7/29/2019 Guidelines for Leading Prayers

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St. Thomas Anglican ChurchGuidelines for Lay Leadership in St. Thomas'

It will be the responsibility of the Clergy and staff to maintain an up to date pastoral list as well asprayer cycle list.The lay readers of St. Thomas' will have the responsibility of assembling and preparing prayers as perthe ministry schedule prepared by the Parish Administrator.The prayers ought to be prepared with the root message of the scriptures for the Sunday or celebrationembodied within them. The Seasons of the Spirit material is an excellent resource, as well as otherprayer resources you may choose to employ.The prayers should include the following areas:1. Prayers for the Church:

prayer cycles are updated and week specific: see resource binder,please include prayers for Victoria our Bishop at all services.

2. Prayers for our Church of St. Thomas': people, clergy, staff, issues, initiatives and concernsspecific to us.

3 . Prayers for people beyond our church (the world outside our doors).4. Prayers for those in need of prayer:

the sick, the suffering, those who have died recently, and those we remember who havegone before us (flowers given in memory).

5 . Prayer for reflection and confession.6. Prayer for Thanksgiving.7 . Prayer which comes from the sermon.

An example of the structure for each of the above 7 areas might be:We pray for the church and in our prayers we (remember or give thanks etc.) for;---I invite your prayers for the church (pause),We pray, or, Lord in your mercy, or, response.

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7/29/2019 Guidelines for Leading Prayers

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St. Thomas Anglican ChurchGuidelines for Lay Leadership in St. ThomasJ

Those preparing prayers are encouraged to:1. Leave pauses of significance, which enable the congregation to offer their own prayer.2. Use and employ inclusive language.3 . Employ a simple but significant prayer response for the congregation.

From time to time the prayer leader may wish to employ written prayers to be distributed to thecongregation. Please check with the clergy and staff to ensure their printing and inclusion in that week'sbulletin.

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