Prayer

New Years Day Hope 08 Prayer Walk around Loughborough

Several hundred people gathered in the Market Place at 12 Noon on New Year's day to mark the beginning of the year in a rather special way.

Led by Salvation Army captain, Anita Purkiss they prayed for the town and released balloons before breaking into groups and walking in twelve different directions from the centre like the spokes of a bicycle wheel, to a point at the edge of town, from where they walked round to the next "spoke point" in a clockwise direction praying that God would bless the schools, businesses, churches, public offices, local meeting places, houses and residents of Loughborough in the year to come.

This pilrimage of prayer was supported by churches in the town and marked the start locally of Hope08, a nationwide initiative where the church has been challenged to "Do it more, do it together, do it in word and action".

Paul Stevens, Chairman of the local Hope08 steering group said, "We believe that the church in Loughborough are not spectators but active participators in the life of this town. To start the year we thought it would be good to "beat the bounds" of Loughborough, to mark out the town we live in and acknowledge our responsibility here."