Thursday Complines (Fortnightly during Term, 8-9pm)

Once a fortnight during Term we gather - often at Revd Beth or Revd Stephen's homes, sometimes around a campfire (weather permitting), to weave extended periods of silence (using the Northstowe Sandtimers) into the ancient poetic "service of Completion" - Compline, also known as Night Prayer. Message us to confirm the venue. or join the Compline Broadcast List on WhatsApp (not a group-chat - just GDPR secure updates)

  • Please arrive from 8pm (not before)
  • Prayer start at 8.15pm,
  • Concludes by 9pm, at which point we leave in silence - giving the option for the last words of the day being addressed to God.
Download the Church of England's Time to Pray app to get the words to Night Prayer back-lit on your phone, or visit the website: Join us in a service of Daily Prayer | The Church of England

[This has evolved from the previous "Chicken Soup for the Soul" gatherings]

Prayer on Election Night (4th July)

The Compline Community will be gathering to pray, and are inviting other to join them - in person if you are able! -on 4th July, Election Night. We will draw on prayers written for Election Night, as well as praying with our familiar ancient psalms, poetic biblically inspired prayers, and silence.
 
See election-linked prayer resources

Summer Plans 

Through the summer, as people come and go, none of our regular groups will be happening in their normal way!
We'll mark the End of Term with an Afternoon Tea.

Then, through the Summer, we're all coming together to eat (second?) breakfast (or simply natter over a laid back coffee) before using a biblical account a as springboard into worship - shaped for those who come. Find us in The Pathfinder CofE Primary School on Sundays,  10-11.30am from 21st July to 18th August. [Note, no Gathering on 25th August because we're at Greenbelt]

We're also planning a BBQ for 1st Septmber.

The last Regular Compline will be July 4th. Regular Compline's will then restart on September 5th
Read all about the Summer Plans

Communion Meals

During a Communion Meal, we share in the familiar opening prayers from a communion service as we gather around the table. We then "break open" scripture - reading the biblical account of the day, and then discussing it while we eat our main course (often jacket potatoes, with each person bringing and sharing a topping). Afterwards, we reset the table with bread, grapes, and wine... and turn to the Great Thanksgiving Prayer. We retell the story of the Last Supper, and share in bread and wine. This service is filled with beautiful poetry, and a deep sense of encounter with God and each other.

We hold a Communion Meal loosely once a term, sometimes replacing a regular Compline. We love to  invite those from across the whole Northstowe Church Network.  We normally mark both  Maundy Thursday and Ascension in this way.

SAVE THE DATE: We will hold a Communion Meal during the season of All Saints and All Souls: 8pm on Thursday 7th November. Do drop us an email to express interest: full details near the time.

What is compline?

“Compline” is the ancient monastic service of “Completion”.  

In the 8th century, Benedictine monks began a pattern of praying 8 eight times a day: Matins (before dawn), Lauds (at sunrise), then Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Vespers throughout the day (each about three hours apart). Finally, at bedtime, Compline. Today, Anglican prayer books offer four such ‘offices’ – morning, midday, evening, and night. Like most prayer offices, Compline includes a confession, a reading from the Psalms and other Scriptures, written and responsive prayers, and a time for silence or extemporaneous prayer. 

This final service of the day is an opportunity to reflect on the day that has passed, to peak through a small window of Scripture into the Big Story of God’s ongoing encounter with his people, and to  draw on words hallowed by tradition as “a way to wade into the ongoing stream of the church’s communion with [God],”* as  Tish Harrison Warren expresses it. She goes on to explain “Scripted prayers—the prayers of Compline, the Psalms, or any other received prayers—are not static. As we pray them, we read our own lives back into the words we pray. Our own biographies shape our understanding of these prayers as much as these prayers shape us and our own stories.” 

* Warren, Tish Harrison. Prayer in the Night (pp. 7, 125). 

 

Want to find out more? A good place to start is Tish Harrison Warren’s excellent book “Prayer in the Night; for those who work or watch or weep”. An American Anglican priest, she combines her own personal experiences of prayer in a time of suffering [trigger warning: miscarriage and bereavement] with a rooted and thoughtful unpacking of the wonderful ancient tradition of Prayer in the Night.  

Network events with the Northstowe Church Network

We delight to be part of the wider Northstowe Church Network, and join in with termly Afternoon Teas, membership meetings, and joint special events at Festivals.
  • Read more about the Network on the About Us page
  • Find out about upcoming Afternoon Teas and other special events on the Events page

Useful Prayer Resources

Ten Minutes of Silence with our Northstowe Sand Timer

*|END:WEB_VIDEO|*

Centering Prayer (one way to pray with Silence)

‘Choose a sacred word as a symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within – e.g. Lord, Jesus, Father, Kyrie, Abba, Love, Peace, Mercy. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever so gently to the sacred word. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.’ [adapted from Thomas Keating, Intimacy with God: An Introduction to Centering Prayer, Crossroad Publishing, 1996].

Useful Prayer Apps and Prayer Podcasts

Lectio 365 - Lectio 365 is a free daily devotional resource that helps you pray the Bible every day. There is also an excellent Families edition

Church of England Daily Prayer - Access web-based  full-text versions of CofE Services of Daily Prayer, which are available in both Contemporary (Common Worship) and Traditional (Book of Common Prayer) forms and for all times of the day. Audio files are also available. With links to Time to Pray and Daily Prayer Apps.
Celtic Daily Prayer - online resources from the Northumbria Community (abbreviated from their excellent published books with a cycle of prayers and readings)

Pray as you go - Pray As You Go is a daily, audio prayer app that helps you to encounter God wherever you are. This will help you to pray whenever you find the time, but particularly whilst travelling to and from work or study.
 

Sign up to the eNews

 

Most weeks we send a general eNews, with news from across the Northstowe Church Network.
As we grow, we're hoping to start to tailor these updates, so that you get the news that really matters to you.
So, for example, if you are primarily part of the Little Explorers community, you might also/only want to get focused Little Explorers updates - please check the relevant boxes
Equally, if you are following our eNews as a prayer-supporter or friend from a partnership organization, let us know, and we'll send you occasional messages with our Big News.
The Northstowe Church Network is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Safeguarding Officer. The Diocese of Ely’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our SO. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.