Prayer bid to combat church decline

Church ministers in Norwich are being invited to get together for a monthly prayer meeting to help combat declining church attendances and express their unity.

 

John Betts, chairman of Transforming Norwich, who is one of those behind the meetings, said: “We are living in days when the church is declining. One only has to read the statistics from the recently published English Church Survey to know this is so. In our post-modern culture the Church is seen as being irrelevant; a relic of a bygone age. Atheism is rife, hedonism and consumerism prevail. There are many new Christian initiatives, most of them good, but no real growth in the church. So what is the remedy?

 

“Evan Roberts and other revivalists of the past would tell us that the only remedy for a church experiencing such decline is prayer. A small group of local ministers has been meeting for sometime now and we are eager for others to join us.”

 

The group meet on the first Thursday of the month at 12.30 for lunch – provided free if you book in by the previous Tuesday, minpray@btinternet.com   phone 01603 462200 - followed by prayer from 1 to 2pm.

 

Forthcoming dates and venues are:

7th December 2006    Citygate Centre, Cowgate, Norwich  NR3 1SZ

4 January 2007           Drayton Hall, Hall Lane, Drayton NR8 6DP

1 February 2007         The Vicarage, Mill Road, Stoke Holy Cross, NR14 8PA

1 March 2007             Witard Road Baptist Church, Witard Road, Norwich NR7 9XD

5 April 2007               Sprowston Methodist Church, Cozens-Hardy Road,

3 May 2007                 St Helens, Bishopgate, Norwich NR1 4EL

 

“We warmly welcome all vicars, ministers and pastors to participate with us as we seek the Lord together for the work and witness of the whole church,” said John. “It is our desire, that as we express the unity of the Spirit in prayer together, your church and ministry, our city and county, will experience the blessing of the Lord. Let’s begin to feel the strength of our united, prevailing prayer.”