Prayer Space
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A ‘Prayer Space’ is very simply, but very powerfully, an area that has been transformed from its everyday use and committed to prayer and reflection through a range of tasks that encourage us to explore themes and values whilst reflecting on both ourselves and others.
Prayer space has been described by our school children as “a peaceful place to reflect to God” and as “a place where all of your stress goes away” so any time dedicated to a prayer space is incredibly precious in the business of life.
Remembrance Prayer Space
At All Saints, prayer space is a very special part of school life – bringing us together as a whole school and wider community to reflect and think of others, joining together through a common theme.
Our prayer spaces have become a much loved part of school, proving to have a profound impact on both our children, staff and visiting adults.
Our prayer spaces are all-inclusive and are set up in a way that promotes stillness with God, or more simply as time for personal reflection and special thought for others.
Every child, regardless of background or belief, engages with our reflective activities and we continue to be amazed by the deep responses and thoughtful outpourings the children share.
“The prayer space is special to me because you can just think about your worries and God will take them away”
Our Prayer Spaces always include several activities that will enable our children and adults to engage with a key theme or value through different reflections and offerings.
A wide range of stationed activities also means that the children can choose their own space and they are always free to visit the stations in any order – it’s a time for individual, alone time even with the whole class around you.
Before entering our prayer spaces, everyone takes off their shoes to help set the tone of stillness, quietness, calm and respect. Soft music plays in the background and all activities are completed with silent, deep reflection.
“Our calm, special prayer space brings fun but silence’
Our Gambia Prayer Space at Guildford Cathedral
Easter Prayer Space
In school, we have two children from each year group who form our school worship team and they are known as our worship leaders.
These children, of varying faiths and backgrounds, bring such value and service to our prayer spaces – they station themselves at each reflective activity, helping to explain, lead and model the tasks – encouraging the tone for the room.
“I really enjoy being a worship leader. It’s fun to see how other people like to praise God and it makes you feel content to know how much you are bringing in your school as a wider community. A worship leader helps the students of the school to love God and explains how to show your respect in different ways”
Visitors often comment on how moving our prayer spaces are, even if they have become a part of everyday life to us. We have found that prayer space enables our children to dig deep within and to share things from their very heart, connecting with the carefully planned activities and finding much joy and inner value from stillness and reflection.
“It takes all your fear and worries away. It also makes you realise how lucky we are to live in such a safe haven ”
Many of our children comment on the calmness of prayer space, an opportunity for them to relax and ‘a quiet place to think of others’. In our busy lives and during a busy school day, prayer space enables our children (and staff) to stop, think, consider, reflect and offer their inner most feelings in a safe and special environment.
“The prayer space is amazing because it gives you a chance to think about your actions and it has lots of activities to thank God. It’s also a good place to just switch off from the outside world”
Peace Day Prayer Space
Let Your Light Shine Prayer Space in The Gambia
‘It takes a village to raise a child’ (African proverb)
It was a real joy to share in our prayer space practice with the staff and Peace Club children at our link school in The Gambia as part of our ‘Let Your Light Shine’ project, themed around Goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals ‘Clean, Affordable Energy for All’.
While the reflective tasks were prepared in England, we bought the handmade baskets and material in The Gambia – with the perfectly fitting sunshine material picked out by our link teacher, Mr Baldeh. In advance of our trip, the Peace Club children explored the concept ‘Let Your Light Shine', creating their own drama about the importance of girl’s education - which they also shared with a local, rural village school. Building on from their thought provoking drama, the Peace Club children enjoyed the opportunity to further extend their thinking through another creative approach to reflection.
Together, through a range of reflective tasks, we all considered how we might be a light to others and how we might shine brightly - both individually and collectively.