Thy Kingdom Come is an initiative of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. It is all about praying for those we know who do not yet know Jesus. Although the Anglican initiative centres around the week before Pentecost, we are adopting it as a theme for the year which runs roughly from April 2018 to April 2019. This will be a year of prayer.

As part of this year there will be 5 Network Gatherings around WEBA, plus smaller cluster prayer gatherings, as we encourage each cluster of churches to take responsibility for one month. Details of these prayer gatherings are further down this page and also in the Events section of this website. First, Nigel Coles explains the thinking behind Thy Kingdom Come:

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Thy Kingdom Come…why us?

My response is, why not us? Perhaps you’re wondering why we’re promoting  what is really an Anglican initiative.  I’d suggest that in the past we’ve had a tendency to react with a kind of arrogance that can take the form ‘we’re already doing that anyway’. But, honestly, are we coming before God in total willingness to depend on him? Without the power of the Holy Spirit I see no future for many of our existing churches. In Christ, we have a hope and a future.

Thy Kingdom Come…why now?

Simply put, the clouds are gathering.

The need for the light of Jesus Christ in our nation is becoming ever clearer. In many of our churches, the age profile is increasing, and there’s uncertainty about how to engage in our contemporary situations. These are just two reasons why churches feel an acute need of God’s help if they’re going to make a real impact.

Thy Kingdom Come…why together?

One of our greatest strengths is the automony of the local church. However, when this becomes ‘independence’ rather than ‘inter-dependence’, everyone loses. If we’re self sufficient,  others miss out on the blessing of our support. On the other hand, we lose out if we struggle on alone. Let’s make the effort to encourage one another by praying together.

Why ‘Thy Kingdom Come’?

Prayer is not an end in itself. We particularly like ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ because it refers to the outcome we want, rather than prayer as an activity for its own sake. Across the West of England Baptist network we are looking to galvanise people to pray because we need to come before God in humility, dependency, and trust, desperate to see more harvest, which is people coming to know Jesus and becoming disciples, who in turn become workers in the ‘harvest field’. I don’t think anyone is under any delusions about the immensity of the challenges we face, but with God, ‘all things are possible’.

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Thy Kingdom Come Network Gatherings 2018

(All gatherings will begin at 6:30pm)

Sunday 20th May – Cambray Baptist Church, Cheltenham

Sunday 8th July – Gorse Hill Baptist Church, Swindon

Sunday 23rd September – Clevedon Baptist Church, North Somerset

Sunday 21st October – Cairns Road Baptist Church, Bristol

Sunday 18th November – Welton Baptist Church, Somerset

 

 

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Thy Kingdom Come Cluster Prayer Nights

April 8th 4pm: Prayer Evening at Parkend Baptist Church

April 22nd 6.30pm: Prayer Evening Stockwood Free Church

May 20th 6.30pm: Network Gathering at Cambray Baptist Church

June 24th 6.30pm: Prayer Evening at Counterslip Baptist Church

July 8th 6.30pm: Network Gathering at Gorse Hill Baptist Church

September 23rd 6.30pm: Prayer Evening Totterdown Baptist Church

September 23rd 6.30pm: Network Gathering at Clevedon Baptist Church

October 21st 5pm: Network Gathering at Cairns Road Baptist Church

November 18th 6.30pm: Network Gathering at Welton Baptist Church

November 25th 6.30pm: Prayer Evening Winford Baptist Church

Everyone is welcome to all of these!

Thy Kingdom Come Prayer Room at Ruardean Hill Baptist Church

Ruardean Hill have made a Prayer Room featuring 6 prayer stations. Any of our clusters are welcome to use this for a prayer event- please contact Grace Tucker via grace.chepstow@gmail.com to make a booking.