A Prayer of Dedication for a New Church Space or Building
I Couldn't Find a Good Prayer, so Decided to Write My Own!
We recently did a major renovation and change to our sanctuary.
For our official dedication of the space to the Lord, I was looking for a good congregational prayer we could pray together to formally dedicate it.
But I couldn't find anything that fit or that felt quite right for our church; a lot of the prayers were either overly formal, used archaic language, felt "stuffy" (to use a theological term), or honestly were just a little weird!
So, after about 20 minutes of searching and reading, I just decided to write my own (except for the last stanza of 6 lines which is edited and adapted from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals).
The prayer can all be said together or have one person lead and everyone respond with the bold text. Of course, the prayer could be used for other spaces as well, not just a church.
Feel free to use or arrange however you wish. Hope this helps the next person searching for a building dedication prayer!
PRAYER OF DEDICATION FOR OUR BUILDING & NEW SPACE
Almighty God,
we praise you for all you have done, are doing,
and will do in this space,
And we now declare this new space solely for your glory.
We dedicate this place; Come help us Lord!
In this place may God’s love be shared,
God’s will be found,
and may all who enter find true rest
and peace in Jesus.
We dedicate this place; Come help us Lord!
Within these walls,
may strangers be welcomed,
the lost be found,
crushed souls be consoled,
and the sounds of children always be embraced.
We dedicate this place; Come help us Lord!
Help us to remember that in this space
we gather in order to scatter,
we come in order to be sent,
and to bring your light, life, and love to the world.
We dedicate this place; Come help us Lord!
May God now bless this building from roof to floor,
from wall to wall,
from end to end,
from its foundation to its coverings
and may God’s Spirit alone
dwell within these spaces.
We dedicate this place; Come help us Lord!
In the Mighty Name of Jesus.
Amen.
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ABOUT JOSEPH
Pastor, Author, and sometimes pretends to be a scholar
Joseph (PhD, University of Birmingham) is the author of The Pentecostal Gender Paradox: Eschatology and the Search for Equality.
Since 2015, he and his wife have together pastored Oceanside Community Church on Vancouver Island, where they live with their four children.
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