• Introduction
• An international movement
• History
• Plan a Festival Day
• WDP 2009: Papua New Guinea
• Information Sheet
  (MSWord: 320K)
• WDP ordering information

World Day of Prayer

Coordinating a World Day of Prayer service

The Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, as the World Day of Prayer coordinating committee for Canada, prepares and distributes a number of resources each year. These resources are available by the end of October, four months ahead of the World Day of Prayer service date of the first Friday in March.

If you would like to coordinate a World Day of Prayer service, please contact WICC. Coordinators receive a package with information and order forms at the end of September each year.

Resources available free of charge include:

World Day of Prayer shipping clerk Dora Perez sends out more than 2,000 packages each year from WICC's office in Toronto.

• Leadership Guide
• English
• French
• Worship booklet (for congregational use):
• English
• Bilingual (French & English)
• Spanish
• Korean
• Chinese
• Poster (letter-size; bilingual French & English)
• Offering envelopes

Other resources available:

• DVD or VHS-Videotape (approx 15 min, English) - Cost: $15
• Large colour display poster (with WDP themes to 2015) - Cost: $10
• CD of music from the host country - Cost: $5

The Leadership Guide contains adaptations of the worship service for children and youth, Bible studies to help you prayerfully prepare for the service, and promotion materials to help you get the word out to your wider community. The videotape, available separately, provides photos and commentary designed to introduce the country and people of the writing country.

These resources are designed to help you and your church community plan and prepare for the World Day of Prayer.

We hope you will be creative in your planning and will make use of as many resources as you can. In turn, please let us know which resources you did – or did not – find helpful, by sending in your evaluation form following the World Day of Prayer service. Thank you. Your feedback is invaluable.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments .

Coordinators’ checklist:

• Contact area planning committee members
• Initial planning meeting:
  • Read through WDP service
  • Decide on place and time; book church
  • Choose/Invite guest speaker
  • Distribute WDP materials
  • Delegate planning tasks
• Planning/Festival/Preparation Day:
  • Make/prepare decorations or worship materials
  • Rehearse WDP service
  • Watch videotape
  • Research food & culture of the theme country
  • Hold Bible Studies
• Organize WDP service:
  • Assign speaking parts
  • Choose hymns/songs/special music
  • Contact/meet with clergy at host church
  • Plan reception/display/decorations
• Organize Children’s Service:
  • Contact Church School coordinator
  • Set Time and Place
  • Plan activities
  • Choose Music
• Organize advertising/promotion:
  • Fill in WDP posters & distribute
  • Photocopy Bulletin Inserts & distribute
  • Send out Media Release
  • Invite area churches
• Follow-up meeting:
  • Count offering & fill out remittance form
  • Choose coordinator for next year
  • Fill out evaluation form
  • Mail cheque(s) and information to WICC
  • PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH

Time and Date of the Service

Officially, the World Day of Prayer is held on the first Friday in March each year. However, some groups decide to celebrate on the first Saturday in March with an ecumenical event which includes education about the country, inter-generational worship and a community meal. Others hold interdenominational World Day of Prayer services on the first Sunday in March.

Organizers are also encouraged to be creative when setting a time for the service. Some plan a service for early morning or afternoon, while others expand their time together into an evening or weekend potluck supper, service, workshop and Bible study session.

Occasionally, bad weather, illness or inconvenience result in postponement of the World Day of Prayer service. If the first Friday of March is not a good date for this community event, then, by all means, move the service to another day.

Adaptation

Not all communities and congregations have the same worship styles or resources. We therefore encourage planning committees to adapt the service where necessary to fit their needs and interests. For example, worship leaders may wish to incorporate time for meditation, add additional prayer requests, or ask the congregation to sing a hymn rather than featuring special music while the offering is collected.

Participation

We are the whole people of God, and we invite everyone to join in the World Day of Prayer. The service is written by women, but it is written for all of us; all members of your community should feel welcomed and invited to attend and participate. To encourage wider participation of families with small children, you may wish to have childcare available.

We provide a special service for children and invite you to use this material, either in your World Day of Prayer service, or as part of your regular children’s worship.

The Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada is often asked about participation of people from non-Christian faiths. Our response is that all are welcome to attend and participate, as long as they understand and are comfortable with the fact that they are participating in a Christian service. We acknowledge that the final decision to welcome people of other faiths is yours and that of your local Christian community.