Start Advent well – Come to Praise and Prayer!
Sunday 3rd December at 6.30pm

Our theme this month is ‘waiting’. For some of us, Christmas can’t come soon enough and we excitedly count down the days. Yet sometimes, Advent can feel like a stressful season of socialising, shopping, rushing around, and overindulging – it’s hard to find time to reflect on the long awaited coming of Jesus and to rest in the sense of anticipation. Praise and prayer on 3rd Dec is the perfect opportunity to do this and we hope you will leave with a fresh sense of wonder, comfort and joy.

If you haven’t been to Praise and Prayer before, then let us tell you what it will be like. First, there will be a time of praise and worship – we sing a few songs at once and sometimes learn a new one. Then we have roughly 30mins of quiet prayer and reflection. There are 3-4 information stations around the church to give you some ideas of what to pray for in relation to our theme – usually focusing on ourselves, our church, our city and our world. It’s nice to move around freely, be inspired, and find a quiet spot to bring your own thoughts to God. Sometimes there are bible verses to think about, sometimes there are creative activities to do if you wish, sometimes there are things to take home to help you continue to pray. Sometimes it’s just good to sit and rest in God’s presence and listen to the gentle background music. Whatever happens, we finish on time at 7.30pm – there’s still time to get home and get ready for the week ahead.

We know our heavenly Father wants a relationship with us, and talking / listening to him is vital. Praise and prayer is designed to be open to everyone and un-intimidating (you will not be asked to pray out loud or join a group), and most people who have been seem to find it very peaceful, refreshing and spiritually helpful. It helps us pray about our lives and our world in a way that we probably wouldn’t at home. This month should be extra special as the twinkly Christmas lights will be on and you are guaranteed to leave feeling positive about the season ahead. We dare you to come and not enjoy it!