Dear God, Creator of us all,
We come to you with joy and praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for your faithfulness in bringing about the miracle of the establishment of the new church building.
May this church serve as the place where many are saved from their life of sin and separation from you by experiencing the redeeming power of Jesus Christ in their lives. May many be saved. (I John 1:9; Romans 10:9)
May many learn the Scriptures. (2 Timonthy3:16)
May many experience the power of prayer. (Matthew 18:19)
May many grow in discipleship and friendship with Jesus Christ. (Mark 8:34, John 15:15)
May this building shine the light of salvation of Christ in this city and throughout this region. May many be baptized here. (Matthew 28:19)
May many be joined in true Christian marriage with Christ at the center of their marriage. (Mark 10:9)
May this be a place of true worship, thanksgiving and praise. May this be a place of hope and healing, a place of joy and peace. (Psalm 22:3)
May no weapon formed against this sacred place prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)
May all opposition and proud spirits be cast out through the power and protection of Jesus Christ. (Proverbs 16:18)
May each person who enters the property know they are on holy ground. (Exodus 3:5)
May they lay aside their personal agendas and seek the perfect will of God. May they confess their sins and avail themselves of Christ power to live new lives. (Matthew 6:10)
May they be supportive of one another in Christian love and community. May the love of Christ be at the center of all that takes place here. (I Corinthians 13:13)
May your Holy Spirit inhabit this place and may your glory shine here for countless generations to come. (2 Chronicles 7:1-3, John 1:14)
Amen.
All things are Thine; no gifts have we,
Lord of all gifts to offer Thee;
And hence with grateful hearts today
Thine own before Thy feet we lay.
Thv will was in the builder's thought;
They hand unseen amidst us wrought
Through mortal motive, scheme, and plan
They wise eternal purpose ran.
In weakness and in want we call
On Thee, for whom the heavens are small.
Thy glory is Thy children's good;
Thy joy, Thy tender Fatherhood.
O Father, deign these walls to bless;
Fill with Thy love their emptiness.
And let their door a gateway be
To lead us from ourselves to Thee.
Almighty God, whom the heavens cannot contain, but whose will it is to have a house on earth where Your honor dwells, and where people may continually call on Your Holy Name, be pleased to enter into this house which we now consecrate to Your Name. We set this house apart from all common and worldly uses as a sanctuary of Your presence, where we may gather for worship and fellowship; where we may celebrate new life through the sacraments; where we may confess our sins and receive your forgiveness; where we may study your Holy Word; where we may administer the business of your church; where we may dedicate our lives, our time, our talents, our treasures for the advance of Your kingdom; where we may meet together as your family, to enjoy Your gifts and blessings; where we may come in quiet meditation, in prayer and with mutual love, and experience Your Presence and Glory as you dwell among us in wisdom and truth, we pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Almighty and Eternal God, be pleased to dwell in this place now dedicated to Your Name and to bless us who have gathered together to give this place and ourselves to You this day. Let this house and every part of it be used to glory You, O God; let it be devoted to Your service. Let it be a place where Your Presence dwells and Your glory is revealed as we use it to prepare Your people for the abundant life here which You have promised, but as well, for the life that is to come for all eternity. May this people continue to praise and worship in spirit and in truth as we consecrate ourselves this day to building your Kingdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Father, we honor you here in this place. You rule the nations; your Son Jesus sits at your right hand until he has put every enemy under his feet, the last enemy being death. You are God, who made the world and everything in it. You are Lord of heaven and earth and do not live in temples made by man, nor are you served by human hands, as though you need anything, since you yourself give to all mankind life and breath and everything.
So Father, we come to you this morning, not to give you something you need, for you need nothing. But in view of your great mercy, we come to offer ourselves to you this morning as living sacrifices - individually, our families, and this church, and we do it here in this new building we meet in. Father may it be used to further your kingdom.
May this be a place where sinners find their Savior and the prodigal is welcomed by you, a generous and compassionate Father. May this be a place your saints, young and old, are encouraged in the gospel, equipped for service, sanctified in the truth, and joyously assured of the eternal redemption Jesus has earned for us. Where the wounded receive comfort for their souls, the weary are revived, the despairing are filled with hope, the depressed filled with joy, and the sick are healed. Where the thirsty find satisfaction and the hungry are filled up.
May this be a place where your word is honored and trembled at; where your people are perfecting holiness in the fear of you; where friendships are established and deepened and many sins are covered by love.
Where you Father seek and find worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. And Jesus, our Head receives honor and praise – his cross boasted in, the power of his resurrection lived in, and his second coming hoped for. May the Spirit of God, the heavenly Dove, finds a friendly place to land and to dwell.
Father I pray for serious disciples to be made here – blood-bought, Spirit-filled, word-saturated, sold-out, cross-bearing disciples who make an impact on the nations of the world.
Father, I pray that as we gather week after week, we would be filled up with your Spirit, equipped in all kinds of ways for all kinds of service and sent out to touch the world around us – a world so desperately in need of good news!
All of this we pray in the name of Jesus and for your glory Father. Amen.
Lord of our past and our future, the ancient Israelites remind us that our worship and ministry space does not contain or enclose you, but it is a place for us to catch a glimpse of your eternity. As we gather in your presence and seek your blessing, hear now our prayers.
Lord of our past and of our future, you have been faithful to us. May we be faithful to you. The work on the building is complete, but your work of building has just begun. Build us into a stronger congregation, a stronger witness to your love, and stronger missionaries to the world. May we continue to open our doors to our community and open our minds to your transformation.
Lord of our past and of our future, we dedicate to you today our new ministry space. From the front door to the back hallway, may we be a place of hospitality and grace. As we dedicate our renovated building, we pray that new floors, rebuilt walls, even unseen ceiling ducts, foundation work, and repaired roof might proclaim that this is a place of welcome and love.
Lord of our past and of our future, as guests and members alike eat meals in the Roger Williams Room, stay overnight with Family Promise, study and learn together in Sunday school classrooms, or worship in the sanctuary, we pray that you would be honored and glorified, and that the building would not be a distraction or a hurdle to the work of ministry here.
Lord of our past and of our future, today our worship space is almost completed. Some parts are new. Others have been here from the beginning. Today, we dedicate the whole space to you, as we honor and glorify you:
Bless these seats, that they who worship here might join their spirits with your Spirit.
Bless this chancel, that the word spoken here might prophetic, powerful, and respectful.
Bless these instruments – the piano and the organ – that they might help us to praise your name.
Bless this stained glass window, reminding us that we must view our world through the lenses of your eyes.
Bless this table, that the story of grace might remind us how we are to live out your love.
Bless this wall, which reminds us that we enter into a holy and sacred space.
Bless these handbells, so that every child to ring and sing here might know the One whom they praise.
Bless all who are baptized here, that they might be raised to walk in newness of life, and that we might all be reminded of the new life you give us every day.
Bless the narthex, that it might be a place to welcome the stranger, and welcome back the friend.
Lord of our past and of our future, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from your hands. We thank you that for the past 160 years, Lawrence First Baptist Church has been in partnership with you in mission and ministry. We strive to be your faithful people. Teach us to seek first your will, and then to be stewards of all you have given us, gifts of time, of financial resources, and of skills and talents. Believing that through Jesus, you hear and answer us, we pledge ourselves to the building of hospitality as you have commanded, inviting all to life in Christ and His Church.*
And it is through Jesus that we pray, and that we are reminded indeed how to pray, as we together say the words that he taught us:
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen
God, from whom every good thing takes its start and receives its steady and full growth; grant, we beg of You, that what we commence for the glory of Your name may be carried to completion by the ever-present aid of Your fatherly wisdom; through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Let us pray.
Lord God almighty, bless this apartment (or home), that it be the shelter of health, purity, and self-control; that there prevail here a spirit of humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the commandments, and gratitude to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May this blessing remain on this place and on those who live here now and always.
All: Amen.