The lead up to Christmas Day is not only the busiest time in the retail sector but it is also for churches, Christians and organisations. Large numbers of people of all ages respond to invitations to attend plays, sing carols and attend services in care homes, churches and cathedrals and in pubs and community centres. For example, last year Anglican Cathedrals saw approx 131,000 people attending services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - the highest level since they were first recorded in 2000. This is our time as Christians to pray, care and share the good news in word and action!

As we travel around we could use the scriptures, the images and sounds to prompt us.

This logo is being used widely by the Anglican church and many others to invite people to Christmas carol events and services. (Isaiah 7:14)

Let’s pray for all the people working through churches, councils and agencies offering night shelter and food for those without homes, caught in poverty, refugees and on the margins of our society – that through their love, service and sharing may many encounter Jesus.

Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). We will see many lights on homes, on Christmas trees, in villages, towns and cities.

Pray for the light of Christ to break in across every sector of our nations; for God’s mercy on our nation and spiritual awakening in every village, town and city and for a turning of every heart to Jesus.

Pray for light, wisdom and understanding to be given to the Prime Minister and the government working through all the complexities of Brexit so that the decisions made can respect every nation of the UK.

PEACE ON EARTH (Luke 2:14)
In our world and society where peace is hard to find, we continue to ask for God’s peace to fill hearts and minds and bring healing. We thank our Father for all those lives that have been saved through MI5 preventing nine terror attacks in this past year. Let us continue to stand on our watch and pray for all the security forces, MI5 and MI6 and our armed forces guarding our nation here and overseas – for evil plots to be exposed and for God’s perfect love to cast out fear.

Sounds of carols and Christmas music. As you hear familiar lyrics over this Christmas season – why not ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you to sing/pray over our hurting world - for a nation, a people group, a national leader, an agency working on the front line of conflict, famine and war and refugees.

Next year will see a whole year of mission across our nation. HOPE’s dream is a growing church showing Jesus’ love and telling the Jesus story, at the heart of every community. As 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War, there will be opportunities in the year to look back and look forward. One key date is 6th January when in 1917 King George V called a national day of prayer in order to ‘bring our cause to God’. Let’s bring our cause to God at the start of 2018 as we pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Source: Jane Holloway, National Prayer Director, World Prayer Centre

“’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ”  [Jer 29:11]
 
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”  [Heb 6:19a]
 
As we look around at the state of the Church in Scotland, it would be easy to lose hope – numbers falling, church buildings closing, for the first time a majority - 51% - responding in the Scottish Government’s recent Households Survey that they have ‘no religion’.
 
However, that is not the whole story – there is a ‘stirring’ going on under the surface.  The Church has often been called the ‘sleeping giant’.  We may be experiencing a significant reduction in numbers but, as the story of Gideon’s army tells us, numbers are not everything when it comes to accomplishing the plans and purposes of God for a people and a nation!  The sleeping giant is starting to awake from its slumber!
 
Over past years there have been many local outreaches, summer missions etc., which, together with the excellent Alpha courses, have borne fruit with folk coming to Christ.   However it has been quite some time since anything on a major regional or even national scale has been seen in Scotland – possibly not since the Billy Graham crusades in 1955, 1961 and 1991. 
 
Key to these events were the number of churches/denominations working closely together and the amount of prayer before, during and after each crusade.  Since then, at national level, we have not experienced such a level of co-operation for a long time.  The nearest we have come to it was the letter co-ordinated by Pray for Scotland and signed by 16 national church leaders representing the whole Church spectrum in Scotland - a call to pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ - at the time of the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014.
 
That was until October 2016, when churches in north-east Scotland, an area with a history of revival and community transformation, combined to host Will Graham, Billy’s grandson, for a ‘Celebration of Hope’ mission.  Centred on Peterhead, the meetings were ‘live-streamed’ to Fraserburgh, Banff and Elgin.  Several hundred commitments were recorded with around half being under 25, confirming that our young folk are ‘hungry for the truth’.
 
Celebration of Hope, Falkirk:  15-17 June 2018
 
Inspired by that event, around 20 leaders in Falkirk, along with others from nearby areas, have invited Will to hold a ‘Celebration’ in Falkirk Stadium, home of Falkirk Football Club with room for several thousand, from 15 -17 June 2018.   The target catchment area is the whole of central Scotland, from Edinburgh in the east to Glasgow in the west, from Perth and Stirling in the north to the Lothians in the south, along with parts of Fife and Lanarkshire – an area with well over half of Scotland’s 5 million population. 
 
For the first time in many years leaders from different church backgrounds and different areas are working together to bring the unchanging message of the Gospel to central Scotland in a major public event, collaborating to make this weekend a success, not just for the event itself, but for the renewing and strengthening of the Church and the transformation of communities!  As we turn the corner into 2018 the pace will pick up as we look forward to a weekend of various activities with something for all ages – and the harvest to come!
 
Every church in the 'central belt', and any others who wish to, can get involved – praying before and during the event, planning to be there and to serve and support in some way, thinking and praying about who to invite, preparing for the weeks that follow – how to look after and disciple the new converts.  

60 years ago Billy's crusades had a profound effect on Scotland.  Times may have changed, but Scotland's need for the Gospel has not - if anything, the need is far greater today!  It's not about the method, it's about the message.  Can we hope, can we believe, that once again this can make a difference to our communities, to the nation?
 
Please pray:   

• That awareness amongst many churches, leading to a desire to be part of this initiative, will spread rapidly.
• For the leadership team being formed, for their protection and that of their families, for strong relationships and for unity. 
• That the right people will be raised up to serve in every area. 
• That every aspect of the detailed planning for each activity will be covered. 
• For a release of the finances required. 

 
To register your interest and receive more information as it becomes available, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the first instance and we will connect you.