![]() Greetings from Canada! This year, we at the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada celebrated 100 years of growing God’s kingdom in prayer, unity, and social justice! In 1918, Bessie McMurphy invited representatives from the Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Boards to come together at the first meeting of what is presently known as the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC). In 1920, the first national interdenominational Women's Day of Prayer in Canada was held in Lindsay, Ontario. Later, in 1926, women in Canada and the United States joined together to distribute prayer services for an international day of prayer. One hundred years later, the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada is still home to a beautiful assortment of unique passionate women of all ages, backgrounds, and denominations, all united in our quest to restore hope to women touched by injustice. Our celebration took place at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on June 23rd, 2018. Over ninety people including former members, past presidents, friends, family, and other members of the WDP community came to celebrate with us. We were honoured to have Rosângela Oliveira, World Day of Prayer International Committee Executive Director, come and speak to us and extend her congratulations. Also speaking at our celebration were three grant recipients: Beloved Women, an outreach project focused on women refugees from Syria in the Greater Toronto Area; the Student Christian Movement, supporting Cahoots, an innovative annual festival of faith, social justice, and do-it-yourself (DIY) activities; and the Cadence Leadership Resource, a leadership development program for Indigenous women. These were only 3 of the 21 grants that WICC was able to support through WDP funds! For more information on grant recipients, their stories, or to apply for a WICC WDP grant from anywhere (ANYWHERE!) around the world, head to https://wicc.org/grant-programs/. We were able to fund $80,000 worth of grants this year! What a way to celebrate 100 years! Check us out on Facebook to learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/WICCanada/ - Lauren Wilks, Regional Rep. Caribbean & North America
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![]() The World Day of Prayer (WDP) movement is not a new concept in the Caribbean, especially not to the beautiful island of Barbados. From my time spent within WDP I believe we are ready for a new injection of blood, sweat and prayers into the movement in Barbados and the Caribbean. With the opportunity to learn from the rest of the World Day of Prayer communities who gathered in Brazil in 2017, and being selected and elected to the Executive Committee, I am beginning to understand the reasons for the blood (of Jesus), the sweat (of the women and families who need assistance), and the prayers (of every living believer in Christ). 1 Kings 8:44-45 states: If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause. (NRSV) This is my prayer for the future for WDP in the Caribbean: Gracious and Compassionate God, every Christ lover shall hear the cries of the World Day of Prayer, and make the hearts of the countries being prayed for their own; WDP would be expanded to include all of the nations of the Caribbean; the WDP movement will cause movement in governments of countries who do not recognise women’s rights; WDP will be celebrated in every Christian denomination; WDP would be celebrated every month of the year in some recognisable way so that the first Friday in March would naturally mobilize a national celebration. Dear God of Justice, we your people are out in a constant battle against the enemy, and we are thankful that you promised never to leave us or forsake us. The enemy shows up in poverty, in pain, in sickness, in brokenness and even in prosperity and gain. As we live and move and have our being in you, we pray these seven promises over our lives: You will be with us, you will protect us, you will be our strength, you will answer our prayers, you will provide for us, you will give us peace and you will always love us. Father, we worship you and praise you and thank you for being our God, our Savior and our Friend. We pray these things in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen! - Rev. Ruth V.E. Phillips, Regional Rep. of Caribbean & North America
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