Churches are using this year’s National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast (NPPB) as a chance to host constituency breakfasts with their MPs across the country.
Once again held online due to Covid-19 restrictions, the NPPB has the theme ‘Life Beyond Covid: A Renewed Hope’. The main speaker will be the Rt Revd Prof NT Wright and the event will include prayers led by parliamentarians and hymns led by special guest singers. The online breakfast provides the opportunity to take the event to a wider audience, say the organisers, Christians in Parliament and Bible Society.
They’re encouraging church leaders to host local events where they can watch the NPPB livestream together with their local MPs and then have a discussion about how to work together in serving their local communities. Previously limited to Parliament’s Westminster Hall, this year the NPPB has the potential to reach thousands of people through hundreds of local events.
The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, Chair of the NPPB 2021 Online, said: ‘It is a real pleasure to be chairing this year’s Prayer Breakfast, which is such an important event in the Parliamentary calendar. With the event taking place virtually, we can bring even more parliamentarians, church leaders and Christians together to pray for our country, parliament, government and politics, and to reflect on the message of renewed hope that the Christian faith brings to our society.
‘Churches across the UK have played such a vital role in the response to tackling Covid this year, and it would be wonderful to see hundreds of local breakfasts taking place as church leaders and MPs come together to discuss a vision for what ‘Life Beyond Covid’ could look like for their community.’
Bible Society’s CEO Paul Williams said: ‘The National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast is a significant event for parliamentarians and church leaders, and we’re delighted that the online format allows so many more people to take part.
‘We believe the Bible can have a transformative effect in society, and I want to encourage churches to use this event to engage with local political leaders. This is a great opportunity to build bridges locally and to demonstrate the relevance of the Bible to the challenges facing us today.
‘We’re all facing up to the reality of ‘Life Beyond Covid’, and the Breakfast – with the seminars following it – is a chance to reflect together on matters that deeply affect us all and commit them to God in prayer.’
Following the Breakfast, NPPB’s principal partner Bible Society will be hosting a webinar for church leaders from 10am-11am titled ‘Re-imagining Mission’, which will include an interview with Professor Wright alongside contributions from other leading thinkers and mission practitioners. This will be followed by a programme of webinars hosted by other partners from 11am – 3pm.
Register to attend the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast 2021 Online.