The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity gives Christians an annual opportunity to continue their quest for the unity they already share in Christ. It is also a time to gather in praise of the Triune God and to deepen the understanding of the ecumenical movement. By joining in this annual celebration Christians raise their voices, hands and hearts to God, seeking the fulfillment of the prayer of Jesus, the Son of God, “that they all may be one.”
Here are some suggestions to assist you in observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and celebrating the theme. This is by no means a comprehensive listing. We hope that as you create your own opportunities of prayer for Christian unity you will share those with others.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
If churches in your area have not observed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity before, or for a long time, consider gathering together a small and representative group of Christians who would be willing to work together on ways to celebrate in your community. Call on your congregation and the two or three in your immediate area. You could also call on local ecumenical agencies, councils of churches, ministerial associations or ecumenical commissions.
If your congregation is hosting the events this year, remember to invite other Christians from your neighboring congregations to be part of the planning. That way, your celebration can be as ecumenical as possible. An ecumenical prayer service should be used. If so, liturgical roles should properly be shared. See the Ecumenical Celebration of the Word of God.
Think about promotion. Write press releases that share your plans in your community for the celebration of Ecumenical Sunday (the Sunday within the Week of Prayer or the second Sunday if there are two) and other Week of Prayer events and activities. These can be publicized in church media (parish bulletins, congregational newsletters, diocesan newspapers or bulletin boards) and in local secular media (newspapers, television and radio). Find out if members of your committee or from the participating congregations may be involved in communications, public relations or the news media.
Invite editors of print, radio and television media in your area to a planning meeting, so that you can learn what they might see as newsworthy in your Week of Prayer plans. Alternatively, hold a news conference to offer highlights of community ecumenical achievements.
While coverage of the Week of Prayer events is an appropriate suggestion, an intriguing story on some critical issue affecting interchurch life and witness today may have special interest and appeal for readers and viewers—especially the local reading and viewing audience.
Share information about the Week of Prayer on your own social media channels and encourage your followers to do the same on their channels.
Establish a page on your local church website on the theme and special events planned for the Week of Prayer.
At the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity gather your planning group and other interested persons for an evaluation of your local observance of the Week. At this meeting, try to get a commitment for next year. You could also consider setting up an ongoing ecumenical task force for your area to promote other prayer services throughout the year as well as other ways to promote the ecumenical movement through Bible study, lectures, social justice projects, etc. See Christian Unity Throughout the Year.
SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS
The celebration can fall on any day of the week. Ecumenical Sunday — the Sunday falling within the Week of Prayer — or the first or last day of the Week often works well. These services of prayer tend to be easier to schedule as evening prayer services. In some communities Christians come together to pray for unity at another time of the year. The materials provided may be used flexibly.
If possible or permitted, include in each service leaders, readers and choirs from the various participating congregations. Follow the service with refreshments and fellowship.
Have pulpit and/or choir exchanges, observing the norms of reciprocity of the participating churches.
Ask the other churches to do the same for your events. Encourage attendance and participation in one another’s events, mindful of the norms of each community.
Include a petition for their success in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “that they all may be one.”
This is a fun way to enjoy the artistic contributions of different faiths.
Have them be conducted by guides who can share each church’s art, architecture, history, organization, liturgical traditions, membership profile, outreach programs, etc. Conclude with a time for refreshments and fellowship.
Do this on Ecumenical Sunday or another time during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Display media materials from these agencies. During the prayer services, call for an offering of food, clothing and money designated for these agencies.
It can feature theologians, ecumenical specialists/staff, spiritual directors or social justice leaders.
This is a perfect way for your congregation or a group of congregations in your area to learn more about living a faithful Christian life ecumenically. Update your community on the progress being made and the hurdles yet to pass on the road to Christian unity.
Ask representatives of ecumenical groups, agencies, communities of prayer and interchurch marriage and family support groups to share materials at an ecumenical fair during fellowship hour following your Sunday service/liturgy or during an afternoon or evening program.
Mimes, musicians, storytellers and crafts persons offer unique ways to develop future ecumenists. In the context of an Ecumenical Sunday fun fair, families and individuals can experience ecumenism and perhaps become more deeply involved in building unity among the churches.
Essays, prayers, art and posters can involve young people in an effort to articulate and illustrate the quest for Christian unity or the 2024 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity theme. Offer prizes, display the entries and include the winners in a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity event.
Include catechists and Sunday school teachers, parish councils and vestries, finance committees, youth, seniors, men’s groups, women’s groups, interchurch families for prayer, socializing and informal sharing of experiences.
Consider using the daily Scripture guide and questions for reflection for these gatherings. These could be hosted in homes or in parishes on a rotating basis. Ministers and teachers of various congregations could also take turns as worship leaders and study guides. The gathering should include informal prayer for the unity of the Church. Hopefully, the group might wish to extend such study and prayer throughout the year.
Focus on the Week’s theme. The theme for 2025 is “Do you believe” from John 11:26. 2024 centered on the prayer of Christ “that they all may be one” from John 17:1–26 and on the theme of “You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Luke 10:27).