Beechcroft St Paul’s CE Primary School started their Prayer Club this time last year when Project Touchline, an organisation that works at promoting Christian values through sport, finished at the school and a group of children still wanted to continue.
As the school year progressed the group began to shrink, but the students that remained were stalwart in their dedication and rarely missed an opportunity to come to and pray for the fifteen minutes the club runs for at the end of Friday lunchtimes.
Three foundation governors take turns praying with the children during their fun and inclusive weekly meetings. The governors try to bring a visual aspect to the club each week to help further engage the students, ranging from cues such as a map of Ukraine, the globe, photographs, words of the Lord's Prayer, teaspoon prayers, and their school's vision and values.
During the last few weeks, the club has been using finger prayers that consist of assigning a finger each week to reflect on family, people who show us the way, those who lead us, and others who are important to their lives.
The pupils have plenty of ideas about what and who they would like to pray about, so no matter what the activity the children understand that they are praying to God and that they are being listened to through their conversations.
At the start of the Autumn term, the three governors led worship in Key Stage 1 & 2 to highlight what happens during Prayer Club – joined by a very confident Year 4 pupil who is already very comfortable with his faith. Since these sessions, around ten children from all age ranges have been taking part every Friday making it livelier than ever.
Going forward, those leading the club would like to start a Prayer Club Floor book for the children's prayers and thoughts to be collected for the future. However, they currently love the idea of taking their prayers home with them to show their families, so this remains a work in progress.
The school would like to thank Project Touchline for sowing the seeds of a Prayer Club amongst their students and continue to wonder where God will lead their children next.
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