World Day of Prayer services set

Women, men and children in more than 170 countries and regions around the world will celebrate World Day of Prayer, Friday, March 4, 2016. This year, services have been planned by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Cuba. Those attending will be learning about and praying for Cuba at the ecumenical celebration of the World Day of Prayer, at 1:30 p.m., March 4 at Washington Mennonite Church.

In the service, the women of Cuba share their stories of tradition, intergenerational wisdom and experiences of God?s profound love and acceptance. Through the service, worshipers learn of Jesus? profound teaching of acceptance as he states, ?Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs? (Mark 10:14-15). As people listen to the women of Cuba throughout the worship service, they are invited to wholly receive others, as Jesus calls them, into the kingdom of God.

Invite your friends, family and communities of faith to join the women of Cuba in prayer and song to support ecumenical efforts toward justice, peace, healing and wholeness. The annual offering supports the work of World Day of Prayer USA and helps meet the needs of families in Cuba and around the world who are victims of many forms of poverty, violence and injustice.

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women

from many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday of March. World Day of Prayer was founded on the idea that prayer and action are inseparable in the service of God?s realm. Services begin at sunrise in the Pacific and follow the sun across the globe on the day of celebration. Each year a different country?s committee serves as the writers of the World Day of Prayer service. (For more information, call Washington Mennonite Church at 319-653-6041, or visit www.wdp-usa.org.)