The University Parkway Church of Christ in Baltimore is inviting Christians all over the globe to join together for 24 hours of prayer and fellowship in October.
Churches can volunteer to host 30-minute or one-hour virtual meeting slots between 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Oct. 20, and 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21.
William Cottman
University Parkway outreach minister William Cottman said the 24 Hours of Prayer Global event, now in its third year, began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when church members saw a need for connection.
“We wanted to be able to unify the Churches of Christ across the globe to be able to be that one body, to come together, discuss the things that were affecting us most intimately and pray, sing and be able to network and let people know that we care about them,” he told The Christian Chronicle.
For the first year of the prayer vigil, in 2020, churches from five countries and 18 time zones participated, filling the entire 24 hours. Since the event resumed in 2022, Cottman said it’s continued to grow.
Last year’s event featured Alexander Rodichev, a Ukrainian who talked about the history of Churches of Christ in the Eastern European nation and the plight of Christians there since the Russian invasion.
The University Parkway church has also kept in contact with several of the other international participants, from countries such as Nepal and Kenya, who need ongoing support.
“It’s refreshing being able to hear and see from individuals across the globe because sometimes we get caught up in our immediate circle and we forget other people who may be going through tougher times,” Cottman said.
Related: After COVID-19, new opportunities for fellowship
He added that it’s important for Christians to “not only just say that we’re going to pray for someone but actually taking the time to spend time and pray with someone and just keeping in touch and having that connectivity.”
As of mid-September, 16 churches had agreed to help host the prayer event, with a few time slots still available. There’s also a need for people to help coordinate the Zoom calls — and to spread the word, Cottman said.
Congregations wanting to participate can email [email protected] for information.
Individuals can also register at https://24hoursofprayerglobal.eventbrite.com to receive email updates and a link to the video stream.
