Do please listen to the attached MP3 of the report (see Links and Downloads, to the right of this article) if you missed the BBC iPlayer recording of the show (where the Prayer Spaces piece comes just after a Westlife song at around the 2 hours 23 minute mark). Our favourite bits are the interviews with the children.

In addition to the BBC Radio broadcast, Helen Baldry has also written an article for the Network West Norfolk website about the same Prayer Space. In it, she writes;

"The Prayer Space venture is a partnership between the CROWNS Trust and the Diocese of Norwich and it was hosted by Christians from local churches. The Rt Revd Jonathan Meyrick, the Bishop of Lynn blessed the Prayer Space and officially opened it on the Monday morning.
 
Mark Heybourne from the Diocese said, "The Prayer Space gives young people the chance to engage with God as they understand Him, wherever they are on their spiritual journey. It's an interactive place. It assumes we pray to God all the time, just maybe don't recognise it as prayer.”

All subjects at school are required to address the spiritual growth of young people so it is a mutually beneficial situation for the schools as well. Classes came to visit the Prayer Space as part of their lessons and the children were encouraged to return in their break times.

Kevin Baldwin (CROWNS TRUST) said, “The children are given a chance to put into words what they feel; things they might not usually get a chance to talk about.”
  
Many of the prayers were for brothers  and sisters and family who live away from home. Some children use the Prayer Space as a chance to say sorry for things they have done wrong. Mark said, “My favourite prayer was left after the first and youngest class had visited the prayer space. It was a prayer request for 'super powers' and a confession about 'spitting in Zach’s drink!'"
 
Kevin was surprised how many self esteem issues there were amongst year 4 and 5s. There was a mirror in the Prayer Space where the children could look at themselves with the suggestion that they have been made in the image of God. Many of the girls said they were ugly and were critical of their appearance. Helpers had a chance to speak positively with these children.

Other Norfolk schools are keen to run a prayer space. It is a good way of creating a link between the school community and the church community and an opportunity for local Christians to work with their schools."

To read the full article please visit the Network West Norfolk website.

Posted by Phil

Phil Togwell lives in a large community house in Romford (UK) with his family (three daughters - Megan, Poppy and Angel, and one wife - Emma) and various visitors and pilgrims... exploring and experimenting with rhythms of prayer, mission, hospitality, life together. Phil is learning to cook, slowly. He likes curries, mountains, lengthy late-night conversations and reading books. He dislikes cats. Phil leads 24-7 Prayer's UK team and the Prayer Spaces in Schools team.