Bells ring out to signal start of Weekend of Prayer

Bells ring out to signal start of Weekend of Prayer


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Published: 08 September 2009

Scores of churches across Greater Manchester will be ringing their bells on Friday 11 September to mark the start of a weekend of prayer.

This special call to prayer is the idea of the Bishop of Bolton who wants to encourage church congregations to get together more regularly to pray outside of normal service times.

Churches will ring their bells for 10 minutes between 6pm and 7pm to mark the start of the weekend. Bell ringing has traditionally been used as a call to prayer, inviting people to come to church to pray, or join in wherever they are.

The Rt Revd Chris Edmondson, Bishop of Bolton, said “I hope the Weekend of Prayer, marked across the Diocese of Manchester from 11-13 September, will provide an opportunity to explore new ways of praying and kick-start something which could become a regular part of parish life. It would be great to see people joining together more often in prayer and worship.”

Among the events being planned by churches are prayer stations, where each station provides a reflection and focus on a particular theme or Bible verse. The purpose of a contemplative prayer station is to create a time and space for people to experience God in their lives, to speak to Him, and also to listen.

Some churches have organized people into small groups, called ‘prayer sixes’, which will gather together for prayer. One Deanery has organized a training workshop to encourage those who need a bit of help getting started, and other churches are holding a 24 hour prayer vigil. In addition, some churches are using this weekend as a preparation for ‘Back to Church Sunday’ on September 27. Bishop Chris has provided resources to help churches plan for the weekend.

Click here for resources.


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