Sunshine and Showers
Do you eagerly desire a revitalised prayer life in your community?
Prayer is foundational to our faith. It's how we communicate with God, and it is the fuel that powers our evangelism, mission and discipleship. It's the sunshine that brings a smile to our face and brings light to hidden places, and the rain that helps plants grow.
And yet, for many people, it is one of the hardest things about being a follower of Jesus, partly because it is not straightforward. Prayer is full of mystery and paradox, things that are true and yet contradictory – like the classic British weather forecast of sunshine and showers.
Sunshine and Showers is a six-session course looking at six different prayer paradoxes.
Rather than seeking to find simplistic answers, the course encourages participants to find peace in the mystery of prayer; to be able to pray despite the confusion. We embrace our experiences of prayer, feel liberated and be reassured that there is good news in the mystery.
- Prayer as friendship
- Praying as rhythm
- Forms of prayer
- When prayer is hard
- Prayers for healing
- Answering prayers ourselves
Designed for use in local churches and communities, you can order or download booklets for everyone in the group. Notes for facilitators can be found at the back of the booklet. We don’t believe in hidden knowledge or that you have to be super holy to be a leader, so everyone has the notes, but you can download them separately for easy printing.
"I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain...O Love that wilt not let me go"
Singing the Faith 636What do I do next?
- Order your printed booklets
- Download the PDF booklet
- Download the videos, and image library
- Watch the videos below - to see the whole playlist, click the playlist button in the top right or click 'watch on YouTube'
Go deeper
Have you already started or completed the course and looking to explore further? Find additional books, websites, podcasts and more here.
FAQs
How is the course led?
Anyone can lead it! Choose one person, or take it in turns. We don’t believe in hidden knowledge or that you have to be super holy to be a leader, so everyone has the notes.
We don’t have a leader, do you run sessions?
We passionately believe that everyone has the ability to facilitate a conversation space. If you need a confidence or skill boost, check out the Learning Network calendar. If you would be interested in an external facilitator, contact your District or Circuit Mission Enabler or Learning Network Officer and ask if they would consider running the course in your area.
Is it free?
Yes! Both the digital and printed versions are free for anyone to order.
Why can’t I order a printed copy?
You can! For environmental reasons, we encourage everyone to use digital copies if possible. However, printed copies are available from Methodist Publishing for those who need them.
Is the booklet available in Welsh, braille, large print, or other formats/languages?
If you would like to request this resource in an alternative format, please contact us to discuss your needs at publishing@methodistchurch.org.uk