Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Sentamu invite you to be part of Thy Kingdom Come 2017
Thy Kingdom Come: 25th May - 4th June 2017
Joining with the family of God the Father to pray 'Come Holy Spirit', that we may be effective witnesses to Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Sentamu write, "We are writing in the hope that you and those whom you serve in Christ's name might share with us in prayer between Ascension Day and Pentecost 2017 for the witness of Christians in this country. The aim is simple and threefold:
- To join in prayer with the whole family of God the Father
- To pray for the empowering of God the Holy Spirit
- That we may be effective witnesses to God the Son, Jesus Christ.
They continue, "We show our faith and trust in God in prayer. It is in prayer that God takes hold of our lives and works through us in ways we can barely imagine possible. Our praying is particularly transformative when it is done in the company of others. Jesus prayed at the Last Supper that we, those who follow him, might 'be one that the world might believe.' There is an invitation then, to make a lasting difference in our nation and in our world, by responding to his call to find a deep unity of purpose in prayer."
Earlier this year more than 100,000 Christians joined in over 3,000 events and services in churches and Christian communities across England to pray for our witness to Jesus Christ and those we seek to reach in Thy Kingdom Come 2016. Flagship 'Beacon Events' packed out a number of Cathedrals (with over 300,000 people watching online) and there is no knowing how many individuals played their part with prayer at home. There was commitment from churches across the full diversity of Anglican parishes and in 2017 it is hoped this will grow internationally and across all denominations and streams.
The Archbishops have written to every clergyperson in England this week to ask them if they would consider being part of this. To read the letter click here and to watch a three minute video from Archbishop Justin and some of those involved in 2016 sharing how God worked below.
'Thy Kingdom Come 2017 Invite' with ENGLISH SUBTITLES from Frogspawn Creative Limited on Vimeo.
Will you stand with the Archbishops and countless Christians around the world in praying that the Holy Spirit will empower us to be more effective witnesses to Jesus Christ?
The hope is that every parish, fresh expression of Church, school, chaplaincy, retreat house, and praying community will take part in some way. For some that might be hosting special prayer events, prayer rooms, holiday clubs or the like. For others it might be using the wide range of resources that will be available (like the 'pray for five' bracelets) to encourage individual prayer. For others it might mean working with other sisters and brothers in hosting your own 'beacon event'. Whatever it is, please consider joining in this global movement of prayer.
There'll be much more stories, ideas, resources and information in the coming months, but for now we ask that each person signs up to receive information direct from the Archbishops by entering their e-mail address at www.thykingdom.co.uk.
Christians across the world and of other denominations and streams joined in and so in 2017, The Presidents of Churches Together in England are jointly supporting this initiative, The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has committed to playing a full part and this will be high on the agenda when Archbishop Justin and Pope Francis meet later this year. The Free Churches Group is actively encouraging all its member churches to get involved. A large number of the Pentecostal churches and new churches will be participating and several of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches in the UK have signalled their support. Provinces across the Anglican Communion have been invited to join in this great work of prayer and the World Methodist Council is encouraging all Methodists to warmly receive and actively participate in it. We also hope there will be a 'Beacon Event' in many of the capital cities in Europe.
As the Archbishops finish their letter, "As we utter the words that Jesus himself put on our lips, we pray 'Thy Kingdom Come' because we long for God's Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven. In the Kingdom of God the hungry are fed, the poor hear good news and the oppressed find justice. In that Kingdom the broken are made whole, the sick are healed and the sinner is set free. In that Kingdom all can know right relationship with the Father, through Jesus, the Son, and so find the goal and purpose of their lives. In praying 'Thy Kingdom Come' we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities." Sign up to stand with them here: www.thykingdom.co.uk