Members of Transformations Ireland have been praying regularly since 2000 for the transformation of our towns and cities. This has included the Global Day of Prayer at Stormont, attended by over 10,000. Local man Jonathan Leakey, who many will know through Ballymena House of Prayer, is on the Transformation Ireland Committee.
They are currently focusing on prayer for different towns and cities throughout all of Ireland in a series called #UPSURGE. This week the feature town is Ballymena.
Here’s a slightly shortened version of their Ballymena points for prayer in #UPSURGE. To read the complete article and keep up to date with the #UPSURGE series, including Ahoghill which was featured earlier this month, click here.
#UPSURGE 7
Pray for BALLYMENA
Ballymena’s economy has been badly hit by the ongoing financial crisis, with many small and large firms closing, or due to close with the loss of jobs. In Ballymena and surrounding area there are 44 schools including primary, post primary and specialist schools. Ballymena hosts 2 campuses of the Northern Regional College. There are 35 different churches with a high level of church attendance.
– Pray for the company owners and managers whose firms have had to close or will be closing soon; for individuals and families affected and about to be affected by job loss; pray for successful redeployments and new business initiatives.
– Give thanks for and pray for the many Christian principals and teachers in the local schools. Pray also for Rachel Sheppard, the Ballymena Scripture Union Schools worker.
– Give thanks for, and please pray for, various cross-church initiatives that include:
1. Ballymena House of Prayer is now in its 6th year, has a weekly rhythm of Friday morning prayer (6-8am), and a monthly Prayer of Blessing that has been hosted by 13 different churches
2. Without Walls, encouraging rhythms of inter-church Kingdom praise, prayer, fellowship & outreach;
3. The Church Page web-portal highlighting the work of the churches and other Christian ministries in the town and area.
4. The Voice of Hope adult choir and Raise the Roof youth choir.
5. The annual Spark youth outreach.
6. The Ballymena Church Members Forum – promoting unity, cross-community reconciliation and dialogue across the denominations.
– Pray for the inaugural meeting on Thursday 28th April of the new council’s Working Group for the Syrian Vulnerable Persons’ Relocation Programme, formed to determine the Council’s response to UK decision to welcome 20,000 Syrian refugees to the UK over the next 5 years.
– Please pray for a new inter-church outreach initiative due to start on Thursday, 28th April and set to run for nine weeks. “Community Mission Ballymena” will involve Christians from across the town gathering each week in different communities across as the Holy Spirit leads, in conjunction with the GODMODEX ministry bus.
Transformations Ireland #UPSURGE – Pray for Ballymena
To find out more about Transformations Ireland and #UPSURGE check out their website here. You can also keep up-to-date with Transformations Ireland news and events on their Facebook page here.