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Education Sunday
Education Sunday is on 31 January. Christians and churches across the land will be marking the occasion by celebrating local schools' work and praying for where the gaps are.
What is Education Sunday?
 The Pray For Schools website says, "For well over a hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education. The theme is devised by an ecumenical steering group representing different Christian denominations and organisations. There are so many aspects to education that need our prayers and God’s help."
For some years it has been celebrated on the ninth Sunday before Easter.
Matthew writes in Chapter 7 about the ‘wise and foolish’ builders and there is a song that goes something like this –
‘The wise man built his house upon the Rock, the wise man built his house upon the Rock, the wise man built his house upon the Rock — and the house on the Rock stood firm.’
The more we pray for God to work in our schools and colleges – the more they will be built on good firm Christian foundations. The Education Sunday materials can be used by Pray for Schools groups and individuals as well as churches to pray intentionally for schools. (See below for a link to materials.)
In Thurrock, schools' prayer is a gradually developing revelation. Since the days of the Thurrock Christian Schools' Worker Group (TSCWG) in the late 90s, Christian parents, governors, teachers, and in some cases pupils and students, have taken up the call to pray for their local school. Some of these groups meet in homes or churches, and some meet on campus.
  Schools' work itself continues in a number of guises. Steve Morley (left) and Malcolm Mackinnon (right) are currently the borough's dedicated schools' workers. While Steve is winding down his work, Malc is adding to his growing portfolio (ask Transformation Thurrock for his details). Both do assemblies and lessons, Malc having the additional skill of being an artist. Of course, many ministers across the borough are involved in taking assemblies as well, and being on governing bodies and so on.
In some areas of the borough, moves are afoot to bring to schools a new project - initiated by 24-7 Prayer in partnership with Pray For Schools - to develop prayer rooms for pupils and students as part of the curriculum. This is an exciting and innovative idea which is proving successful in other parts of the country, and is in itself worthy of our prayers. For more information on this please contact Carla Taylor via Thurrock Christian Fellowship.
GSUS Live returns to Thurrock for the fourth time in Autumn 2012.
There will be another Thurrock & Havering Schools' Prayer Day around the end of September/early October. Last October's at Aveley Methodist Church appears on the Pray For Schools' website.
Please do something for Education Sunday, and involved your young people. Remember that much of Britain's education was founded by Christians along Christian principles, built on the rock that is Jesus. We need to pray and act because that rock is being eroded by worldly values, political correctness, liberal philosophy and an unbelieving agenda.
Dear Father
Thank you for all the people you are raising up to pray for all aspects of education in this country. Thank you for our schools and colleges, our teachers and staff. You bless us abundantly in so many ways. Equip us to serve you on Education Sunday and beyond. Be close to us as we prepare what is on your heart for this special day. Help us to hear your still small voice of guidance and encouragement in all that we do.
In your name Jesus
Amen.
Education Sunday resources: www.educationsunday.org.uk
To register a school prayer group: www.prayforschools.org
GSUS Live: www.gsuslive.org
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Tim Harrold, 18/01/2010 |
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