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About

World Prayer Centre

At the World Prayer Centre… we pray. We also encourage people to pray and we connect people in prayer and gather people to pray.  Prayer is our middle name!

We are at an exciting time when we are developing our calling to be a house of prayer for all nations, but we have been shaped by some significant prayer principles that are integral to all we do:

  • Heaven to earth – being directed by God and not man.
  • The importance of the cross – understanding the power of Jesus dying on the cross.
  • The Word and Spirit – being guided by scriptures and encouraging us how we should pray 

Our prayers have been for local, national and international issues.

We have a networking role, working with a range of people and organisations. We bring leaders with a heart for prayer together. We believe that prayer enables mission. We are supporting a growing global movement of young prayer leaders and nation builders. We support and enable united prayer in our cities and for the land and countryside.
 
We host large national prayer events, calling people together to pray. Increasingly, we mobilise prayer through social media enabling a fast and joined up approach, and inspiring growing numbers to pray.

Alongside this, we have a vision for a World Prayer Centre building – a large facility for prayer and worship, teaching and ministry. It will glorify God in its design and be an engine room for revival.

OUR HISTORY

OUR VISION

The World Prayer Centre is a Christ-centred global house of prayer in Birmingham and a catalyst for prayer in the British Isles. It exists to inform, mobilise and encourage people around the world to pray, locally, nationally and globally which flows into mission to nations, love for families and care for the marginalised and poor in society. 

OUR VISION

OUR FOUNDATION STONES

PRAYER

World Prayer Centre is a house of prayer with a heart for the nations and within this foundation stone we find the principle of establishing continual prayer from all denominational traditions and varied prayerful expressions.

THE POOR & MARGINALISED

God has clearly given us a remit to stand with those who have no voice, to weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. This stone will be a distinctive attribute to the ministry element of World Prayer Centre.

MISSION

With the foundation stone of mission, we want to establish the preaching of the Gospel and see God’s word transform lives as it goes out. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus tells us to ‘go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

The Family

At the very heart of God is the family. We read in Psalm 86 that God sets the lonely in families and leads out the prisoners with singing. One of the physical aspects of World Prayer Centre will be the founding of a Family Centre, promoting family life by providing practical support and teaching on relationships and life issues.

OUR FOUNDATION

Our Mission

The World Prayer Centre aims to:

  • Inform people about what God is doing in the world; to educate, excite, stimulate and challenge them to develop a world-wide perspective of the global community in which they live.
  • Become a communications hub for receiving and disseminating key strategic prayer needs and initiatives world-wide
  • Stimulate and encourage Christians to pray more effectively and purposefully by providing a place in which prayer can take place in interesting and varied ways.
  • Bring those searching for truth to appreciate and experience the reality of a relationship with an active, loving, prayer-answering God.
  • Stimulate spiritual awakening in the UK, and throughout the world.
  • Promote family life by providing practical support and teaching on relationships and life issues.
  • Encourage young people in their responsibilities to themselves and the world in which they live.
  • Encourage involvement and active support to the marginalised and the poor in the UK and the rest of the world.

Achieving our goals

How We Do It

  • Equipping people to pray – through credible, accessible and current information, life stories, teaching and support.
  • Networking – promoting unity and partnership – with the movement for prayer and a range of organisations nationally and globally to bring people together to promote and encourage prayer. We also work in partnership with ministries - supporting each other and undertaking joint work
  • Inviting worship - so that prayer will flow from being in God’s presence.
  • Revealing Jesus so that the gospel flourishes and spiritual climates change.
  • Encouraging family life – Protection and healing of broken and vulnerable families, and Spirit-empowered children and young people.
  • Blessing the poor and marginalised – praying against injustice and for God’s compassion.
  • Hosting prayer events – regular prayer gatherings encouraging people to stand and pray with us. These include nationwide large-scale prayer gatherings to meet with and listen to God.
  • Prayer teaching – support through workshops, training events and national conferences, as well as speakers and input for churches and other events
  • Mentoring/coaching/consulting – we work closely with a range of people to help them grow and develop – we love to see people flourishing in their God given calling.

Statement of Faith

What we believe
  • The one true God who lives eternally in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  • The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
  • The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God-fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
  • The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
  • The incarnation of God's eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
  • The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
  • The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
  • The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
  • The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
  • The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers - given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
  • The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.

TEAM

Here at the World Prayer Centre, we are a team who are passionate about God and seeing His purposes come to pass in our nation and the nations!

Laurence Sharman

Executive Director

Laurence Sharman

With a passion to worship and a desire to see people released in worship and prayer, Laurence is a ‘no worries,’ intentional person who will seek to find a way through challenging situations. He leads World Prayer Centre and works closely with all the team members, deliberately looking for ways to help people to play to their strengths. He is a keen networker, looking at ways to connect people together for the benefit of The Kingdom, has a passion for music and runs a local choir. He believes in the beauty of family, is married to Sarah and they have six children and two granddaughters. Previously he’s worked as a worship pastor and operations manager within a local church and has managed his own business.

Jane Holloway

National Prayer Director

Jane Holloway

Jane networks across the British Isles and facilitates a number of networks including Prayer Connexions – England (which includes the Houses of Prayer network and England Prayer Watch group); Connecting the Isles (which links leaders across the British Isles) and the UK team for the German UK Prayer Bridge. She is part of the Hope Countryside Partnership, the HOPE Together Prayer Team, the Prayer Alert team and acts as a consultant to churches and organisations as required. She has previously been involved in various jobs linked with prayer and mission, including working for the UK Evangelical Alliance as Prayer coordinator and Prayer and Mission coordinator. Jane is passionate about making prayer accessible to all and seeing the church rediscover the centrality of prayer in its mission. Her role enables her to teach, mobilize, write and network across the British Isles.

Natasha Ruddock

Communications Manager

Natasha Ruddock

Natasha leads our Communications team and manages all internal and external communication for WPC. This includes managing the website, social media, compiling printed resources, establishing a clear brand for WPC and marketing what we do. She has spearheaded moving WPC towards a more digital audience in a world that is moving quickly and technology is rapidly changing.

She is married to Colin and they have a son Brandon. Together, they lead Victory Outreach church Birmingham, which is a ministry that reaches broken and hurting people, particularly those in addiction.

Diana Holder

Book Keeper

Diana Holder

Diana does the book keeping at the World Prayer Centre. She is very practically minded, and she carries a heart for prayer and people, and places a high priority on excellence. She is passionate about helping others realise their life goals and will often go the extra mile to achieve that aim.

Ian & Pauline Cole

Founders & Global Connectors

Ian & Pauline Cole

Ian and Pauline Cole are the founders of the World Prayer Centre. The vision for the World Prayer Centre was first given in 1990 to Ian Cole. Prior to that he had been involved in Christian charities since 1980. They network globally with prayer leaders and organisations around the world to mobilise prayer.

Paul Fenton

Social Media

Paul Fenton

Paul is our social media guru and is responsible for helping to produce our video content and strategy development across our social media platforms. He also works with other Christian organisations including Leading the Way, Neighbourhood Prayer Network and ROC.

Colin & Chrissie Greaves

Regional Reps North of England & the Borders

Colin & Chrissie Greaves

Colin & Chrissie have been friends of the World Prayer Centre for many years and are our regional reps in the North of England and the Borders.

Our Board of Trustees

Sheila Hendley

Sheila Hendley is a Pastor at The Net church and founder of Academy for Life urban bible school.

Ian Cole

Ian Cole is the founder and a trustee of the World Prayer Centre, 

JOEL GOODLIET

Joel Goodlet is a secondary school teacher and teaches religious education at Aston Manor Academy.

BASHIE BAINS

Bashie Bains is involved in the Coventry House of Prayer and has a real heart for worship and prayer.

JO BLOWER

Jo Blower previously helped with Communications at WPC and is now a trustee.

Connecting people
in prayer

“God blesses unity – “that they might be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:24

Working Together for the Kingdom

At a recent World Prayer Centre Conference, Rev Malcolm Duncan likens prayer to the lungs of the body. Lungs cannot operate on their own, they serve, energise and enable the body. This moves into partnering with honour, support, collaboration and working together for the Kingdom to come.

Our collaboration is on:
Prayer – bringing prayer networks together with a special link with House of Prayers.
Mission – we want to see people of all ages in all our communities come to know Jesus.
Prayer and praise – we want to minister to the Lord, declare who He is and lift up His name.
Social Justice – justice, the poor, the vulnerable and families touch God’s heart.

CONNECTING THE ISLES
CONTINENT ROOMS
PRAYER RESOURCES
HOPE COUNTRYSIDE

Our Partners

Our heart is for unity. Malcolm Duncan describes prayer as being the lungs of the body. Lungs cannot operate on their own, they serve, energise and enable the body. This moves into partnership with honour, support, collaboration and working together for the Kingdom to come.

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Contact Us

167 Newhall Street
Birmingham
B3 1SW

+44 (0)121 633 7393
office@worldprayer.org.uk

 

World Prayer Centre is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no.3601828, registered charity no.1072222

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ADDRESS

167 Newhall Street,
Birmingham, B3 1SW

EMAIL

office@worldprayer.org.uk

PHONE

0121 633 7393