Our sixth Prayer Spaces Session was focused on forming a prayer space team. It’s not the Post-it notes, fairy lights and bubble tubes that make a prayer space amazing. It’s the people hosting it. Choosing the activities is the easy bit. Recruiting the right team can take a bit more time. The sixth Prayer Space Session included training content and lots of conversation around how to find and form your best prayer space team.

Susie volunteered for the first time at a prayer space in her local Secondary School. Here is what she said about her experience:

Today I went and was part of something so very special, I didn’t want to leave. The students were lovely, polite, engaging and interested in what was being offered to them. I would have never volunteered to do this normally, but I am so glad I went. I found myself challenged, stretched and out of my comfort zone. I went along in the morning, thinking what could I offer these young people? Turns out all they needed was my time and being interested in them. That was all.

In our session we discussed in breakout rooms the question ‘who do we need in our prayer space team?’ Here are some of the thoughts we had.

Fun

Creative

Friendly

Dedicated

Welcoming

Prayerful

Good listener

Patient and allow children to reflect on their own without saying anything.

Active listening skills

Empathetic

Comfortable round children

Acceptance and understanding

Calm but firm

Comfortable with all faiths

Prayerful

Guides and explains an activity well

Mix of personality, gender and age on the team

Knowledge of age group

Negotiator

Honest

Prayer warriors

An eye for design in setting up and creating awe and wonder

An eye for a bargain from charity shops to help create prayer space

Understanding that the prayer activities are for children of faith, other faith, no faith

People who understand that they are not there to pray with individuals

People who understand that the children need personal space to engage

The Prayer Spaces Sessions are a series of online seminars, interview and discussions to help us host the best possible prayer spaces in schools. They are a great opportunity to meet other people involved with prayer spaces in schools!

Our next Prayer Spaces Sessions is on Monday 19^th July from 7.30-8.30pm. Theme TBC. You can register for your free ticket here. These sessions include great training content and lots of helpful conversations. It’s not to be missed!