Last updated 5th May 2021

#ThyKingdomCome 2021

A festival of prayer and worship for 2021

Welcome to this year’s opportunity to celebrate #ThyKingdomCome. 

Because of the current restrictions that are in place, we are celebrating this event online but we are really excited to bring you prayer and worship from across the Diocese that covers all worshipping styles.

We are using this period to encourage you to pray for five people that they might come to know the love of the Lord Jesus.

We have been so encouraged to see the large numbers of people sharing in online services on social media from the Diocese these past months and we pray that people who have watched our services may come to know the love of Jesus their Saviour and that their lives may be given to Him

The Rt Rev Dr Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster, writes:

“For the last six years, I have loved #ThyKingdomCome as an opportunity to recover an ancient practice of waiting on God in prayer from Ascension Day to Pentecost.

We underestimate how the secret of the Christian life is what happens in secret. In our time of lockdown, it’s been heartening to hear how people across Lancashire are praying more than ever. In #ThyKingdomCome we are praying that people will “come home” to God especially those on the margins, those new relationships built on the streets over the last weeks, and those who have dipped their toes into church virtually.

The lockdown has spawned immense creativity amongst our churches, so as Bishops we have invited ten churches from a range of backgrounds to share their #ThyKingdomCome service in Festival of Prayer and Worship, one each night.”

In each of these services, clergy from across the Diocese and from different church traditions will reflect on these questions:

• What has been the greatest challenge to mission during this lockdown period?
• What stories of encouragement can you share?
• How have you seen God’s hand at work in your wider community?

With so much creativity and ingenuity within our Diocese we know there will be many exciting stories and testimonies to share which will encourage us all in our discipleship.

Who might you pray for? Who needs to hear God’s voice and God’s welcome to “come home” and find rest and peace for their souls?

The Being Witnesses team will be meeting to pray every morning from Ascension day to Pentecost Sunday at 8 am.  If you would like to join us on zoom, please email: beingwitnesses@blackburn.anglican.org for the link.

On-line services

To watch each parish service, which will premiere at 4pm on the Diocesan YouTube Channel, please click on the link on the day in question. 

Resources

Below are links to access more #TKC resources: 

• Prayer Resources
• The Cheeky Pandas - #TKC flagship family resource: an 11 part service for children aged 3 and over
• 11 Video Youth Reflections produced in partnership with the Archbishop of York's Youth Trust and an Escape Room
• The Prayer Journal written by Stephen Cotterell
• The Novena praying the psalms from Ascension to Pentecost (a large print version is also available)
• A webinar is being held on April 12th at 2 pm to help churches be practically equipped.  To take part, sign up here. 

Prayer ideas from around the diocese

• Pray using a prayer cairn: idea from Becci from Buckshaw Village Church
• Go on a prayer hunt around your local area: idea from Naomi from St James' Church, Clitheroe
• Pray for roads in your local area and post pictures on your local Facebook group page
• But First Pray for children and young people to be transformed using inspiration from popcorn
• But First Pray by prayer walking around your local area
• But First Pray for schools and their communities
• But First Pray using inspiration from things around your home

Listen to and share testimony

• From Stable to Tomb Testimonies of God's work in people's lives

Listen to and share stories from the Bible of people transformed by Jesus

• Bible Podlets Transformer Series