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Elders Duties - Prayers of the People

• PRAYER IS - * Movement toward God i.e. trying to help the congregation move towards God.
  • For others - it is not a confession prayer or a thanksgiving prayer as these have already occurred earlier in the service.
  TYPES OF PRAYER - these can be characterised as -
  • Litany; see "Uniting In Worship"
  • Bidding; Opens with ..'Let us pray for [insert here the subject of this part of the prayer], followed by a short silence that is ended by the words 'Lord hear us' to which the congregation responds 'Lord, hear our prayer'. Repeat the above for each of the focus items.
  • Pastoral; [freestyle]
  • Eyes Open; [this is used where the congregation is asked to observe an object or screen image]
  • People's Ideas; when sourcing the ideas in a large space repeat what has been proposed and then do not repeat again. Give a summary of the ideas and bring the prayer to a conclusion.
  • Prayer Requests from the Prayer Book; [having regard to privacy issues it is probably safer to just read the names; if the entry is not ticked ignore]
  RESOURCES:
  • "Seasons of the Spirit" - there is a hardcopy and a CD in the church office.
  • Liaison with the officiating minister
  • Websites
  • Church of Scotland
  • Google search for "Prayers of the People"
  • Newspapers [ a source of contemporary issues and events]
  • Lectionary reading for the day
  • Books
  • Whatever source[s] used take the opportunity to adapt to your own style and comfort.
  DO's
  • Prepare!
  • Language - use your own words
  • When - know when and in which service your Prayers For Others will occur
  • Where - know from where you will lead the prayers
  • Microphone - speak into the microphone [adjust its position as necessary]; as a guide listen for your own voice coming back through the loudspeakers
  • Upwards and Outwards - keep your head up as much as possible, imagine you are addressing someone in the back row
  DON'Ts
  • Don't 'welter' i.e don't make a production of it
  • Don't preach
  • Don't get bogged down in details
  • Don't mix the types of prayer
  • Don't assume the congregation will automatically know when and with what to respond, inform them what is the key and what is the required response. Place the first key early in the prayer.
  • Don't use personal details
  FINALLY - FEEL FREE TO BE CREATIVE!

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