A personal introduction by Malc Peirce

Full text pdf

The following document was produced by Pat Brown and myself in May / June 2000. It has been modified slightly since then in terms of grammatical and spelling corrections and layout. Three appendices have been added, namely “Reading from God’s Perspective”, proposal for a “Boiler Room” and Notes from the “Sowing Seeds” week with Martin Scott in February 1999, which now seem even more relevant than ever. (If any of these are missing please ask for them).

I would like to emphasise that events which have occurred over the past year may have affected or modified the interpretation of some of our suggestions in this strategy. In particular I would want to mention the development of 24-7 prayer in the town. This would lead me to a different set of implications and format for a prayer room in Reading and your attention is drawn to the appendix about the Boiler Room.

Pat Brown stepped down from much of her public involvement in “prayer” as of July 2000. I would like to personally thank her for all the hard work she put in for Reading in helping to develop prayer and for her personal encouragement. Russell Baylis is no longer part of the “Core Team” of leaders. Thanks go to Russell too for the years which has given to encouraging prayer across the town.

Andy Freeman has become prominent through his pioneering of 24-7 in the town over the past year and Pete Ward has taken on responsibility for the News Letter and some aspects of the Website. www.readingprayer.com has been set up to link all things related to prayer.

There have been changes to the structure of “Prayer for Reading”(PfR) / TNSP. The leaders decided to work at regionalising PfR. At time of writing there have a couple of regional meetings under this heading, but a regular format is not in place. There is still discussion as to whether “regionalisation” was the right way to go.

There is talk of a prayer room being set up – see “Boiler Room”.  ‘24-7’ at a national level are interested in getting involved. It needs a building, funding and staff.

Plans are afoot for “The Call – England” in the Madejski Stadium next year. Discussions are underway with Julie Anderson of Prayer for the Nations. This would be a call to repentance and for a turning of the youth culture. It is highly linked to the presence of the Rock Festival in Reading.

Plans are also underway for a prayer presence on and around the Festival site this year.

Full text pdf