We're bursting with excitement about dedicating 2 days to prayer for Urban Saints. You don't have to wait until the end of March to support our weekly Groups in their local mission...
Volunteers...
All Urban Saints Groups rely massively on local people giving up their time to work with children and young people. Many don’t have a particular church community backing them with potential new recruits to step in when a team member leaves. Even those that are connected to a church will usually confirm that recruiting new leaders is one the hardest things to do. The great news? We believe that anyone can get involved in making young disciples for Christ and Urban Saints provide comprehensive training for new recruits. So, please pray for all our Groups to find the volunteers they need, and who knows... God might answer prompting you to step up yourself?!
Spreading the word...
In much the same way, most Urban Saints Groups exist on the fringes of existing Christian communities. It’s great to be on the edge and to be able to bridge the gap between home and school life (and church too sometimes?) but it is all the harder to become known to the very children and young people who would most benefit from these Groups. Please pray for the word to get out about these wonderful safe spaces for young people. Pray for good relationships with local schools, churches and other organisations. Pray that the Group members will bring their friends and that word of mouth will see these youth communities flourish!
Disciple-making...
It’s what our Groups are all about. Young people becoming disciples of Jesus - many of whom have had no previous experience of faith or church-going. Our faithful leaders have committed to walk alongside these young folks, offering a safe space and an influential role model. But this doesn’t “just happen” - we should be praying for all our Groups to see stronger relationships between Group members and volunteers. We need to pray for those right opportunities for those life-transforming conversations to take place. We must pray that those young people will be as brave as they are curious to respond and take those first tentative steps towards faith in Christ.
Adventure...
We are just crazy about adventure in all its forms and we know young people are drawn to it too. Whether it is getting outdoors to discover a wider world, feeling a surge of adrenaline during an activity, standing up for something significant or stepping out and trying something brand new, we need your prayers that our Groups will be places of adventure. We need volunteers who are ready to leap into the unknown and Leaders who are not afraid to create unpredictability in their communities. It will look different from Group to Group and week to week but we must pray that a spirit of adventure, courage and boldness are always present in Urban Saints.
Justice...
There’s a rumbling sound like the noise of a rising, holy dissatisfaction. There’s something not quite right and the young people in our Groups can feel it in their very souls! They’re longing for every opportunity to change the world for the better. Or at least, that should be our prayer for every single one of them. We need to pray for every Group to inspire and nurture young hearts for justice. Justice in all its forms - from financial to relational; environmental to social. In Urban Saints we’re making young disciples who want to take action and be launched into a broken, hurting and unjust world - what an awesome privilege to pray those prayers on behalf of the upcoming generations?!
The long haul...
Loving young people and making disciples for Christ who will endure takes time. Lots of time. Just as we need volunteers who feel called to long-term commitment to serving in local Groups - persevering on that “long walk in the same direction” - we also need people like you who can commit to lasting prayer support. You might never know who you are praying for but we must not stop raising our Groups, Leaders and the children and young people who they serve up to the Father in prayer. Don’t stop praying... and don’t stop praying that they will see it through and go the distance!
An encounter with God...
If nothing else, when we pray for the Urban Saints’ Groups, let’s eagerly expect the children and young people to have an encounter with the living God. Experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirt and meeting Christ through the Word and demonstrated in the lives of those faithful volunteers too. It’s tough being a young person growing up today with so many challenges and threats to their wholeness and wellbeing. We can pray into every single one of those burdens and pressures they endure. We can desperately seek breakthrough, redemption and transformation of their every situation and circumstances. But what any of them need most of all is an encounter with the love and presence of our wonderful Lord and loving Father...
Feeling fired up? Ready to pray like lives depend on it? There’s no need to wait - let’s get started!
Please join us for our 48 hours of continuous prayer (26-28th March) - click here to let us know when you are planning to pray and we’ll connect you up with loads of ideas and inspiration to focus your time.
You can also join our prayer crew (by visiting www.urbansaints.org/contact and selecting ‘Pray with US’) and we’ll send you monthly prayer inspiration.