The First Congregational Church UCC, Women's Fellowship, is sponsoring World Day of Prayer at 11 a.m., March 1, at the First Congregational Church located at 28 North Chenango Street. (Submitted photo)

GREENE — Many churches in the area and worldwide will be praying together to support international expression of Christian beliefs during World Day of Prayer on March 1.

Amongst those churches will be The First Congregational Church UCC, Women's Fellowship, who are sponsoring the World Day of Prayer at 11 a.m., March 1, at the First Congregational Church located at 28 North Chenango Street in Greene.

First Congregational Church World Day of Prayer Chairperson Katha Root said she thinks it's important for everyone across America to join in praying and invites family, friends, community members and all other churches to join them on this day.

She said a short program will be followed by lunch and participants are asked to bring a sandwich, or soup, if they would like to join in the fellowship. She said beverages will be provided.

“We've been sponsoring this event for about 30 years, excluding COVID times,” Root said. “It's a short service where we read scripture from the bible and then enjoy lunch together.”

“This year, I believe the theme is based on Palestine and of course, this is important as all that is going on over there now,” she added.

Root said the World Day of Prayer 2024 website is quite informative and includes an in-depth story of how the World Day of Prayer started and currently is throughout 170 countries and regions.

She said the origins of World Day of Prayer date back to the 19th century when Christian women of the United States and Canada started working on activities in support of missionary women at home and across the world.

The World of Prayer 2024 website states in 1926, women in North America appropriated worship services to as many countries and missionary partners they could. The response was overwhelmingly accepted in a positive light and by 1927, the World Day of Prayer for Missions was created, which then became World Day of Prayer in 1928.

For more information email uccgreeneny@gmail.com. To visit the World Day of Prayer website go to wdp-usa.org.