On behalf of WDPIC, we invite WDP National/Regional Committees to the International Committee Meeting that will be hosted by the WDP Scottish Committee in 2022. They are actively preparing to welcome us to their homeland. Thank you, sisters!  

We live in unprecedented times and are all working together to slow down the transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our communities. We may have unanswered questions at this time and discomforting prospects for the future, but our trust is in God’s goodness. Let us, therefore, “Rise, Take Our Mat and Walk”. 

In 1968, the World Day of Prayer International Committee was formed. We left the last International Meeting, held in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, in 2017, knowing that we would meet again for the 14th time in 2022. With this Newsletter we are inviting you to envision together this next gathering.  

At the top of the Newsletter, you see the logo for the Meeting, which was a collaborative effort with the Presbyterian Women (PC-USA). The leaf of hope, which encircles WDP, springs out in a dancing movement towards a new heart and mind. With the uplifting message about the intention of the gathering, comes the announcement of the date and location of the International Meeting. 
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Click here to let us know how the 2022 International Meeting logo speaks to you. 

The World Day of Prayer International Committee is composed by the WDP National Committees elected delegates, who come together to share experiences and grow in understanding of one another. They also select themes and writers for WDP services, elect an ecumenical Executive Committee, define objectives and responsibilities for financing, and consider ways by which the movement may grow.  
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Click here to send us your questions about the 2022 International Meeting.

Based on the letter to Ephesians (1,18), we are called to hope; therefore,  

We invite you to experience the meeting with a spirit of openness and tolerance, and for that, the heart must be ready: New Heart!  

We invite you to discern together the challenges of our time and make wise, visionary and courageous decisions: New Mind! 

Above all, we want to reaffirm that the women of World Day of Prayer are carriers and givers of hope: Called to Hope! 

Will you join us on the path of “New Heart, New Mind. Called to Hope”? 
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Click here to share your thoughts about the 2022 International Meeting theme. 

- Laurence Gangloff, WDPIC Chairperson 

Share this newsletter with your WDP Committee! ​

Taiwan was selected as the writer committee for World Day of Prayer (WDP) 2023 during the WDP International Committee Meeting, which was convened on August 20-27, 2017, in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil. After two preparatory workshops, which will be led by Rev. Rosângela Oliveira, Executive Director of WDPIC, the worship service materials will then be prepared ecumenically, collectively and with grassroots women from 2019 until September 2021.

The first of the proposed workshops, a Strengthening National Committee Workshop, took place from December 4 to 6, 2019 when more than 30 participants gathered at Our Lady of Providence Girls’ High School, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Local participants included women and young women from the Catholic Church (Taiwan Catholic), Yu-Shan Theological College & Seminary, Women's Prayer Group, the Mustard Seed Mission, the Salvation Army, the Methodist Church (Taiwan), Chang Jung Christian University (CJCU) School of Theology, YMCA of Taiwan, YWCA of Taiwan, Taiwan Lutheran Church, Taiwan Theological College & Seminary, the Garden of Hope Foundation and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (Presbyteries/Districts).

Through various creative activities and dialogue, the three-day workshop aimed to strengthen fellowship, to build relationships, and to “brainstorm” concerning the worship service materials for WDP 2023.

During the opening worship, Rev. Rosângela briefed the participants on the historical roots of the World Day of Prayer and how the seed was planted. In the nineteenth century, Christian women in North America were moved to action when they saw the suffering of women around the world and in their own communities. They were active letter writers, and so they wrote letters and called for united prayer and action in solidarity with women across the globe.

About 100 years later in Taiwan, more than 30 participants from various denominations were challenged to write letters for the preparation of WDP 2023 under the theme "I have heard about your faith" (Ephesians 1:15). Following a Bible Study summarizing the background of the book of Ephesians, led by Rev. Dr. Wu Fu-Ya, former President of Tainan Theological College and Seminary, (Rev. Wu incidentally was the first female ever appointed as a principal of a theological institution in Taiwan!), the participants were asked by Rev. Rosângela to think deeply about their reaction to the theme. "What is it that you have heard about her/his/their witness of faith and love?" In small groups, the participants wrote down their letters according to the structure of Ephesians 1:1, 15-16, and 17-18. Their letters touched various levels and showed their concerns about personal health conditions, the Pearl Family Garden*, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT)’s mission, the 2019 Hong Kong protests, and so on.
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Through this activity, the participants expanded their vision and identified specific categories: Women and Family, Women and Politics, Women and Health, Women and Environment, Women and Culture, and Women and Leadership. Based on the different categories, the participants began to think deeper about "What are the prayers and actions that women in Taiwan want to voice in 2023?"

During the discussion of Women and Environment, Vavauni Ljaljegean, a Paiwanese Evangelist from Mu-Lin church in Pingtung, Taiwan, told the participants a heartbreaking story. After Typhoon Morakot, a three-day rampage from August 6 to 9 in 2009, the elder Indigenous people who lost their homes and relocated in the plains took their own lives due to difficulties adjusting to an unfamiliar environment.

When it came to Women and Leadership, it was agreed that promoting equal representation of women in decision-making is important; however, the participation of women in leadership roles in Taiwan is still lacking and has a long way to go. Nancy Lin, former WCC Central Committee member (PCT), encouraged the participants to step up, lead and speak up.

For the closing worship of the WDP Taiwan SNC workshop, on the third and final day, the workshop participants used the materials of the Zimbabwe 2020 WDP program under the theme “Rise! Take Your Mat and Walk” (John 5:2-9a).
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May all the acts and efforts glorify God and let the voices of Taiwan be heard – we now look forward with enthusiasm to the second workshop!

By 陳怡婷 (Rachel Chen, PCT Information Center Staff) and Carys Humphreys, ​Administrative Assistant to the PCT General Secretary

45 women came from all over Ghana to Accra for a 2-day workshop about women and Transformational Leadership and to deepen their knowledge about World Day of Prayer from the global to local level. Representatives came from the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, African Methodist Episcopal, Anglican, Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches. The workshop was held on October 21st and 22nd at Saint Barnabas Anglican Church, Osu.
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The first day focused on leadership, the WDP organization, history and Guiding Principles, and the Thursdays in Black Campaign. On the second day, we took time to answer questions and deepen the conversation. Then we held one more session on Women and Transformational Leadership. We closed the workshop with the 2020 WDP worship service prepared by WDP Zimbabwe and studied the Gospel of John 5:2-9. With songs, dances and prayers we shared a great fellowship. We felt blessed during these two days together! 

- Joyce Larko Steiner, WDPIC African Regional Rep & Laurence Gangloff, WDPIC Chairperson

​As we welcome a new year, we pray that it is filled with joy and peace. We share with you a poem by Rinko Sagara, a 15 year old girl from Okinawa, Japan. The poem was read during an Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony to remember the victims of the Battle of Okinawa. We thank the NCC WDP Committee of Japan for sharing this poem with all of us. 

​Happy New Year!

​"The Story of the International Committee for World Day of Prayer" by Eileen King and Helga Hiller is much more than a few pages of history about what led to the creation of an International Committee 50 years ago.
 
This text was not written by our sisters as an introduction to a future history book on WDP. It is an invitation to participants and leaders of the WDP movement to discover, with gratitude and recognition, the paths taken by our mothers and then to open a space for personal questioning.

I quote: “From the very beginning, women understood that their faith in Jesus Christ motivated and empowered them to find ways for local communities to pray and act together.” Is it still true today in our local groups or communities?
 
We know how to use Internet, Facebook, and Instagram -- this modern technology that links us to one another. However, isn’t one of our challenges today to overcome indifference, hatred and fear in order to preserve a peace that is becoming increasingly fragile?
 
My conviction: our mothers were courageous when fighting in a racist, unequal, sexist society.  Let us draw from their experience and dare to take up these new challenges that are opening to us today with joy, conviction, tenacity and creativity.
 
We encourage you to share the article with your local connections and have a conversation about it.

Download and share the PDF file below. 

You may want to order the poster with WDP themes and countries from 1927 to 2026 to complement the article information for discussions. 
 
Enjoy reading and then chose one action! 

- Laurence Gangloff, WDPIC Chairperson

The World Council of Churches invited the World Day of Prayer to participate in the Global Consultation commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women which took place in Kingston, Jamaica from October 2nd to 6th 2018. Four (4) WDP representatives were part of 73 participants and presenters from 45 denominations from all the continents.

The consultation was about gender justice. The focus was on celebrating our gifts, visiting the wounds and developing a vision to end gender injustice.*
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We’d like to share with you some stories that touched our hearts:
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• The experiences of rape and violence were similar all over the world.
• EVE for life: A program to help teenage mothers and girls who were raped and infected with HIV. These girls show remarkable bravery because they are able to disclose their HIV status and struggles on life. At the same time they mentor younger mothers who are also HIV positive.
• Our Brazilian sisters told us that there were about 502 women in Brazil suffering from some sort of domestic violence every hour.
• Heiwe, a native of Japan whose name means peace, emotionally shared with us the impression a Korean “Comfort Woman” made on him when she shared her story with him. 
  
  

​The spiritual life of the Global Consultation was formed by common prayers and bible studies in the morning and a symbolic ritual in the evening. A basket (or baskets) and cloth were the main symbolic elements of the spiritual life. The baskets became the “liturgical center” or “symbolic center” of the Consultation carried throughout the whole spiritual life of the Global Consultation. The basket was presented from the early stage of construction up to its completion by participants using pieces of cloth that were distributed during the session. These pieces of cloth were tied together and weaved around the half-finished basket to become the finished basket. We were asked to remember and pray for persons we knew were abused.

On Thursday, we went to the Nelson Mandela Park to make public our statement for a life free of violence. We joined WCC in renewing the call for the Thursdays in Black Campaign. A campaign that raises awareness by wearing black – as the color of women’s resilience, agency and personal efforts to resist rape and gender based violence.

In conclusion, the WDP representatives participated in every session and made the WDP movement known. We showed up and showed out. 

*For WCC press releases on the Consultation, visit their website here. 

Article and pictures by:
Fanya Burford-Berry, WDP USA
Patricia Newell Pennant, WDP Jamaica
Ruth Phillips, WDP Barbados & WDPIC Caribbean & North America Regional Representative
Cornelia Trommer-Klimpke, WDP Germany

​Tengo una frase en mi escritorio que dice: “Nunca eres tan grande, como cuando te arrodillas delante de Dios”. ¿Cómo lo hacemos en el Día Mundial de Oración?

El Día Mundial de Oración es un gran movimiento ecuménico de unidad de mujeres cristianas en el mundo, del cual participamos desde  América Latina. Estrechamos los lazos entre varias culturas, y nos conocemos compartiendo nuestras vivencias, tradiciones y actividades. Esto nos motiva a que, cada año, el primer viernes del mes de marzo, a celebrar con mucho entusiasmo, el día para orar. En este día en común, buscamos la restauración de unidad entre todas las naciones y pueblos, es decir, todas somos instrumentos del grande amor de nuestro Creador, amor incondicional para con todos los  seres humanos.

En 1938, recibimos el incentivo de conmemorar el Día Mundial de Oración (DMO) aquí en Brasil. Empezó con un grupo pequeño de mujeres ecuménicas y se propagó por todo el país. La primera directiva fue formada en 1973 como Consejo Nacional del Día Mundial de Oración, luego grupos regionales se formaron en varios estados. En 1980 se aprobaron los primeros estatutos del DMO Brasil y en 1988 Brasil escribió el culto del mes de marzo con el tema “Puertas Abiertas”. En el 2017, hospedamos el Encuentro Internacional del Comité Executivo del DMO. Esto fue una experiencia maravillosa  para nuestro comité nacional que recibió el apoyo de muchos grupos regionales con oraciones, ofrendas y voluntariado. Este año, conmemoramos 80 años del DMO en Brasil. Nos sentimos agradecidas a Dios por hacer parte de esta historia, y por inspirarnos a practicar el respeto, tolerancia, prudencia, sinceridad, comprensión, amistad, fe y esperanza.

Siempre divulgamos el lema del DMO - informar para orar y luego colocar nuestras acciones en práctica. Por eso, cada año compartimos las ofrendas recibidas desde las celebraciones locales con tres diferentes entidades que ayudan o capacitan a las niñas y niños, mujeres y ancianos. La celebración es en varios idiomas aquí en Brasil por ser un país de muchas culturas. Son más de 1.200 cultos realizados en muchas iglesias que inclusive tienen esta celebración oficializada  en su calendario litúrgico.

​¿Cómo estamos divulgando en América Latina el Día Mundial de Oración? Estamos conectadas y unidas compartiendo nuestros deseos y dificultades utilizando las nuevas tecnologías para informarnos, apoyar, y superar las distancias de un país al otro.

La oración es lo más sublime que cada una de nosotras puede elevar a Dios. Todas estamos llamadas a la comunicación con Dios. La oración es la llave al corazón de Dios. La oración es el único medio para lograr una relación real y personal con Dios. Dios abrirá caminos donde no los hay. Vamos unir nuestras voces en oración por nuestra América Latina, donde hay tantas injusticias y necesidades en diferentes áreas. La oración nos da  esperanza.

Hermanas, vamos a unirnos como mujeres cristianas. Jesús vino para derribar las barreras que pueden separarnos. Hay más practicas cristianas que nos unen y muy pocas que nos separan dentro del movimiento ecuménico. Vamos ser ejemplo  de cómo trabajar unidas, y compartir nuestro amor para con todas. “Orad sin cesar” (1 Tesalonicenses 5:17).

La raíz de pedir por la unión proviene de Jesús, quien dijo: “Que todos sean uno, como tú, Padre, estás en mí y yo en ti. Que ellos también sean uno en nosotros, para que el mundo crea que tú me has enviado” (Juan 17:21). Como vemos, todo el movimiento ecuménico tiene un gran fundamento bíblico.

Vamos juntas, como Día Mundial de Oración, construyendo así un movimiento fuerte para vencer las barreras porque la mejor oración es amar…quien no sabe amar, no sabe orar, dice una canción.
Con saludos cordiales y cariño

​- Esther Susana Menke Renner, CIDMO Representante Regional de Latinoamérica

The Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC), which includes the WDP committee in Canada, commissioned Judith Snowdon to compose a hymn to commemorate its 100th Anniversary and to reflect the anniversary theme “The Joy of Justice.”
 
WDPIC requested permission to share the song "In a World Full of Sorrows" as it speaks to what WDP is – “to bring comfort and nurture through action and prayer to a world full of sorrows.” Judith Snowdon, past-president of WICC, gave her blessing to WDPIC. She and WICC would be very glad to have the song used by World Day of Prayer International, and any other country with an interest, for WDP related programs. Please acknowledge the proper copyright information (see below). 
 
Below is a sing-a-long video, originally posted on the WICC site, and the music sheet graciously shared by The Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada.

©Music and Words by Judith Snowdon

​The year of 2017 mobilized churches and ecumenical movements for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. World Day of Prayer in Croatia took time to look into the past and connect the history of women in the Reformation with today’s women in WDP. We created an ecumenical project called "From the Reformation to the Reformation of the Heart." The central event was a three-day conference held in a small picturesque village of Fužine, Croatia, on May 18-20, 2018.
 
Women from Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia had the opportunity to meet for this conference and reflect on the Reformation and WDP through lectures and workshops. We brought together 45 participants from 12 denominations, and from 12 other civil society organizations. 
 
From the time of pen-writing to Twitter and Instagram what can we learn from the woman of the past? The Reformation reformulated the role of women in the family, church, and society. Women gradually became involved in social life and founded societies and movements. Education gained new meaning after the first girls' schools were opened. Women were able to study the Scriptures! They soon led prayer-meetings, taught children, and even preached. They were active in the community, they helped the poor and the marginalized, and they managed large households and cultivated organic agricultural products.
 
At the conference, we used theatre to portray two special characters, Katharina von Bora, Luther's wife, and Argul von Grumbach, the first woman writer at the time of the Reformation. Their committed and dedicated lives were a role model for women of that time, and still are a bright example to this day. By reading the Bible they were empowered by the Word of God and changed the image of women in a world dominated by men. They were not just wives and mothers. They have changed the world by changing themselves.

​It took extraordinary courage to stand for something, stand against the current status to follow the ideals, which was often overwhelmed by persecution. But what women have achieved is to know that their opinions were valued, and that as human beings they were just as valuable as men.
 
Likewise, the history of the World Day of Prayer begins with Protestant women around 1887, who at one point felt this reformation in the heart and stepped forward with their idea of helping by leading prayers and learning about the situation of women around the world. As stated in the WDP motto - informed prayer, prayerful action. Today, the movement mobilizes millions of participants, but it started in one heart!
 
And here I see a parallel between women of the reformation and WDP women. Today's women are courageous, smart and beautiful, and are willing to step up and respond to the call to fight, to strive, and to live authentic Christianity in the 21st century.

Let your heart shine! Let it spark you to do whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4,8). Above all, love and live with God everyday regardless of the circumstances.
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With such a reformation of the heart, we can do great things and contribute to the expansion of World Day of Prayer in the world!

​From its founding in 1918, the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC) has been responding to injustice. Next weekend, on June 23rd, the WICC will be celebrating its 100th anniversary under the theme The Joy of Justice! 
 
Seeking Justice
In 1918, most, but not all, Canadian women gained the right to vote, but women were excluded from holding public office until 1929 when they were finally considered persons under Canadian law. Women of the Church were often similarly restricted in leadership except in their missionary societies.

Inter-Board Committee of the Women’s Missionary Societies
Bessie McMurchy invited representatives of five women’s missionary boards—Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian—to meet together to “promote the spread Christ’s kingdom by united prayer, united action, and a stronger voice in national questions.”
 
United Prayer
This committee was the first national ecumenical organization in our country. Its first national interdenominational women’s day of prayer was held in Lindsay, Ontario on January 9, 1920. A suggested worship outline was prepared by a small committee and printed. By 1922, the committee and its American counterpart were preparing national prayer services under a common theme, sowing the seeds of an international day of prayer.

​Action
The committee changed its name a few times as more denominations joined their movement but settled on the “Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada” in 1946. The name reflects an expansion beyond missionary societies. Today, our council includes representatives from ten denominations.
 
Vision and Mission
From our roots in mission, WICC formed a vision: restoring hope to women touched by injustice. We fulfil that vison by empowering Christians to pursue justice, peace and reconciliation by standing together in prayer and action. Our vision and mission are rooted in the value we find in faith, justice, prayer, solidarity, and respect.
 
Our World Day of Prayer grant program is our response to injustices in Canada, Central and South America, Africa and Asia.