About 25 people from Charleswood Community Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba gathered together in January for a contemplative night of prayer and discernment.
For each person, the question was: what would be their word for the upcoming year?
The evening was a time to slow down.
It was a prayerful way to begin the new year and to be mindful of the presence of God in their own lives.
Prayer and Scripture shaped the evening as people were invited to consider what God might be calling them to for 2024.
As people chose their word, they wrote them on a rock to keep as a physical reminder.
Hope. Peace. Perseverance. Discernment, Fullness.
These were some of the words that will anchor some of these people for the year ahead.
The evening concluded with a concert of prayer as people shared and prayed for each other.
Becky Hall, the Director of Worship Ministries, was encouraged by the turnout and the participation.
It was a new practice for many – yet they were willing to try something new and to pray in a new way.
As someone interested in congregational spiritual formation, she saw this evening as a way to grow in the love and truth of Jesus.
God is at work and drawing people to Himself in a deeper way.
This is the generosity of God.