We are now at the half way point of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Please ensure good publicity in your church, and come to as many days as you can, bringing others with you.

The Week of Prayer is international and offers local opportunities to meet,  pray and study the Bible with fellow Christians of different denominations. The theme this year is One Body, One Spirit.

For 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches.

The resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer and petitions used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 extends an invitation to draw upon this shared Christian heritage and to delve more deeply into our fellowship in Christ, which unites Christians worldwide.

Paul’s epistles stress the importance of unity within the Church, urging us to live lives worthy of our calling with humility, gentleness, patience and love (Ephesians 4:1-3). Ephesians 4:4 summarises the teachings of Paul about unity, emphasising here, too, that the followers of Christ represent ‘one body and one Spirit’, united in a single hope. This metaphor signifies the Church as a unified entity transcending barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity and tradition. Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being the Body of Christ to describe its unity within the diversity of its members.

The Week of Prayer is an annual worldwide event. It is a great joy to meet with members of other churches; please come to as many of these days as you can.

In Sudbury, we observe the eight days from Saturday 17 to Saturday 24 January.

Day 1: Saturday 17 January, 8 – 9:30 am, Prayer Breakfast at All Saints’ Church Hall, Sudbury, hosted by Holy Trinity Church.

Day 2: Sunday 18 January, 6:30 pm, United Service at St Gregory’s Church, Sudbury. Preacher: Revd Jim Stewart..

Day 3: Monday 19 January, 12:30, at Number Seventy-Two, North Street, Sudbury (short service).

Day 4: Tuesday 20 January, 12:30, at All Saints’ Church Hall, Sudbury (short service, led by Ruth Ridge).

Day 5: Wednesday 21 January, 10am,at Lavenham Church. We are invited to join the regular Wednesday service of Holy Communion.

Day 6: Thursday 22 January, 7 for 7.30pm, Open Forum, Sudbury Salvation Army. To include interactive Bible studies in small groups.

Day 7: Friday 23 January, 12:30, St Catherine’s, Long Melford (short service & light lunch).

Day 8: Saturday 24 January, 8 – 9:30 am, Prayer Breakfast at All Saints’ Church Hall, Sudbury, hosted by All Saints’ Church.

Refreshments will be provided after most services.

For those leading worship and for those wishing to follow each day’s theme at home, the material for the eight days can be downloaded from www.ctbi.org.uk .