Congregation members joined together in an evening service that celebrated the Week of Prayer.
The annual service was hosted at the Trinity United Church in Preeceville on February 7 and was organized by Aileen Lubiniecki and Barb Biccum of the Roman Catholic Church in Sturgis. The Preeceville and District Ministerial Association sponsored the service.
There was a potluck meal prior to the service that kicked off with a processional hymn and symbols of salt, a candle and the Bible that were brought into the building prior to the service.
Churches represented included: Roman Catholic, Evangel Tabernacle, United, St. James Anglican, St. John Lutheran and Ukrainian Catholic.
Participants were: Aileen Lubiniecki, Anita DesRoches, Pastor Rob Lagrove, Maureen Johnson, Rev. Miles Russell, Debbie Blender, Edie Belesky, Carol Fairburn and Pastor Hein Bertram.
Aileen Lubiniecki gave the words of welcome.
“We pray this year with the Christians of Latvia, who prepared this service in the hope that we may grow in our communion with our Lord Jesus Christ and with all our brothers and sisters aspiring to unity,” she said. Prayers for the Holy Spirit, reconciliation and proclamation of the word of God were given during the service.
The program involved a gesture of commitment to salt and light and it invited the congregation to taste a pinch of salt and light an individual candle from the main candle. Refreshments were served at the conclusion of the service.
The theme for the service was Called to Proclaim the Mighty Acts of the Lord (cf. 1 Peter 2:9). For the coming year the theme finds its origins in the First Letter of Peter. The initial work on the theme for this year’s Week of Prayer material was prepared by a group of representatives from different parts of Latvia.
