Partner ministry profile
Chris Wickland, Senior Pastor of Living Word Network, Hampshire, is one of HEART’s Partner Pastors. His prophecies have often featured in the paper, as well as the vision he received for the need to be a ‘Joseph generation’ and prepare wisely for the days ahead. His church was gifted an acre of farmland to grow vegetables and now has permission to build a sanctuary that will restore “long lost rhythms of life and prayer”
Having graciously and generously been gifted land and prophetically directed to build a sanctuary within the allotment (Ezekiel 48:8), we have dutifully submitted plans for just that!
It is set in the beautiful Hampshire countryside alongside the banks of the River Meon where, centuries ago, St Wilfrid successfully evangelised the Meonwara tribe and established churches that still stand today.
We are also within a stone’s throw of Titchfield Abbey, which brought an ordained priesthood and improved the fortunes and economy of nearby Titchfield, so we are surrounded by a legacy of prayer and preaching of the Gospel.
People praising God in song, praying together, sharing the Gospel or simply chatting as they weeded among the beetroot
Having been led prophetically along the ancient paths, we are pursuing God with a vision of prayer-filled unity. This project brings together a theological understanding and a practical working out of our own ancient faith, spanning 2,000 years, to plant and to build right here in 2023, “For such a time as this.”
Our proposed building seeks to bring a monastic church community into the everyday life of the modern day Church.
The plans allow for residential hospitality, where visitors can stay and pray, learn the rhythms and take a liturgy of life back to their own communities. There are plans for a prayer garden and community food production via the current productive allotment.
Our vision is both spiritual and practical. We envisage opportunities for consistent prayer and fellowship, incorporating monastic ideals such as praying the hours, working the land, praying for our land, hospitality and enterprise. We are excited to re-ignite within the body of Christ a passion for community, prayer and the simple Gospel of Jesus.
We want the facilities to offer the Church an opportunity to reinstate long lost rhythms of life and prayer, to fill the skies and our land once again with an offering of prayer and praise to the Lord. All our work will then be able to come from a place of rest, where our endeavours and enterprises are first and foremost prayer-soaked pleas.
We humbly want to offer a set apart place dedicated to God where he might settle his presence.
We’ve already seen how a simple (rather large!) vegetable garden has affected lives, developing organic community, friendships and fellowship.
I’ve personally had the joy of walking past people praising God in song, praying together, sharing the Gospel or simply chatting as they weeded among the beetroot. The current project has produced so much more than just the vegetables we share and our hope is to see God’s vision of a praying community be a reality in modern day Hampshire.
There’s a long planning road ahead of us and prayers for favour and success are very much appreciated.
In all ways this needs to be the house that God built.
Churches, ministries and Christian businesses are invited to partner with HEART newspaper. In return for monthly donations (from £50) they receive a regular advert and can set other adverts against the cost of their donations.
For details, email admin@heartpublications.co.uk for a Partner invitation pack