Dover First Moravian Church began a series of prayer walks this year, leading one guided walk in March and another in September. Prompted by a young member’s idea and supported by church leadership, these walks combine spiritual reflection, physical activity, and congregational engagement.
Cloey, a current 10th-grader, suggested creating a walking group within the congregation, which reminded Carolyn Menapace, the congregation’s Director of Faith Formation, of a prayer walk idea that she had come across several years ago. With input from Pastor John Wallace and the congregation’s Christian Education Committee, Carolyn planned one prayer walk for spring and one for autumn.
The inaugural walk in March took participants from the church, through town, and finally through a local cemetery. The group made several stops along the way where Cloey and Carolyn led responsive readings and Pastor John shared historical reflections about their congregation, the city of Dover, and the cemetery. Everyone was also encouraged to use breath prayers as they quietly walked between the stops. Despite the cold and windy weather, 15-20 participants joined.
In mid-September, the second prayer walk focused on using all of our senses to appreciate God’s creation as summer turns to autumn. Participants spent about an hour at the Dover City Park, intentionally devoting the time to prayer. Three stops along the walk allowed the group to re-focus on seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling God’s gifts in the nature around them. The walk ended with the participants actually tasting creation as they enjoyed local, seasonal fruits and vegetables and a closing time of fellowship.
Thank you to Courtney Wallace for sharing these photos of the autumn prayer walk!
