Dufferin Deanery hold their Revival Prayer Meeting
The Area Deanery of Dufferin held the first of the Deanery Revival Prayer Meetings which will take place throughout the diocese in the coming weeks and months.
Clergy and laity from the parishes of Comber, Drumbeg, Drumbo, Hillsborough, Kilwarlin, Killaney and Carryduff, Killinchy and Kilmood, and Saintfield gathered in Holy Trinity Ballylesson (Drumbo) to pray for their respective churches and for their local communities.
The Area Dean, Canon Stanley Gamble, opened the meeting by quoting the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan:
“Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.”
He encouraged those present to pour out their hearts to God for their families, their friends, their neighbours and their parishes.
Clergy from the various parishes then shared specific prayer requests and a focused prayer time took place for each of the parish groupings.
Revd Elaine Pentland, Keith Shaw, and Nigel Quinn shared particular needs for their parishes before Revd Sam Johnston shared about the importance of age-appropriate evangelism with prayer taking place for various age groups.
This was followed by a reflective liturgical service of Late Evening Office led by the Area Dean, where prayers were said for local needs and the needs of the world.
The Rector of Drumbo, Revd Mervyn Jamison, who hosted the event, closed the gathering by encouraging parishes to set up Prayer Stations in their respective churches to facilitate creative expressions of prayer. He explained that these provided a means whereby individuals could have quiet time before God and share in a thoughtful way what was on their hearts and minds.
With thanks to Canon Stanley Gamble
Pictured L-R: Revd Mervyn Jamison, Revd Elaine Pentland, Canon Stanley Gamble and Revd Sam Johnston.