the agenda and learn to deal with the ‘nuts and bolts’ later on in the meeting, there would be much more energy for looking outwards.

Holdaseriesof monthly‘prayer and planning’ meetings, open to all, beginning with a Scripture

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and then a waiting on God for, say, half an hour. Ask people to share what thoughts or ideas or images have come into their minds. Keep a record and see what pattern emerges as the process goes on. You will, of course, need to exercise discernment . . . .

Dedicate a significant space of time in the PCC meeting to asking God to show you the way forward, perhaps having considered a short passage of Scripture, or the five ‘Marks of Mission’ so as to set the general direction. Then ask people to share the words, pictures or thoughts that have come to them.

Ask each person in the church to spend five minutes a day for a week or ten minutes a week for a month doing the same and ask people to send in what they believe they have received.

Begin the process by giving ten or so minutes to the prayer in the Sunday service so that the process is launched and so that you model the way of prayer.

“Lord of love, give us the heart to share in your mission to the community in which we are set.Helpustoseethatyouhave given us all that we need and to be open to the direction of your Spirit. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

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Dioceseof Ripon&Leeds

Diocesan OfficeSt Mary’s Street

LeedsLS9 7DP

(0113) 2000 540www.riponleeds.anglican.org