Union Gospel Mission is opening its doors for a 24-hour prayer event, inviting the community to come and go as they lift up the needs of the city\u2019s most vulnerable\u2014whether for minutes, hours, or even from home.<\/p>\n
“We are hosting in our classroom in the basement, at 320 Princess Street, a time of come and go for prayer,” says Martin Chidwick, a longtime staff member at UGM. “In the past, we’ve had folks come and pray with us for an hour, sign up for an hour, and stay for three or four. It’s a time of fellowship and interaction, and prayer for the needs of our guests on the street.”<\/p>\n
UGM has seven ministries, including a soup kitchen with a drop-in centre, men’s and women’s addiction recovery programs, a Christian school, kids camps, a family ministry, and an adult education centre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We’d also like to pray into your lives as well. We always said we have a symbiotic relationship with the church, and that’s very important to us. Prayer is effective.”<\/p>\n
For People Who’ve Never Been to a 24-Hour Prayer Event<\/p>\n
Chidwick says that if someone has never attended before, they can come for an hour to start, or even let the team know they will be praying from home during a certain time.<\/p>\n
“Fellowship is so sweet. We’re not expecting you to be praying for a solid 24 hours, of course. Even if it’s 10 minutes, it’s from our hearts.”<\/p>\n
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Chidwick shares how he’s recently been meditating on the shortest verse in the Bible, and its impact. It simply reads, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)<\/p>\n
“It’s weeping, something not be ashamed of or afraid of. How else do we get alongside those who are broken, those who are lost, lonely, and in need? I’m not saying we’re going to have a lot of wailing or weeping by the way, but we’ll have Kleenexes available. The bottom line is, as the Lord leads. He is tender-hearted. He showed us the way, and we just want to be obedient to that.”<\/p>\n
The Goal of the Prayer Event<\/p>\n
Located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, UGM has been serving the community since 1933.<\/p>\n
“[My hope] is that we see the impact of changed lives from those we serve. We constantly need to have our heartstrings pulled and to move ourselves to pity the pains and agonies of those we serve. Many of us Christians know when we are being prayed for.”<\/p>\n
Chidwick says it’s important for people to remember that it’s God who does all the saving, not people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Even if it means in that 24 hours that one life gets saved, if someone knocks on the door and says they want to be part of the program, or if it’s just to feed someone that’s hungry, we know that prayer is an ongoing thing. It’s that extra effort, that extra bit of sacrifice, just to continue on challenging ourselves to be better. We want to go deeper into Jesus and how he would serve the neighbourhood that we have the privilege of serving.”<\/p>\n