PRIORITISING ENGAGING THE NEXT GEN IN FAITH SERIES
Praying for someone else is such a beautiful way to build them up and support them on their life journey, and people of all ages have signed up to do this at Sydenham Baptist Church (SBC).
Children, Youth and Adults Pastor Georgia Cedras has introduced Prayer Pals at SBC, which is a mentoring initiative that matches grownups with young people to encourage them through prayer.
“The idea was that one generation would be praying intentionally for the next. This can make such a massive difference in young people’s lives as they grow, from children through their teen years. It feels like something we can all do – it doesn’t require any special gifts or abilities. Anyone can be a part of it, and it shows that people care.”
Georgia said Prayer Pals was very easy to coordinate. “It’s very simple, but I think prayer is simple too and it’s wonderful to pray for others. This initiative aligns with the principle that having someone know who you are and know your name is a massive contributing factor to people feeling part of the church family and choosing to remain part of it into the future.”
More than 100 young people signed up to be mentored, and then a launch event was held where potential mentors chose an anonymous silhouette of a young person to be their mentee. Georgia asked the young people to share more details with their mentor such as their favourite colour, favourite activities, and “who is God to you?”
The mentors are encouraged to pray every day for their Prayer . Some who signed up were not regular attendees, and mentors committed to pray for them as they grow up.
“The program only started at the end of last year, and already we’ve seen some of the older people introduce themselves to their Prayer Pals, and lots of intergenerational relationships happening. Some of the participants are only two or three years old so the mentor has made friends with the parents as well. People are talking together on a Sunday where before they didn’t know each other very well. I think the adults have loved it as much as the children. It has given them a tool that enables them to approach the young people and have a chat. I think sometimes we’re as scared of young people as they are of us!”
Providing opportunities for all generations to connect is a strong focus at SBC this year as they continue their Next Gen church service, which focuses on the youth while also celebrating the prayer support and the faith-building life examples that previous generations continue to provide.