Prayer boxes offer families the resources to express their faith at home

An empty box has always invited play and imagination – whether it becomes a den or a treasure box.  The idea behind a Prayer Box is to invite families to consider how they might like to pray and express faith at home in a non-prescriptive way that allows for imagination and play. A Prayer Box can be tailored to suit all ages and families can utilise the resource in their own way creating an experience that is unique to them. 

Some benefices have already been experimenting with the Pray Box idea… 

In the Tove Benefice, Towcester a ‘Flat Jesus’ has been introduced that can be coloured. The idea, inspired by the well known children’s book ‘Flat Stanley’ was to help families think Jesus going everywhere with us, and to look for opportunities to talk about Him. Some children from the benefice took their ‘Flat Jesus’ into the local care home to visit their grandparents starting inter-generational conversations about faith.

The Welland Valley Benefice in the Corby Deanery are introducing the Prayer Box concept through their Messy Church. Children & Youth worker Fiona said ‘we need to model how to pray for children and their adults alike. We can’t assume that people know how to pray’. Welland Valley Benefice have begun working directly with their Messy Church attendees to put together ‘Chatting to God’ boxes to discover what resources would be helpful for families to help prompt prayer at home. 

Find out more about creating a Prayer Box and how you might encourage families to pray at home here. 

If you’re already using prayer boxes in your benefice and have a great story to share, send the details to communications@peterborough-diocese.org.uk