Release date: August 20, 2007

UNITY VILLAGE, MO.—Thousands of people from around the world will join in praying for world peace and peace in their own lives as part of Unity's 14^th Annual World Day of Prayer celebration Sept. 12-13.

The event, including a 24/7 prayer vigil at Unity Village and at Unity ministries across the globe, invites individuals to engage in a sacred partnership of prayer to improve world and human conditions. At Unity Village, participants will read and pray over an expected one million or more individual names.

Opening ceremonies at Unity Village on Wednesday night, Sept. 12, will include peace prayers from a variety of faith traditions, and a discussion on peace initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. Keynote speakers will include Unity minister Rita Marie Johnson of Costa Rica, who is spearheading the pioneering work of the Peace Army of Costa Rica; Unity minister Wendy Craig-Purcell of San Diego, California, discussing peace initiatives in the United States;  and James Twyman, the musician and storyteller known as the Peace Troubador. At a special ceremony on the morning of Sept. 13, Twyman will also present 100 feet of his approximately one-mile-long international peace quilt for permanent display at Unity Village.

Unity World Day of Prayer is open to people of all faiths. Its purpose is to unite as many people as possible in praying for one another.

Unity believes World Day of Prayer is an opportunity to transform the world through prayer. To complement the theme of world peace, the 2007 World Day of Prayer affirmation is: We are peacemakers, one in the love of God. With hearts united, we establish harmony and peace in our lives and in the world.

"As we learn to pray together, we also learn how to create a peaceful world that works for everyone,” said Unity President and CEO Charlotte Shelton. “World Day of Prayer is filled with the energy of prayer.  Praying together – centered in God – we open our minds and hearts to the unconditional love of God that heals, inspires, guides and strengthens us.

Opening ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the Activities Center at Unity Village, Missouri, located at M-350 Highway and Colbern Road, near Lee's Summit (1901 NW Blue Parkway). Individuals can also join World Day of Prayer services via live streaming video on the Internet at www.worlddayofprayer.org.

Keynote Speakers

Unity Minister Rita Marie Johnson of Costa Rica is the founding director of the Peace Army Way, which teaches individuals how to harness emotions to attain peace by using nonviolent communication techniques and methods developed by the Institute of HeartMath. Costa Rica is fertile ground for this model as its citizens have identified with peace since abolishing the country's army in 1948. The mission of The Peace Army is to insure that every child in Costa Rica learns how to pass peace to the next generation.

Unity Minister Wendy Craig-Purcell is the founder and senior minister of The Unity Center, a 1,500-member spiritual community in San Diego, California, formerly known as the Church of Today. She was a co-founder of the Association for Global New Thought (AGNT) and currently serves as its vice president. With a strong interest in spiritually-motivated social action, The Unity Center, under Rev. Craig-Purcell's leadership, was instrumental in the formation of a grassroots group, the San Diego Department of Peace, in 2004. That initial group, now known as Americans for the Department of Peace (AFDOP), today encompasses all of Southern California.

James Twyman is a singer and author, known around the world as the Peace Troubadour. He will share his peace songs and international peace stories during World Day of Prayer events. A highlight of this year's celebration will be Tyman's donation of a 100-foot section of the peace quilt, also called the Cloth of Many Colors, to Unity Village. The Cloth of Many Colors Project has toured many parts of the world and has been displayed at the United Nations, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Capitol. Twyman is now sharing sections of the cloth with organizations, communities, and individuals dedicated to peace.

To learn more about the World Day of Prayer or to submit names of friends and family members for the prayer vigil, or listen to an audio meditation, visit www.worlddayofprayer.org. For Spanish-language, visit www.diadeoracionmundial.org.

Unity, based at Unity Village,Missouri, near Kansas City, held its first World Day of Prayer in 1994. Over the years, thousands of people have participated as prayer partners during special Unity World Day of Prayer vigils held each year at many of the nearly 900 Unity churches and centers around the world.

Unity was founded in 1889 and helps people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives. It can be found on the Internet at www.unity.org.

Unity publishes Daily Word, a monthly magazine of inspirational messages that is distributed to about one million people in 180 countries. Unity's transdenominational prayer ministry, Silent Unity, maintains a 24-hour prayer vigil every day of the year and receives two million letters, telephone calls, and Internet requests for prayer annually. Anyone in need of prayer support may call (800) NOW-PRAY (669-7729). Prayer support is also available on line at www.silentunity.org.


2007 World Day of Prayer Event Schedule


Wednesday, September 12. (All times listed are Central Daylight Time)

7 p.m.—Opening Ceremony in the Activities Center. Opening ceremonies will feature interfaith peace prayers, special music by peace troubadour, author and musician James Twyman, and keynote speeches by Rev. Rita Marie Johnson, founding director of the Peace Army of Costa Rica, and Wendy Craig-Purcell, senior minister of the Unity Center, San Diego, California. The opening ceremony will end with a candlelight procession to the Silent Unity building.

8 p.m.—24-hour Prayer Vigil begins in the Silent Unity Chapel.


Thursday, September 13.

7:30 a.m.—Daily Word Service in the Activities Center, featuring a peace ceremony by James Twyman.

11:00 a.m.—Silent Unity Prayer Service in the Activities Center. Led by Rev. Lynne Brown, vice-president of Silent Unity.

11:30 a.m.—Unity World Day of Prayer activity provided by Unity Institute students from the Ministry and Religious Studies program.

7 p.m.—Evening Peace Concert featuring New Thought musicians Faith Rivera, Richard Mekdeci and Sue K-Riley in the Activities Center.