Part of Thy Kingdom Come and our Rhythm of Life
This May over 80 people took part in a nine‑day journey from the 15th to the 23rd that spanned the whole Diocese of Bristol—an adventure of prayer, story, and hope. We walked, prayed, and sowed seeds of God’s kingdom in every corner of our diocese. The pilgrims visited 53 churches, 3 school communities and one sports centre, praying for each community and experiencing rich hospitality along the way. Over 130 people across the diocese were involved in offering prayer and hospitality, leading acts of worship, washing feet, sharing showers and food. At the heart of it all was the transforming power of God's Holy Spirit walking with us each day. Many of those who walked and those who hosted found it a profound experience of Christian community and discipleship. Walking for 10 hours, listening, praying, exploring our call together was a huge encouragement to keep going.
Along the way we experienced powerful lessons from nature, from the contrasting urban environments, and from the people we encountered along the way.
If you weren't able to join us in person you can relive some of the experience by following it on Polarsteps using the link below where each stop is recorded with pictures and reflections from the pilgrims.
Relive the Pilgrimage on Polarsteps
Click here to explore our journey
You can either visit the site using this link, or for a better experience download the Polarsteps App and you can follow what we got up to throughout the nine days.
Were you unnable to take part or only able to walk part of the route?
If you were only able to walk one or two days or could not join the pilgrimage the maps of the routes are available on line and you are welcome to download them and walk them in your own time. If you would like to use the same readings and prayer formats as the Pilgrims they are available for download in the next section below.
Explore the routes through each deanery here
Resources for use on your pilgrimage
Download the pilgrimage prayer liturgies
Download the readings and some suggested prayer themes for each day
Download a Finger Labyrinth for your own personal pilgrimage use
A Journey rooted in Prayer
Each day followes a gentle rhythm of prayer, reflection, and fellowship. As we walked from parish to parish, we paused at local churches and schools to pray for God’s work in each community and deanery—lifting up the people, ministries, and possibilities of every place we passed through. On your journey be open to encounter God through his word, creation and the people you meet along the way. As you do your own walk we invite you to share our special pilgrimage prayer.
Sowing seeds and growing Faith
Along the way we carried seeds from place to place, planting them as we went—a simple, powerful sign of the growth that God brings. Those seeds will mark our route and remind us that the kingdom of God is always taking root, often quietly, but always with promise. You can find where we planted the seeds by looking out for the Pollinator Pathway notices that we have gifted to each church that welcomed us.
