Thousands of pupils across the North of England have joined together to say “The Lord’s Prayer”.

Around 250 schools took part in The Lord’s Prayer Collective Moment which encouraged schools to pause at any time during the day — in assemblies, classrooms, or collective worship — to pray together.

Ahead of the event, the schools received an introductory video and other creative resources to help engage pupils of all ages.

Dale Starr, assistant headteacher at Monk Fryston CE Primary School said: "We absolutely loved being part of the Lord’s Prayer moment. It was such a special opportunity to feel connected to something much bigger than ourselves, and it gave us a meaningful chance to talk together about the Lord’s Prayer and reflect on what it really means to us, it really was a wonderful experience for our children.”

The collective prayer was part of the Faith in the North initiative which aims to encourage and support discipleship and prayer and help enable a growth in church planting and revitalization. It’s hoping to see 3,000 New Worshipping Communities across the North.

Theo Sheridan-Watts, Program Manager for Faith in the North, praised the collective moment as a beautiful expression of unity, hope, and living faith: “It is deeply moving to know that across classrooms and halls, children and young people came together to say the words Jesus taught us. The Lord’s Prayer connects us to God, to one another, and to the story of faith in this land.

“I am grateful to all the schools and teachers who made this moment possible, and I pray it will inspire a new generation to pray and live out these words of Jesus.”

Faith in the North is providing free resources for individuals, churches and schools to explore the Lord’s Prayer, pilgrimage, heritage and baptism over the next three years.