Parishioners of Grace United Church in Sturgis played host to this year's annual World Day of Prayer service that focused on the women of the Philippines on March 3.
Members of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church were also participants in the service.
Participants included Betty Lou Skogen, Janice Beatty, Elaine Meachem, Elaine Christopherson, Hazel Urbanoski, Leanne McDonald, Amelita Vargas and Anita Desroches.
The theme was “Am I Being Unfair to You?,” and was written by the women of the Philippines.
"Every year the worship service focuses on a different country and a specific theme," said Hazel Urbanoski." World Day of Prayer national and regional committees of that country prepare the order of worship on these themes to be used on the next World Day of Prayer," she said.
On the first Friday of March in services all over the world that country becomes the focus of prayer and understanding, she said. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, women worldwide learn how their sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the biblical passages in their context. They learn of the concerns and needs of those women and to empathize and feel in solidarity with them.
