Our loving God, we thank you

for the heritage of worship, work and witness into which we have entered, and of which we are part, at Amersham Free Church;

for all who pioneered the church here and all who have been its ministers, leaders and members through its story of nearly 100 years.

and we pray now

for the process of reflection and planning for the future in which we are engaged.

Guide us by your Holy Spirit

that our services of worship may be a worthy offering to you and may attract, include and inspire people of all ages;

that our inner life of prayer and our attention to scripture may be nurtured, and that the journey of faith may not be seen as the province of a few;

that children and young people may be listened to, encouraged, and challenged to become committed Christians;

that our church premises may convey a message of openness, be a means of Christian service, and forge effective links with community groups;

that we may be reaching out to those on the fringes of faith or outside it and be proactive in meeting social and community needs;

that we may express solidarity with our neighbouring churches and develop imaginative strategies for involvement in world mission and justice issues.

Give us the vision and clarity that we need:

show us the specific directions we should take,

give us the courage to experiment and move forwards,

enable adequate resources of money and personnel to be found for the vision to be carried forward into action.