Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Jan 2026

Each year the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18th to the 25th January – the octave of St Peter and St Paul. This ecumenical celebration provides an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity and to know that we are joining with brothers and sisters in Christ across the world.

The Week is also a great chance to speak about and experience Christian unity personally, in our own town of Horsforth. SO LET’S GET TOGETHER AND PRAY..

This year we are marking the week by having a series of 6 Prayer Events in different churches across Horsforth – you are invited to attend any or all of them, taking this opportunity to meet with people from other churches and be united in prayer. Each event will be different, reflecting the rich and varied expressions of prayer across our traditions – why not try something different!

Prayer Events across Horsforth

DATE	TIME	PLACE	EVENT	What to expect
Monday 19th Jan	12 noon	St James’ Woodside	Midday Prayers	Liturgy and prayers for midday, followed by a soup lunch
Tuesday 20th Jan	12.30pm	The Grove Methodist	Soup and Prayers	Sharing soup, fellowship and prayers
Weds 21st Jan	10 am	St Margaret’s	Communion	Traditional C of E Communion with liturgy and prayers
	7pm	St Mary’s Catholic	‘Come Holy Spirit’ – Prayer Service	A reflective service with Taizé style music
Thurs 22nd Jan	7.30pm	Lister Hill Baptist	Praise and Prayer	Uplifting songs and free style prayers
Friday 23rd Jan	12.15pm	Cragg Hill Baptist	Midday Prayers	Northumbrian Prayer and informal free style prayers

PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO PULPIT SWAP THIS YEAR, but we hope it will be back next year.

More Information about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The theme set for this year is:

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to
the one hope of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:4)

This year’s theme reminds us that the call to unity is a call to work for peace for all people everywhere.

‘For this year, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. These 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.’ (CITB website)

There are resources for each day of the week which you can use in your own prayers or in your groups at church.

Here is a summary table of the THEMES AND SCRIPTURE VERSES for each day:

DAY	THEME	SCRIPTURE VERSE
Sun 18th	Our call to unity	‘I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called’ (Ephesians 4:1).
Mon 19th	Bearing with one another in love	‘… with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love’ (Ephesians 4:2).
Tues 20th	The bond of peace	… making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Ephesians 4:3).
Weds 21st	Called to one hope	‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling’ (Ephesians 4:4).
Thurs 22nd	One faith, one baptism	‘There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling’ (Ephesians 4:4).
Fri 23rd	One God over all	‘One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all’ (Ephesians 4:6)
Sat 24th	Christ’s gift	‘But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift’ (Ephesians 4:7).
Sun 25th	Growing into Christ	‘The gifts he gave were … for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:11-13).

DOWNLOAD THE FULL RESOURCES HERE