So, we prayed for our people this year. Obviously, if you are in a huge church, this is a bigger challenge…but you also have a bigger leadership team…so make it work for you.
We had one of our leaders start and end with this stewardship prayer, then the session members had a list of members and we "went around the table" and they each read a name until all names had been spoken aloud. We were at two tables, so each table did half the congregation. It took about three minutes. (As a bonus, it then stimulated a few conversations about who people were…)
Here is the prayer: (One note: "for such a time as this" was our theme this year…you can tweak it to include your main focus.)
Generous God,
As you call us to leadership in such a time as this, as we recognize more and more each day that all we have belongs to you, as we come into our time of congregational consecration, we lift up the names of this congregation to you: (read names)
Grant them courage and blessing. Teach them generosity and grace. Make your presence known in their lives, whatever their circumstance.
We pray in the name of the one who lived a life of ultimate generosity, Jesus Christ our Lord… Amen.
