Women’s World Day of Prayer

Friday 2nd March is Women’s World Day of Prayer: a global ecumenical movement of informed prayer and prayerful action.

This is a worldwide movement led by Christian women of many traditions who call people together to observe a common day of prayer and thanks.  More than 170 countries participate in this annual day of celebration, sharing together in solidarity, worship and God’s word.

The Day of Prayer begins on the International Dateline.  The first service is held in Samoa, then as the earth rotates – a great wave of prayer sweeps across the Pacific to countries such as Fiji and New Zealand, continuing through Asia via Japan, The Philippines, Korea, Bandgladesh and rolling across the great continent of Africa into the Middle East and onwards to Europe – then whistling over the Atlantic to the Americas and finally drawing its journey to a close as the last service of the day is held with the setting sun over American Samoa.

The service is translated into more than 60 languages and some 1000 dialects.  The themes for each service are decided by an international committee – suggestions come from all over the world and common ideas are drawn out and a theme allocated to countries that have expressed a desire to write a service.  The national committee then submits its draft service to the international executive for approval or revision – the whole process takes around 3 years from start to finish.

The offerings collected from each service is allocated to Christian projects worldwide.  The day of prayer dates back to the 19th century with a series of different days in various countries but in 1926, the women of North America decided on a common day – the first Friday of Lent – and distributed the worship service to other countries and WWDP came into being!

The movement has gone from strength to strength to become the wonderful worldwide ecumenical gathering that it is today.  It reminds each one of us of our mutual bond and interdependence and celebrates what brings us together as one, in Christ.

Please JOIN US in continuing this beautiful tradition of prayer and praise by attending the services in Putney and Roehampton on Friday 2nd March.

The service is organised by women but OPEN TO ALL!  Women, men, children and all who would like to attend will be warmly welcomed.  Please do not think the service is exclusive – rather it strives to be entirely inclusive.

The morning service is to be held at Putney Methodist Church, 11.30am

For those who live in Roehampton or are unable to make the daytime service, a lovely evening service is being hosted by the Nuns in the Convent in Roehampton High Street, 8pm