The official launch date for the 2022 Year of NSPCI Women will take place across most of our congregations on Sunday 30th January. 

An order of service has been prepared with special prayers and readings that will be used across many of our NSPCI congregations on 30th January, focussing on the many women in our congregations who have been pillars within our communities, and also giving thanks for Rev. Lena Cockcroft on this 40th year since she was ordained as the first women minister within the NSCPI. 

The following reading will be included, as well as the prayer that follows: 

Reader 3: Great Women of the Present.
May we be women who, with holy reverence, remember irreplaceable
women from our congregation, past and present. May we honour those
who nurture us and teach us to love God. May their example of
Christian faith help transform us into the character of Jesus. May we
honour the women among us who feed the hungry, clothe the
unclothed, befriend the lonely, and comfort the comfortless, blessing
them for unselfishly loving people as God loves us. May we pray for
them as they minister to others. May we support women grieving the
loss of loved ones, comforting them with God’s word, and sisterly
affection. May we learn to encourage them as they have encouraged
us. May we cherish women pregnant with the unborn sons and
daughters made in the image of God. May we bless those women who
weep for us, rejoice with us, wipe our tears, pray for us, and laugh with
us. May we bless those who undauntedly sacrifice for us, and honour
all those who stand alongside us: those women who encourage us to
dream, who bring out the best in us, who help us bear our burdens,
and who love us without reserve. May we support those who minister
to us in this church, including [Name those who serve within the
church as Elders, Sunday School or youth ministers, musicians,
florists, caretakers, chauffers, caterers, artists, encouragers etc].
May they know our gratitude and respect for their loving service.

Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank You for fearfully and wonderfully creating each of us.
Thank You for giving us worth in Your eyes. Help us live as the one You
uniquely intended us to be. Help us to strive to abolish all injustice and
misogyny so that all over your world women may live peacefully and joyfully
as daughters of God and co-heirs with Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen