Week beginning Sunday 22 May 2022
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[Jesus] lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
Luke 24:50–52 (NIV)
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Dear friends
Some people will remember the long-gone days when Ascension Day was a school holiday. Now, it’s increasingly overlooked as a festival even in the church. Yet, coming ten days before Pentecost, it marks an important transition between the earthly life of Christ with his resurrection appearances and the beginning of the work of the Spirit in the people of God. For the disciples, the goodbye of Ascension Day was joyful rather than sad, because his friends knew he was with them even though he’d gone.
Friends old and new are saying goodbye today after the Messy Church conference on the theme ‘Making a difference’. We give thanks for many blessings: for friendships made and renewed, for the sharing of ideas and inspiration and for creative responses to the challenges of the day. Please pray for the key leaders' meeting following the main conference: that this group of highly committed, influential leaders from around the world will go home with renewed energy and vision for the work of Messy Church.
We also give thanks for the Parenting for Faith Forge conference, where participants worshipped, reflected and learned together, with time for fun and sharing experiences too. Please pray for the ongoing work of Parenting for Faith, and in particular for new ministry lead Anna Hawken, who is already making a huge impact.
Our 2022 centenary appeal has got off to a very encouraging start. Please pray for the success of the appeal in order to secure the future of our ministries and their crucial impact in so many areas of need.
Linked to our appeal theme of planting and growing, our article this week is the first of four on ‘Growing faith’. Ruth Hassall, author of Growing Young Leaders, writes about the importance of nurturing young people. She says: ‘I remain convinced that mentoring young people really does have the potential to change a generation.’
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Please pray with us this week for >
- the Messy Church conference key leaders' gathering on Monday and Tuesday
- the success of our centenary appeal
- the Festival of Prayer on 9 July on the theme of 'Prayer and personality', for the speakers and workshop leaders as they prepare, and that people will have the confidence to book to attend
- the worldwide initiative Thy Kingdom Come, which starts Thursday and runs until 5 June
- the Parenting for Faith team meeting in Abingdon on Wednesday
- the successful promotion of the Spiritual Care Series, a ground-breaking new training course to help churches offer spiritual care to older people
- for the health of a number of member of staff who are currently unwell.
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A prayer for Ascension Day written by Martyn Payne:
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Lord Jesus Christ,
ascended to heaven,
reigning in heaven,
and praying from heaven on our behalf,
clothe us with power from on high
as you fill us with your Holy Spirit,
so that,
just as you took earth into heaven,
we might bring heaven to earth,
in your name.
Amen
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Thank you for praying for us and with us; we are praying for you.
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Karen Laister
Head of Marketing, Communications and Strategic Relationships
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