1st March 2024
Transformation Support Hub

Pray for the diocesan Transformation Support Hub, which is funded by the national church to help our churches to grow in health and sustainability. For Damian Herbert, Nikki Groarke, Claire Ashworth, Simon Hill, Ellie Jones, and Jim Grevatte.

Christ the King (Southern Africa): Bishop William Mostert
2nd March 2024
Growing as Kingdom People

Pray for churches across our diocese as they help more people to meet with the living God; responding to the call to serve and grow and exploring new possibilities for engaging with their communities.

Christchurch (New Zealand): Bishop Peter Carrel
3rd March 2024
Praying for Growth – Equipping Ministers for Mission

We are underpinning our three key priorities by investing in our clergy and lay leaders, providing training and development opportunities to enable them to grow and feel supported and equipped for mission.

One of the way the team offer a range of courses for parishes is through the Foundation Courses in Local Leadership (FCiLL). This is a way of both organising the training material already offered by the diocesan teams and others, and also identifying new material we need to support local leadership in our parishes.

The FCiLL range of courses aim to support and equip people to lead in parish life and mission where they are. There are 4 strands:
• Ministry and Leadership
• Buildings and Churchyards
• Governance and Compliance
• Finance and Administration

All of the training sessions feature practical support, creative ideas, and stimulating discussion on many aspects of church life and the Christian faith. You can sign up to as many any you’d like, and the majority are open to anyone in the Diocese.

Pray for all our ordained and lay leaders and for all who offer training to help them continue to grow and develop in their different roles. For the diocesan Mission and Ministry team who lead on this work.

Director of Mission & Ministry: Roger Latham

Baptism Families:
Loving Father God, bless our baptism parents as they care for their precious children, give them the awe and wonder of a child, to appreciate your creation. Amen

Chelmsford: Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani with Bishops Lynne Cullens (Barking), Roger Morris (Colchester)
Karlstad (Sweden): Sören Dalevi
The Church of the Province of Uganda: Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba
4th March 2024
The Archdeacons Office

Pray for Archdeacon of Dudley, Nikki Groarke, Archdeacon of Worcester, Mark Badger and for Liz McKinnon their PA. Give thanks for all they do to support parishes across the Diocese.

Chubu (Japan): Bishop Francis of Assisi Renta Nishihara
5th March 2024
Those in care homes

Pray for all those who live in care homes across the Diocese and for their friends and family who visit. Pray also for those who work in care homes, that they may find God’s love and support in what is often a very challenging occupation.

Clogher (Ireland): Bishop Ian Ellis
6th March 2024
Diocese of Peru

Pray for all those who work in the diocesan office in Lima and more widely in the diocesan administration, particularly those with responsibility for finances at a time of economic challenge.

Coast (Nigeria): Joshua Ebunoluwa Ogunele
7th March 2024
Benefice of Ipsley

Pray for St Peter’s Church Ipsley as they explore opportunities to move forward with their Mission Accompanier along an exciting mission journey. For Families@4 which is a monthly service for young families and for our ALMs. Clergy: Garth Nathaniel, Linda Nicholas. Readers: Peter McLaren, Chris McLaren; Wardens: Chris McLaren, Charles Melley.

Cochin (South India): Bishop Baker Ninan Fenn
8th March 2024
Benefice of Ipsley

At St John’s Church, Greenlands, we are thankful for prayerful encouragement being offered as we work with Alice our Mission Accompanier, and we seek to discern and develop our distinctive missional identity. Clergy: Paul Lawlor; Readers: Rosemary Humphrey, Maureen Hughes, Vicki Quarton

Coimbatore (South India): Bishop Timothy Ravinder
9th March 2024
Benefice of Ipsley

Christ Church Matchborough: Pray for ministries that touch the community, especially for work with young people and children. Pray for the evangelism initiative. Pray for our estates to be transformed by the good news of Jesus. Pray for youth, children’s and community leaders and helpers, Clergy: Ian Evans; Readers: Phil Williams, Marilyn Bishop.

Colombia (USA): Bishop Elias Garcia Cardenas
10th March 2024
Praying for Growth - Children & Young People

We are aiming to double the number of children and young people in our churches by 2030.

Three churches in Worcester have worked together to apply to the Healthier Churches Fund and appoint a full-time Children and Youth Worker who will be shared between them.

The Worcester parishes of St John the Baptist, St Stephen and St George jointly applied for Healthier Churches funding, which, alongside a small amount of top up funding from each of the churches, has been enough to create this full-time post for at least five years. Former CYD Mission Enabler, Helen Laird successfully applied for the post and started in Autumn.

Diocesan Children & Youth Adviser, Simon Hill said: “It’s wonderful that these three churches in Worcester realised working together to gain funding was their best option and have been able to do this effectively to create this important role. Helen joins a growing network of employed youth and children’s workers around the Diocese who prayerfully support each other to grow God’s kingdom.”

Please pray for our priority to double the number of children and young people in our churches; for these three churches in Worcester as they continue on this journey and for Helen and all the children and youth workers sharing God’s love with young people and their families across the Diocese.

Children and Youth Adviser: Simon Hill

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
Lichfield: Bishop Michael Ipgrave w Bishops Sarah Bullock (Shrewsbury), Matthew Parker (Stafford), Paul Thomas (Oswestry)
St David’s (Wales): Bishop Dorrien Davies
The Episcopal Church: Archbishop Michael Curry
11th March 2024
Primrose Hospice, Bromsgrove

We give thanks for the ministry of care offered at the local hospice in Bromsgrove and pray for its continued development despite the challenging financial environment.

Colombo (Ceylon): Bishop Dushantha Rodrigo
12th March 2024
Princess of Wales Community Hospital, Bromsgrove

Pray for all patients, and those who rely on our services. For the nursing teams, medical teams and support staff. Remember especially the ‘Primrose at the Princess’ Palliative Care Unit and our Chaplaincy Team: Andy Green and Annie Cottrell.

Colorado (USA): Kimberly Lucas
13th March 2024
Diocese of Morogoro

We pray for those at the Health Centre in Tunguli who are struggling to bring medical care and support to many living in remote and isolated hamlets. In particular those staff who are caring for women who are waiting for the delivery of their babies and who are caring for the newly born. We pray for Centre Manager, Isaac Mgego.

Congo Brazzaville (Democratic Republic of Congo): Vacant
14th March 2024
All Saints, Bromsgrove

Pray for ‘Soul and Senses’, our monthly New Worshipping Community; for our Outreach work amongst nearby new housing developments; for our commitment to Lickey End and Meadows First Schools; for our lay and ordained ministry team. Reader: Rosemary Sumner

Connecticut (USA): Ian Douglas
15th March 2024
St John, Bromsgrove & St Andrew, Charford

Pray for St John’s, Bromsgrove and St Andrew’s, Charford as each church community seeks to develop its unique mission and ministry amongst the civic and residential communities they seek to serve. Clergy: Ray Khan, Readers: Hilda Roxborough, Philip Bowen, Sally Gale

Connor (Ireland): Bishop George Davison
16th March 2024
Growing as Kingdom People

Pray for all our churches as they work to appropriately sustain their life and ministry, with enough volunteers to take on different roles, funds to cover costs and a building which supports mission and ministry.

Cork, Cloyne & Ross (Ireland): Bishop William Paul Colton
17th March 2024
Praying for Growth - Investing in renewal

We are investing in the renewal of around a dozen churches to ensure that each major area of population in the Diocese has at least one church with 150 people attending weekly, enabling them to support other local churches.

One of those churches is St John’s Church in Halesowen, which will be receiving funding from the national church to enable it to become a hub at the centre of Halesowen, loving and serving its community and reaching out to many more people.

There are plans to open the building more frequently so that it can be used by the community as well as employ a Children’s and Young People’s worker. The Revd Hazel Charlton moved to St John’s Church to head up this project. She said: “It’s really exciting that the national church has recognised St John’s as somewhere with the potential to grow. It’s a brilliant opportunity to improve the space and offer more of God’s love to the local community. We also hope to start a number of new worshipping communities so that everyone, if they wish to, will be able to worship God here, in their own way."

Please pray for St John’s Church in Halesowen as they continue to develop, reaching more people in their community and also supporting other local churches. Pray also for all of our renewal churches.

Programme Renewals Manager: Vacant
Church Renewals Project Officer: Jim Grevatte

Lund (Sweden): Bishop Johan Tyrberg
Cashel, Ossory & Ferns (Ireland): Bishop Adrian Wilkinson
Ely: Vacant, Bishop Dagmar Winter (Huntingdon)
The Church in Wales: Archbishop Andy John
18th March 2024
St Godwald, Bromsgrove

Pray for our young and growing community at Pizza Church, and for our toddlers and their families who come to Totwalds. And give thanks for the love and support given to these churches by our traditional congregations. For our ALMs. Clergy: David Ford, Richard Sandland, Reader: Janet Hewer

Costa Rica (Central America): Bishop Orlando Gomez
19th March 2024
Holy Trinity and St Mary’ Dodford

Pray for our churchwarden and church council as we prepare very substantial improvements to our Arts and Crafts church including complete re-wiring and new heating; please also pray for the continuing search for a new Team Vicar to oversee our mission and ministry.

Coventry: Bishop Christopher Cocksworth
20th March 2024
The Protestant Church of Central Germany (EKM)

The EKM’s Synod will meet from 11 to 13 April in the convent in Drübeck. We pray for the implementation of all decisions and that our church will grow.

Cuba (USA): Bishop Griselda Delgado Del Carpio
21st March 2024
Stoke Prior, Wychbold and Upton Warren

Pray for our work with communities, families and schools, our 20 is Plenty service, and for our Heritage Friends Group. Pray for more volunteers to further God’s work here and for our ALMs. Clergy: Paula Honniball

Cueibet (South Sudan): Bishop Elijah Matueny Awet
22nd March 2024
Christ Church, Catshill

Please pray for us as we outreach to our local community to grow our small but loving and welcoming church family. Clergy: Janet Hatton, Reader: Geoff Westwood

Cuernavaca (Mexico): Archbishop Enrique Treviño Cruz
23rd March 2024
Readers

Pray for all Licenced Lay Ministers (Readers) across the diocese, for the work they do supporting their churches in mission and ministry.

Cuttack (North India): Bishop Surendra Kumar Nanda
24th March 2024
Holy Week

Holy Week begins with the re-enactment of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The procession with palms, which was already observed in Jerusalem in the fourth century, is accompanied by the reading of the Passion Narrative, in which the whole story of the week is anticipated.

Maundy Thursday includes the themes of humble Christian service expressed through Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet, as well as the institution of the Eucharist. In preparation for the vigil the church is stripped of decoration.

After keeping vigil, Thursday passes into Good Friday. The sequence of meditations and music known as the Three Hours’ Devotion was introduced into the Church of England in the nineteenth century. The church remains stripped of all decoration. It continues bare and empty through the following day, with silence as the best way to recall the death of Jesus. But within the silence there grows a sense of peace and completion, and then rising excitement as the Easter Vigil draws near.

This season preserves some of the oldest texts still in use and recalls the deepest and most fundamental Christian memories. Through participation in the whole sequence of services during Holy Week, we share in Christ’s own journey, from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the empty tomb on Easter morning.

True and humble king, hailed by the crowd as Messiah: grant us the faith to know you and love you, that we may be found beside you on the way of the cross, which is the path of glory.

Interim Dean of Worcester: Stephen Edwards

Armagh (Ireland): Archbishop John McDowell
Funen (Denmark): Bishop Mads Davidsen
The Church of the Province of West Africa: Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith
25th March 2024
Criminal Justice Affairs Group

Pray for the diocesan Criminal Justice Affairs Group. For their Chair: Charmian Manship. Pray also for the Bishop’s Adviser on Criminal Justice Affairs: Paul West.

Cyangugu (Rwanda): Bishop Francis Karemera
26th March 2024
HMP Hewell

Pray for HMP Hewell; for the Governor, Deputy Governor, Senior Management Team and all staff, for their safety and well-being. Pray for the men who live and work here, for their anxiety, depression, and fear and that through the compassion and care of those around them, that they may feel valued and cared for. For the Chaplaincy team.

Cyprus & the Gulf (Jerusalem): Vacant
27th March 2024
Economy & Daily Life

In Holy Week, think of the everyday things in your community, neighbourhood and church which need to be redeemed, renewed and transformed through Christ. These might be organisations, places, circumstances which exclude, isolate, or marginalise people, or broken relationships. Pray that Christ’s passion, and Easter hope, might lead to change in ourselves and our communities.

Daejeon (Korea): Bishop Titus Ho-Wook Kim
28th March 2024
Maundy Thursday

God our Father, you have invited us to share in the supper which your Son gave to his Church to proclaim his death until he comes: may he nourish us by his presence, and unite us in his love; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

North Dakota (USA): Bishop Michael Smith
29th March 2024
Good Friday

Eternal God, in the cross of Jesus we see the cost of our sin and the depth of your love: in humble hope and fear may we place at his feet all that we have and all that we are, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

South Dakota (USA): Bishop Jonathan Folts
30th March 2024
Retired clergy in Redditch & Bromsgrove

We pray for our retired clergy and their families in the Redditch and Bromsgrove Deanery, thankful for all that they have given and continue to give. We pray for their continued journey of faith, mindful of new challenges they may be facing in retirement. May God’s blessing and peace be upon them.

Dallas (USA): Bishop George Sumner, Jr.
31st March 2024
Easter Sunday

On the third day after being crucified, Jesus’ tomb was found to be empty by the disciples. Jesus had risen from the dead and so life has triumphed over death. The joy of the resurrection is possible because Jesus endured and conquered death.

Today marks the start of fifty days celebrating Jesus’ resurrection before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As we celebrate the triumph of life over death, we remember all those who mourn the loss of a loved one. As we celebrate the joy of new life and the hope revealed in it, we pray for those who find hope hard to hold on to. We pray too for our own journeys of discipleship, remembering that to follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life in him.

Heavenly Father, you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your Son: grant that, as his death has recalled us to life, so his continual presence in us may raise us to eternal joy; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Diocese of Armagh (Ireland): Archbishop John McDowell
Diocese of Funen (Denmark): Bishop Mads Davidsen
The Church in the Province of the West Indies: Archbishop Howard Gregorys
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