PRAYER

Prayer is at the core of who we are. In a world where there's a growing call for intercession as creation cries out, we want to be part of this movement as a church and as individuals. We aim for our lives, our homes, and our church to be places where seeking God in prayer comes first.

Remember in your Prayers this week

  • God’s peace and justice in all war-torn places of the world, but especially in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan

  • The bereaved, thinking of the loved ones of ‘Wardy’ Winter and Jack Shone

  • The sick, in mind, body or spirit, especially for Barbara Sears

  • Bishop Sarah as she prepares to become our next Archbishop of Canterbury

Monthly Prayer Focus: October

For the Leadership and Renewal of the Church of England

Marking the appointment of The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

“Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.”
— Jeremiah 3:15

This month, we pause to give thanks for a moment of deep significance in the life of the Church of England: the appointment of The Most Revd Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury - the first woman to hold this historic office. Her appointment represents both continuity and change, a sign of hope and healing for many, and a fresh opportunity to seek God’s leading together as a Church.

Dame Sarah brings a rare blend of gifts - the compassion of a nurse, the discernment of a pastor, and the steadiness of a leader who has listened well to both pain and promise within the Body of Christ. Her background in health care, service in public life, and years of episcopal ministry shape a leadership rooted not in status but in service; not in authority alone, but in the example of Christ who came “not to be served but to serve.”

A Time for Renewal

Her appointment comes at a time when the Church stands at many crossroads. There is joy and vitality in local ministry, yet there is also weariness and uncertainty. Many seek renewal of faith and trust after difficult years marked by safeguarding failures, division, and cultural change. Across the Anglican Communion, voices and contexts differ widely, yet the call to unity and love remains constant. This new beginning invites us to pray for spiritual renewal — not just for one leader, but for all who bear Christ’s name.

We pray that under Archbishop Sarah’s leadership, the Church may become:

  • A place where truth and grace walk hand in hand,

  • Where listening and healing replace suspicion and hurt,

  • Where women and men, clergy and laity alike, are encouraged to lead faithfully and humbly,

  • And where the love of Christ is made visible in word and action, in church and community, at home and abroad.

Prayers for the Church and Archbishop

Faithful God,
You call your Church to be one body,
gathered around Christ who is our head.
We give you thanks for your servant Sarah,
called to shepherd your people in this land and beyond.

Fill her with your Spirit of wisdom and truth;
grant her courage to lead with humility,
strength to face what is difficult,
and grace to nurture hope in your people.

May her words be seasoned with compassion,
her actions guided by justice,
and her heart anchored in prayer.

Bless those who serve alongside her —
bishops, clergy, and lay leaders —
that together they may be signs of your kingdom of peace and renewal.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Prayer for the Renewal of the Church

God of healing and holiness,
Renew your Church in faith, courage, and love.
Where there is division, bring unity;
where there is hurt, bring your gentle restoration.

We pray for honesty in repentance
and compassion in all our dealings with one another.
May safeguarding be more than policy —
may it be a culture of care that honours every person made in your image.

Rekindle in us a hunger for your Word,
a devotion to prayer,
and a passion for mission,
that we may bear faithful witness to Christ in our generation.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

As we pray for Archbishop Sarah and the life of our Church, we remember that the calling of every Christian is, in its own way, a calling to shepherd - to listen, to care, to serve, and to love.  May this new chapter in our Church’s story inspire us each to live more fully the gospel we profess, and to trust again in the faithfulness of God, who always brings life from what seems weary, and light from what feels uncertain.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He restores my soul and leads me in paths of righteousness.”

Psalm 23: 1,3

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.