Christians in the Ryde area are being invited to set apart 2020 hours this summer to pray for Ryde and the surrounding area.
For the 2020 hours from 10:00 on Wednesday 1st July until 14:00 on Wednesday 23rd September, those in the local area are being asked to commit themselves to pray each day.
A dedicated website has been established – www.prayforryde.org – where daily themes and other resources to guide prayers will be uploaded. A short video will be posted each morning introducing the subject so as to inspire prayers for that day.
A spokesperson for Pray for Ryde has said:
“When we began the year, we could never have imagined where we would be right now, nor the devastating effect that the COVID-19 Coronavirus would have on our lives and our community. None of us could claim perfect 2020 vision.
“For the Isle of Wight, dependent so much on leisure and tourism and all the other businesses and community groups that maintain and enrich our lives, this is going to be a hugely different summer from the one we expected”.
A number of Christain leaders within the local community are supporting this project, which has been in development for a few weeks. They include:
• Rev Kerry Birch – Ryde Baptist Church
• Rev Veronica Brown – Holy Cross, Binstead; St Peter’s, Havenstreet and St Mark’s & St Edmund’s, Wootton (Church of England)
• The Sisters of St Cecilia’s Abbey
• Rev Brian Harley – Ryde United Reformed Church
• Ven Peter Leonard – Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight
• Rev Samantha Martell – All Saints, Ryde and St Michael & All Angels, Swanmore (Church of England)
• Rev Paul Meredith – Ryde Elim Church
• Rev David Plumb – Ryde, Binstead and Wootton Methodist Churches
• The Brothers of Quarr Abbey
• Rev Sue Theobald – St John the Baptist with Holy Trinity, Ryde (Church of England)
Why???
No idea really, but if it makes them happy, it harms no one else
Christians believe prayer changes things. The Bible is full of examples of this. Ryde is a needy town in so many ways and the churches in Ryde want to bless Ryde and all who live here. Christians are already doing this through Aspire, Foodbank and Frontline Debt advice.
They needs to pray for Ryde, what with the destruction of all those lovely fields, and woods and hedges to tarmac and concrete it all to house inner city over spill. Will ruin not just Ryde but much of the Island. Likely get some terrorists in amongst them, and muggers shouldn’t wonder.
I will pray for the pubs to open by July drinking at home just ain’t the same
Please could they step it up a gear or three, and also pray for the Healing of Planet Earth? We’re going to need it.