Feedback: Eight hundred of us gathered in Central Hall, representing many different churches in Southampton. We watched the DVD “God’s Call to the Nations” which helped us to see the big picture that our gathering was a part of. It was an amazing feeling looking out over a room packed with 800 people and thinking about what God can and will do with His church in our time. There was something about Sunday that united us and made us feel part of God's bigger picture. The potential for what God will do if we lay down our agendas, look to him and work together as intercessors, worshippers, evangelists and friends is so exciting!
We joined together in a wonderful time of worship, and several readers led us in the first six sections of the Prayer for the World. This led us very naturally into a time of praying for the nations of the world, and we all prayed together for the different countries and situations on our own hearts. The images on the screen helped us to focus on particular world concerns – poverty, injustice, AIDS, conflict and natural disaster. Then we were led from the front in praying for Zimbabwe, Burma and other situations.
We moved on to pray for the United Kingdom and our own City of Southampton. We are all important people in Southampton, each part of Christ’s body here and to represent this everyone was offered a piece of a 1000 piece jigsaw of an aerial view of Southampton. We were encouraged to take these pieces away and use them as reminders to pray for one another and for our city. The jigsaw pieces really touched people. It brought home how important it is to feel part of a bigger picture and to remember that we are called to function as a body, not individuals. Somehow, knowing that hundreds of other people are praying for our city this week spurs us on - like the great cloud of witnesses, only more tangible!
Finally, a few comments from some of the leaders involved in the meeting:
“What a wonderful evening, such a joy to see Christians from around the city joining together in Unity, getting a vision and a heart for our city and grasping the hope that together we can reach out to the corners of Southampton for Christ.”
“I loved the fact that although we were from all sorts of different churches and streams, the overriding atmosphere in the building was one of hunger for God's presence and for his kingdom to come, and his will to be done.”
Feedback by Teresa Venable
