The Presbyterian Church of Wales (PCW) is launching this year’s national prayer week. It will run from Sunday 1 June until Saturday 7 June.
Through a mix of online and face to face gatherings, the PCW is highlighting the centrality of prayer in its national life. And it is calling on its members and the people of Wales to come together in prayer.
The week commences with a specially recorded sermon on the subject of prayer, delivered by the Rev Owen Griffiths, who is minister for the South East Wales Presbytery and coordinates the prayer week team. This sermon can be downloaded and viewed as part of church services or in other settings.
From Monday to Friday, there will be a variety of prayer meetings, running from 7pm until 8pm. But the meetings on Monday and Thursday will be very different. On Monday 2 June, people are invited to make their way to the nearest designated prayer centre (see attached map), where they will connect to all the other through Zoom. There will be times in the meeting, when local centres will pray for local needs before rejoining the other centres.
The meeting on Thursday 5 June will be a night of prayer. This will last from 7pm to 11pm and people are invited to whenever they can and for however long they can, whether that be for ten minutes or four hours.
On the Saturday that closes, there is an invitation for people to go for a prayer walk through their community or in their favourite beauty spot. This will be a way of meeting with God and asking his blessing on our communities. although we will not be together in one prayer meeting, we will be united in our desire to commune with God and to call on God’s name on behalf of our Church and our nation.
A number of resources have been prepared specifically for the National Week of Prayer. These include:
• Resources for teaching children and young people about prayer in schools and children’s clubs
• Tips on how you and your church can make the most of the National Week of Prayer
The Rev Owen Griffiths said: “This is an ambitious week, where we assert the centrality of prayer in our life as a denomination. These are busy and challenging times for churches across Wales, and we need to seek God’s face for direction and comfort. We do hope that as many people as possible will be feel able to drop in for some of all of the events that have been planned. As we journey towards Pentecost Sunday on 8 June, this is a real opportunity for us to open ourselves to God’s presence in a new way. ‘
Editor’s note: The attached images display the various prayer centres across Wales and also some general information about the prayer week. There is also a photo of Rev. Owen Griffiths.
For media interviews, please contact Gethin Russell-Jones press officer Presbyterian Church of Wales 07378 309268
