Have you thought about the staff and teachers you are working with when running a prayer space in school? In the last few years it has been increasingly stressful and hard on them working in schools. 

This week we heard from Jill Phipps who has kept it simple and added a small space to the staff room. Jill said,

I have tended to do a prayer activity in the staff room every half term for the past year. I simply found a space in the staff room on top of a cupboard, put a nice cloth on it, with a big bowl containing the activity, and sometimes a pretty container of wrapped sweets – remember to replenish the sweets!   I put a notice about the activity and what to do, pinned next to it. The activities need to be quick but meaningful and easy to pick up in a short coffee break.

Some teachers have commented that they found it helpful. I called it the ‘Two- minute meditation.’

I think it’s really important to include the staff in prayer, there has been so much stress for them in the past few years. If you have time (and permission) to sit in the staffroom for half an hour dåuring break time once a week, or can pop in to the classrooms occasionally at the end of the day to have a chat with staff individually, you can pick up on concerns and items for prayer. These – if not general prayer requests-  need to be kept confidential. It’s also  good, if time permits, to stand in the playground with lunchtime supervisory staff and have a chat with them.

We absolutely agree! 

Here are some prayer activities we think might work along with a sample of Jill’s signs she made. (click on the title to open the prayer activity)

Finger breathing

Leave it there

Thank you board/ribbons

Just a minute

Under my umbrella