If you observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at Pentecost, you can order or download resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017 – Crossing Barriers. The material for 2017 was prepared for worldwide use by the churches in Germany based around the verses 2 Corinthians 5:14-20.
Resources
The resources for 2017 can be purchased online through Church House Bookshop – phone Norwich Books and Music, 01603 785925. They are also available as downloads.
We would also encourage you to subscribe to take part in the post-event survey to help improve our resources, and also for occasional email updates on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Download resources
Dedication – Stephen Brown and Gwynn ap Gwilym
The 2017 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity material is dedicated to the memories of the Revd Stephen Brown who passed away in February 2016 and the Revd Canon Gwynn ap Gwilym in July 2016.
Both Stephen and Gwynn had served as dedicated members of the CTBI Writers Group for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for many years, making enormous contributions through their creativity and colleagueship which will be greatly missed but never forgotten.
Dates
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to the 25th January – the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. However, some areas observe it at Pentecost or some other time.
Introduction
There are fifty million Christians in Germany who, traditionally, have mostly belonged to the Roman Catholic Church or one of the Protestant State Churches. Recent developments, particularly the reception of refugees and asylum seekers, have begun to change this balance and other Christian traditions are finding expression. Whilst that which unites the churches is stronger than that which divides, there are still areas of difference in which the churches remain self-absorbed or construct new walls.
The text from 2 Corinthians announces that God has, in Christ, reconciled the world to himself. The love of Christ compels us to be ambassadors of this reconciliation, which is enacted by dismantling the walls. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany experienced how a seemingly insurmountable wall could be brought down. The fall of this wall is a symbol of hope that, with the love of God, nothing is impossible.
Christian Aid
Each year Christian Aid provides the Go and Do action points for each of the daily reflections – linking into the important work of Christian Aid in the relief of poverty and advocacy of justice.
Social media
Show your support for Christian Unity by posting unity messages and details of your events to our Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Twitter wall – simply add the #wpcuwall hashtag to your Twitter post (note they take 15 minutes to appear). You can also find updates about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Twitter by following the #wpcu2017 hashtag.
