Ireland: Methodist HQ prays in the New year - 30 Dec 2005
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"At a gathering in Lurgan we felt God telling us to pray 24-7 in a room that is at the back of our offices here at the Methodist headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland," Gillian Best, youth co-ordinator for the Methodist Church in Ireland, says. |
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"It's a huge room with 2 smaller rooms off it, (1 would be perfect for sleeping in!). It has been on the rental market for a year and not rented, so we have been seeking God to see if it's something we should use.
The plan is a 24-7 week beginning on 8 January with a covenant
service.
service.
"We feel God has stuff to say to our denomination at the beginning of a new year and this week is the beginning of listening and hoped to help us spread it out into the rest of the Island!"
It will be led by young people but the hope is to get a lot of others on board who are in positions to influence in the local church.
"The president is very excited about us getting the whole of the Methodist church in Ireland praying in a new way and feels that this room could be the catalyst, it's right in the middle of the various Methodist offices where a lot of people come and go. (and in our minds it's also in the middle of "studentville" - Belfast's University Road) which gives us huge potential for mission stuff and partnering with other groups in the future!). "
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As you know at our event autumn soul we challenged the youth groups to take 24-7 home. Some have done that, others were already doing it (e.g: involvement in the Portadown prayer room, Bray prayer room). A few new groups tried it out for a short period, Whiteabbey, Carrickfergus and Craigmore. |
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Many others are planning to have a week or weekend in 2006, all exciting and encouraging.
After all the initial buzz there was a little sense of disappointment that everyone didn't get on to it straight away and that we didn't get a continuous year beginning at our Autumn Soul event.....I am realising this is not a bad thing because the hope is that, although it will be led by young people, the whole church will be encouraged to be involved which, for me, is very significant.
So the week after this week in January we will meet to see what God has been saying and see what the way ahead is for 24-7 and Methodism in Ireland!
We would really appreciate your prayers as we make this happen in a short period of time, but we are excited about the potential!"
So the week after this week in January we will meet to see what God has been saying and see what the way ahead is for 24-7 and Methodism in Ireland!
We would really appreciate your prayers as we make this happen in a short period of time, but we are excited about the potential!"