Prayer
Prayer and worship are at the centre of everything we do at StC.
Here you can find some simple, free online resources that can help us all to pray, whether you have never prayed or whether others would see you as a prayer warrior.
Those that love us look to nurture us through the time we spend together. Jesus longs to do the same as we spend time with Him in conversation, in prayer.
“Draw near to God,
and He will draw near to you.”
— James 4.8
What’s it all about?
If you’re new to prayer and want to find out a little bit more, this Alpha video is a great place to start.
Top tips
Keep it simple.
Your prayer life is at its best at its simplest.
As a great minister Charles Spurgeon once said, '“the best prayers are those that are bold yet brief.”
Jesus too tough us to keep things simple, ‘When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6. 7-8).
Keep it real.
Don’t role-play before God.
Come as you are and be honest. God is your Father and he loves you more than you can imagine, so start from where you are – we do not need to be on top of the world to pray – if we are not feeling great then we can just start from there.
Keep it up.
Don’t give up praying too soon.
A bit like eating and drinking, we need to keep it going. Start with a few minutes a day and build up from there as you are able.
As Corrie Ten Boon said, “Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.”
The Prayer Course.
The Prayer Course is an eight week journey through the Lord’s Prayer, exploring how and why to pray and it has some great videos and resources that you might find helpful.
Daily Quiet Time.
We believe in the importance of prayer both individually and collectively. We encourage people to spend time with God, to talk to Him and listen to what He’s saying to them. An important part of this is a daily Quiet Time.
There is no fixed way to spend time alone with God, but it’s helpful to combine Bible reading with prayer and to do so at a regular time each day. There are many excellent devotional resources, but you don’t have to use anything at all. It’s worth experimenting to see what works best for you. The Church in Wales have forms of Morning and Evening Prayer, our you might like to try Bible in One Year.
Some helpful steps to help you have a 10 minute quiet time (using P.R.A.Y)
Pause.
Sit quietly for a minute, stilling your soul (2 min).
Rejoice.
Read a short Psalm or listen to a worship song (2 min).
Ask.
Tell God what’s on your heart. Pray through your day. If you have a prayer list quietly name each person before God (3 min).
Yield.
Read a few verses from the New Testament, until a phrase pops out at you and then talk to God about it. Are there any sins you need to confess? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh (3 min).
Join us every Tuesday evening.
Every Tuesday evening, we get together on Zoom to focus on a short, encouraging talk based on a Bible passage and to pray for all that is happening in the church, in our own community and in the world. We also pray too for ourselves, our families, friends and neighbours.
If you’d like to come along, then email us today for the link.
Encouraging those with no church connection to try praying.
Do you know people who have no church connection but are wondering about prayer? Then you might want to check out Try Praying – an online resource that you can pass on to friends and family with a few words of encouragement - ‘Why don’t you try praying for a week and see what happens?’
Something for everyone.
We are a family that loves spending time together and growing in fellowship. There's something for everyone.
Worship with us
We are all different, so St.C offers a variety of services and styles of worship to help you encounter God. If you like hymns and liturgy, or if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere and a worship band, you’ll find a place here. With so many services to choose from, there’s sure to be something that suits you.
Get Connected
Connect Groups give us an opportunity to connect with each other more deeply, finding friendship, support and pastoral care. They are smaller groups meeting in different places and at different times.
StC Events
There is so much happening at StC each week, with events ranging from Alpha & Connect Groups to Prayer Meetings, Food Bank and community groups like Rainbows, Brownies, Short Matt Bowls and Didi Rugby.