Hartley Wintney Day of Prayer

Hartley Wintney is just one of many places organising a Day of Prayer on 4 October.

Ruth Jarman sends in messages about how they are going on preparing for it.

We hope this will encourage you as you organise one.

She says: (Sept 14)

.just do it!...the great thing about prayer is you know you only need 2 or 3 people!.. (Remember Where two or three people are gathered in my name.. )

..so get one or two friends to agree to help and be there, ask the vicar/church leader to promote it for you to the church, print posters (from web site), put in pew sheets, press release it to any local paper/magazine that might be interested (our press release copied below).

Happy praying!!

14 Sept: Press Release about our Day of Prayer and Fasting
16 Sept: 'just to cheer you up - just gone round my village (which admittedly is Telegraph territory!) and every shop/business was happy to put up my climate change day of prayer poster! See our poster - you could modify one for you.

16 Sep: And the latest news is we're doing "prayer activations"!....whatever they are, I know,!, sort of stations aroudn the church where people can look/touch/taste (we're wondering whether to suck a glacier mint while watching a block of ide melt!) things that help them to pray about a specific area of cliamet change.....my super-fantastic new youth worker has offered to do it all!!!

Ruth

PRESS RELEASE
14 th Sept 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Climate Change Day of Prayer and Fasting at St. John's, Hartley Wintney

A 'Day of Prayer' has been called across the country on Sunday, October 4 th in the run-up to the climate change talks in Copenhagen, where bold and science-based agreements must be reached for the continuation of abundant life on earth.

The Bishop of London is supporting the day and says "I shall be joining Christians from many different churches on 4 th October in praying ..that God's will be done during the decisive Copenhagen conference this December. Prayer is powerful in dispelling the illusion that we are gods; and illusion that has wrecked such havoc on the earth."

The Hartley Wintney Operation Noah Group have arranged for St. John's to be open from 12-30pm until 6pm on Sunday 4 th October for people to come in and spend anything from five minutes to the whole five and a half hours sitting quietly. There will be spoken information, quotes and stories to inform and challenge, interspersed with times of silence to allow reflection and to pray for wisdom and courage in our leaders and for a change of heart in our generation.

Some of the group will be fasting for the day and "breaking fast" with a simple meal at 6pm to which all are invited. "It is very appropriate to choose to fast on the day when our church will be celebrating harvest," says Ruth Jarman of the Hartley Wintney Operation Noah Group. "Christians are called to live prophetically and living within the limits of God's earth will mean consuming far less than we take for granted now. And voluntarily going without a couple of meals is a way of standing in solidarity both with those in the developing world now and with future generations in this country who are being and will be forced to go without food because of the climate change that we have wrought upon them."

"When it comes to climate change....what is often missing is quiet reflection and passionate prayer", said the Revd Dave Bookless, Moderator of the Environmental Issues Network of CTBI which is hosting the initiative. "As the world descends into fearful uncertainty, we need space to ask God for his perspective and intervention, to think about what our abuse of creation says about us, and to plead for a new vision of God's purposes for us in his world. I believe the Climate Change Day of Prayer is probably the most important initiative that Christians can be involved in during the lead up to the critical negotiations in Copenhagen."

Ruth Jarman says "Wherever people are along their path of faith, we warmly invite all to join us at this time and in this space to stop, listen and reflect together and to actively hope and pray an alternative future into being."

The Group are also running a free screening of the Age of Stupid at the Victoria Hall, Hartley Wintney at 7-45pm on Wednesday 7 th October followed by wine and a brief discussion.

Local contact: Ruth Jarman at ruth@sjarman11.wanadoo.co.uk , 01252 849904 or 07970 907784

Dr Isabel Carter, who wrote the resources in coordination with Operation Noah, is available for interview and more information. Contact mobile: 07800 536 303; email: dayofprayer@operationnoah.org .

Note for editors:
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland helps the Churches to think, work and pray together, and serves them on their shared journey towards full visible unity. It is the official ecumenical body that brings together Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant and Pentecostal traditions, and is the direct successor to the British Council of Churches. Churches Together in Britain and Ireland works closely with the "Churches Together" bodies that focus separately on England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. See www.ctbi.org.uk.

All the resources required to prepare for, promote and run a Climate Change Day of Prayer event are available for free download at www.ctbi.org.uk/climatechangeprayer.