This worldwide prayer movement started in a very small way in 1887, when the wife of a Presbyterian minister in the USA was so concerned about the plight of immigrant women and their families, that she set aside an annual day of prayer for home mission. Other denominations joined in and money was raised to help families. Later, a day was set apart to pray for foreign missions and in 1919, these days were brought together, at first in Canada, and then other countries joined in. In 1932, the first Women’s World day of Prayer Service was held in England: by 2007 there were services in 114 different countries, from every (inhabited) continent, with over 44,000 congregations taking part.
When the women of Paraguay prepared the service in 2007, women from the small Pacific island of Samoa reported that whilst reading the different voices of women in Paraguay, they prayed that God would sustain them in their needs and struggles, and use their gifts and abilities.
In the world of 2016, we are all too aware of the suffering across the Middle East and Africa which has brought millions of refugees to Europe. Congregations in Syria and Iraq who worshipped as women in 2007, are now scattered.
This year, women from Cuba have prepared the service. The church in Cuba has suffered greatly under the rule of President Castro and the sanctions imposed by the United States. However, their faith has not failed and President Obama has recently come to an agreement to remove sanctions.
Please encourage your friends and neighbours to join with us at St Johns on Friday 4th March for this special occasion, when Christian women from all over the world will join together in thanksgiving and prayer.