Ideas for prayer gatherings

We want to inspire and support you to organise a prayer gathering connected to the CMF week of prayer from the 31 October to 6 November 2022.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were opportunities to pray together that healthcare workers across the UK and Ireland could connect with?

Focus

We have taken as our focus Paul's words to the church in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-10 about the treasure we hold in our fragile 'jars of clay', however battered we are by work and life.

In encouraging people to gather to pray together we want the heart of each gathering to be prayer and connection. In each gathering we want to allow time both to pray into the current healthcare landscape as well as time to pray for one another.

Format

Prayer gatherings can be organised in whatever format works best and will look different across the country. Possibilities include: two or three people meeting together informally for prayer and coffee, in a home or church space, hospital chapel, workplace, prayer walking or gathering virtually e.g. on Zoom.

When planning your prayer gathering, consider who it is for and with whom you hope it will connect. What will work best? For example if meeting at lunchtime, at the end of the day in a workplace, or in a hospital chapel you will need to plan the duration of the meeting to accommodate this. It is generally helpful to communicate a clear start and finish time and to then stick to this.

Key elements:

• Welcome & Introduction
• Possible devotional thought/ focus - e.g. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
• Prayer for the NHS and ongoing pressures of healthcare affected by the global pandemic [see some of the Prayer Points at the end of this document for ideas]
• Time to share individual prayer needs and pray for one another
• Closing

You may also want to allow time for worship together or provide simple refreshments to help people to connect together. Suggestions of areas to pray into are here. 

If there are people who come who are new to you and/ or CMF how can you make them feel welcome? Are there resources you want to highlight at the close of the meeting e.g. the CMF website, becoming a member of CMF, CMFs pastoral care and wellbeing team, CMF in the West Midlands. If you have the ability to show a video - a short video to introduce CMF is here.

Practicalities

• Consider could you organise/ host a prayer gathering either yourself or with a couple of others?
• Identify a date, time and venue for your prayer gathering.
• Think about how you can ensure the event is covid-safe.
• Let others know about the prayer gathering.
• Connect with the wider week of prayer - email steve.fouch@cmf.org.uk with details of your event.