Peterborough City Pastors Prayer Breakfast

Who we are:

A group of church leaders who have been meeting regularly since 1996, The group is open to anyone who is in church leadership in Peterborough and the surrounding region.

Where we meet:

The City Pastors Prayer Breakfast meets at Peterborough Salvation Army (in Bourges Boulevard, New England) every two weeks on a Wednesday morning at 8 am for 8.15 am.

What happens:

Arrive at 8 am and be greeted with a hot drink. Prayer starts at 8.15 am, led by one of the group, and can take a variety of forms. At 8.45 am breakfast is served and consists of toast and tea, or a full English breakfast, beautifully prepared by the staff at the Salvation Army. People usually leave from 9.15 am onwards.

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Notes from Day Away on Thursday 9 November 2006

We thank Chris Moreton and Southside Methodist Church for accommodating us and for the wonderful catering by Church on the Rock.

Present:
Graham T, Russ P, Dave Sm, Dave Wh, Dave We, Claudio, Jono M, Chris M, Jill J, Keith H, Tim E, John P, Rod E, Denis B, Amy F, Lars P.

Graham T welcomed everyone and opened the meeting with prayer.

Russ led a time of devotion:
What does God want to do in our hearts today?
It’s all too easy to go through the motions and to have “a form of religion”. If we are blessed, then we will become a blessing to the city.
We are coming into a new day, a new season in which we are looking for revival and no longer doing things in human strength. We are moving from Winter to Spring in which we need do little to make the grass grow!
We are people who have an inheritance and we need to share it.
Isaiah 58:6-14 is key to all this and it includes 19 “wills” which are promises for us to possess. Our inheritance will be revealed through prayer.

Russ invited us to get into groups of three to pray for one another.

Graham T introduced HOPE 2008 giving a brief history of how the initiative had been drawn to his attention as well as that of the nation.
We need; reality, real faith and to be productive for The Kingdom.
Peterborough needs to be involved. There will be significant preparation required. However, HOPE 2008 will be a sign of God’s love for the city.
We have the option to buy in or not.
Those who buy in will need to strategise together now.
One of the national reps would be willing to come and inspire the church of Peterborough if felt helpful.
Ownership is vital, so we will need to communicate the initiative to our leadership teams and congregations. The timing issue is important (Ecc 3:1).

Graham invited us to get into groups of five in order to respond and discuss.
He then invited feedback from the groups and it was generally positive in that we should explore further with a view to participating as fully as possible.
The need to communicate with as much of the church in the city was stressed and endorsed, and to include the younger interested parties.
Although the approach is multi-layered, it was felt that for the initiative to be more effective, working together and resourcing one another as far as possible would be necessary.

Dave Sm asked us to consider our expectations:
Need to talk with faith and not hype it up.
There can be a tension between unreality and cynicism.
We are called to obey the Great Commandment and Great Commission.
It is another step forward together.
It can become a focus for our Wednesday meetings as it resonates with the Gospel. After all, where there is no vision, the people perish (Prov 29:18).
We are not saying this is revival, but rather pressing on in faith.

Graham T invited us to get into groups to pray for HOPE 2008.

After lunch together, Dave Sm introduced “40 Days of Community - Better Together”.
Proposed that we buy into this next year in preparation for HOPE 2008.
Showed a video which can be downloaded from the Saddleback Website which introduced the initiative to us.
Distributed a leaflet and the book for us to consider.
Stressed how effective it has been already as well as the “40 Days of Purpose”.
The emphasis is mission and does help churches grow!

Dave Sm invited us to get into groups to respond and discuss. The feedback was again positive.
The matter of preparation is vital and takes significant time.
Again, working together as far as possible could be a real encouragement.
Leadership teams and congregations need to hear about it and be given the opportunity to respond.

Russ said that we will have two extended breakfast meetings to find out where we are regarding HOPE and 40 Days. The need to prepare in prayer was emphasized.
The two meetings are 29 Nov 06 and 7 Feb 07.

Dave and Russ encouraged us into a time of corporate prayer as a conclusion to our meeting. The overall spirit was positive and encouraging. It was felt that God is doing something among us of real significance in terms of the building of His Church.

Future meeting dates:

Wednesday 14 November
Wednesday 28 November
Wednesday 12 December

These are all at the Peterborough Salvation Army in Bourges Boulevard, New England.

For more information:
Purpose Driven in UK
Hope 2008

Comment

By Lars Pettersen 21-2-07 Re: HOPE 2008

I cannot help wondering why we need a name in order to fulfil our calling as the church of Jesus Christ.  Is it not possible to encourage one another in our corporate discipleship without effectively blowing our own trumpet?  I believe it is worth revisiting the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) along with the most important commandments (Mark 12:29-31) and The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) which, as someone once said, is not the great suggestion!  My friends, we need to get back to basics where our faith and ministry are concerned.  In other words, steep ourselves in prayer allowing God to transform us that He and we in turn will bring the transformation for which many of us long not only within the city, but also, and actually primarily, within the church!  However laudable HOPE 2008 might sound, is it not simply yet another one of a long list of initiatives which circumvent the fundamental question which still rings out from Heaven to humanity; “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)?  My growing conviction over the past ten years is that it is only when the church discovers the vitality of prayer and living in the light of it that real and significant advancement of The Kingdom of God is witnessed.    Therefore, let us aspire to become more like the praying church about which we read in Acts so that our Lord will enable us also to live and work in His power and for His glory here in Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire and beyond….