Redeeming Our Communities Case Study 2: Lincoln
The Lincolnshire Christian Police Association have launched a “Prayer Watch” where police and Christian groups get e-mails alerting them to crimes in their area, allowing congregations to focus their prayers on specific incidents such as burglaries and violent attacks.
Lincolnshire road fatalities were increasing, and despite the best of intentions by the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership these annual figures were showing no signs of decrease. Lincolnshire was at the top of the league for road deaths per capita of population.
Brian Keel, Pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship, writes:
“ A small group of concerned people met because we sensed that as believers we could not just accept the present situation, but that we were being ‘encouraged by the Holy Spirit’ to do something. “Lincs to Prayer” started in 2002 and have been building up good relationships with their local police force and seeing results.”
Inspector Andy McManus, of Lincolnshire Christian Police Association, admitted he was expecting a sceptical response.
'I know that praying can make a difference in my work, but it's all a question of faith,' he said.
He claimed winter casualty rates on the roads have been cut since the Bishop of Lincoln started blessing the council's fleet of gritting lorries.
'We pray over the gritters in the winter and the casualty reduction rate has plummeted, it really has.'
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Police published these figures –
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Year
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Killed / Seriously Injured
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Fatalities
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2002
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739
|
104
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2003
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627
|
93
|
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2004
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517
|
74
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2005
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438
|
69
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2006
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330
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64
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 | 