WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
Friday 4th March 2016
“Receive children. Receive me”
This year’s service is to be held at St Katharine’s Church on Friday 4th March at 2.30pm followed by afternoon tea. The service has been planned by the women of Cuba.
Women’s World Day of Prayer is an international, ecumenical, prayer movement that invites women, from a different part of the world each year, to prepare a worship service through which their hopes and fears for their country may be brought before the whole world in prayer.
On Friday 4th March an estimated 3 million people in over 170 countries and islands will gather to observe the day of prayer, using an order of service written by Christian women in Cuba and translated into over 60 languages and 1000 dialects. In the British Isles alone over 6,000 services will be held.
The day begins as the sun rises over the island of Samoa and continues until it sets off the coast of American Samoa, some 35 hours later.
The theme ‘Receive children. Receive me’ reflects St Mark’s Gospel, chapter 10 verses 13-16, which is the focus of the service and a reminder that everyone is a child of God and equally worthy of our love and respect. The Republic of Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, located at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico and called ‘the Key to the Gulf. Politically at odds with the USA, Cuba suffered greatly due to the economic embargo imposed upon it in 1960 but has found strength within itself to move on and overcome many of its problems.
This is not a day of prayer just for women – everyone is welcome to attend the service and for further information and resources, together with de tails of the services in your area, please see the WWDP website: www.wwdp.org.uk