Youth Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation at the Lambeth Conference

Advisories

Aim:  Communicate the hopes of a young generation for peace and reconciliation in a divided and complex world.

This 3 minute film will be played at the Lambeth Conference.

Film description:

10-20 young people (aged 25 and under) from around the Global Anglican Communion speak out prayers for the situations of conflict and division in their contexts, whilst a series of photographs representing their realities and their hopes appear.  Points for prayer could include national conflict, political divisions, community fracture, social division, or more everyday encounters – school, church, friends, culture.

Process

We will invite a number of young people from across the communion to audio record a prayer and take photos that represent the issues that they face in their contexts and something that inspires hope in them for a better future.

Each participant will be asked to pray in a similar format:

  1. Thanksgiving:  Thank God for His promises and nature as revealed in scripture.
  2. Lament:  Describe the challenges they face and how it’s affecting them, their families or their communities.
  3. Hope:  Say what they are hoping for and handing the situation over to God, welcoming in His Holy Spirit.

Instructions for Young People

  1. Record a prayer to God about a situation of conflict, disagreement or division that affects you in your context.  This could be a national conflict, political divisions, community fracture, social division or more everyday encounters – school, church, friends, culture.
  2. Pray your prayer in three parts.  You can use the following phrases to start you off:
  1. Affirm God’s promises and character from scripture.  ‘God, you have promised that…’ or ‘God, thank you that…’ ‘God, I declare that…’
  2. Lament about the situation you’re in. ‘God, we are hurting because….’, or ‘God, you know our situation, where…’
  3. Hope:  Share your hopes with God and your hope for the church as a peacemaker.  Hand your situation back to Good and welcome his Holy Spirit. ‘Please help us to…’, or ‘We ask that you would….’

For example:

Loving Lord, thank you for being present with us.  God you know the situation where there is divisive name-calling in my community.  Please help us stand with those who are hurting.  May your church be a place of healing.  Please bring your peace.  Amen.

We will use parts of your prayer to make up the 3 minute film.

  • Submit four (4) photos:
  1. A photo that represents the issue of conflict or division that you are currently facing;
  2. A photo that gives you hope for a better tomorrow;
  3. A passage of scripture from your bible that gives you hope;
  4. A self-portrait