Prayer walkers in Gloucester are hoping to pray for every one of Gloucester’s streets four times during 2025, and are using a special app to record their progress.
Pray for Gloucester 2025 is supported by an app, which allows participants to log their prayer walks, either physically or virtually. Those who prefer can also use a paper map to track their walks. The prayer walking an ecumenical effort, with one third of the 70 worshipping communities across Gloucester already involved.
The Revd Jo Pestell, Vicar at St Catharine’s and Area Dean of Gloucester City, began the initiative, hoping that it will further unite Gloucester’s churches and inspire citywide transformation.
“There are lots of difficult things going on in Gloucester,” Jo said. “Children are afraid to walk home from school in the dark. There is substance abuse, people are living in situations of poverty, deprivation and violence. That isn’t what the Kingdom of God is about. We can join together and pray for that to change. Prayer walking helps us to do this, to join in with God at work in our city.”
Since its official launch in January 2025, 155 people have signed up; they have already covered 37% of Gloucester’s streets.
“We are so encouraged by seeing how people have really taken hold of it,” Jo said. “Hopefully we will cover the whole city in a few months, then reset and go again. It would be great to pray for every street in the city four times over in the course of 2025.”
To help spread the word, there are postcards being passed out through churches across the city explaining the mission, with a QR code for people to sign up directly.
“Church leaders have been really encouraging and imaginative in helping their congregations. In one congregation, they were unsure about using the app, so they use a physical map and colour in where they have gone. They then have someone enter the information into the electronic app afterwards. People are mainly going out in groups of ones and twos at the moment, and it is my hope that people arrange prayer walks in larger groups.”
Pray for Gloucester 2025 goes back to a calling Jo had a few years ago, during a time of worship and prayer with ecumenical church leaders.
“I meet with ecumenical church leaders for a prayer breakfast on the first Saturday of each month. We come together annually to pray and worship during the Week of Christian Unity, and we regularly pray and engage in various activities as a united community. Additionally, many ecumenical parish church organisations, such as GARAS, CAP, city missions, and street pastors, play a vital role in supporting our city.
“A few years ago, during our annual time of prayer and worship, I felt that God was saying to us, as we were walking through the city in prayer, that springs of living water would come up when we walk, and lift the spiritual dynamic in the city. This calling was sitting with me for over a year, I couldn’t quite shake it.
“Last year, I came across this prayer app, and I thought that we could buy it for the city, to use in 2025. We started talking about it as church leaders last summer, and 8 different churches said that they would help to buy the app. It has come to life from there. We bought the app and created the website.
“Jesus called us to be one body of Christ, to work in unity. One way we do this is to join together in prayer and take action to bring about change. My hope is to see God’s Kingdom Come in Gloucester, as it is in Heaven.”
For more information and to get involved, visit www.pray4gloucester.uk
News Hub
