This month’s Prayer of Solidarity is for the Methodist Church in Germany.

In many ways, the Methodist Church in Germany is a lot like the Methodist Church in Ireland. Membership numbers are falling, congregations are getting older, and society is becoming ever more secular.

But like their Irish brothers and sisters, German Methodists are not content to let their church slide quietly into irrelevance. They are actively looking for ways to renew their ministry, and are exploring alternative ways of doing and being church.

This month, World Mission Partnership and Methodist Home Mission have taken a team to Germany. We hope to be an encouragement to our German Methodist family, and also to gain the kind of learning and inspiration that will help Irish Methodists to renew and grow the church at home.

Let us pray for our partners in Germany.

Father,

We thank you for our Methodist brothers and sisters in Germany,

For their faithful witness over many years, and for their commitment to continuing that witness in a changing environment 

We pray for Pastor Bernd Schwenkschuster and his congregation in Metzingen, as they work to grow a church community outside the confines of a traditional church building.

We pray for Pastor Eberhard Schilling and the congregation in Nuremberg, as they seek to present the Gospel message in effective and contemporary ways.

Finally, we pray for Irish Mission Partners Gillian and Barry Sloan. We pray for the Inspire Project in Chemnitz, and for Barry and Gillian as they witness to your love in such a secular city.

Amen