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Prayer & Worship
PURPOSE:*
The Holy Spirit, the source and fulfillment of all desire and longing in the work of ecumenical dialogue and cooperative action, urges us to work for unity in Jesus Christ, for which he prayed to his Father, “that they may be one even as we are one.” (John 17:11) This longing and work must seek to be rooted in prayer and worship. When we pray for Christian unity, either in our individual congregations or ecumenically, we begin to experience the unity for which we pray and we witness to the world our commitment to visible unity in Christ. Through worship and prayer, study and encouragement for such encounters, and above all, a willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit, the Prayer and Worship Committee seeks to bring us closer in the bond of unity we seek.
MEMBERSHIP:
The Committee on Prayer and Worship will be made up of the following:
Members - at least one, and not more than two representatives, ideally from different congregations, from each of the Member Churches of the Vermont Ecumenical Council. These members are nominated by their jurisdictional authority and have voting privilege on the committee.
Participants - others from non-VEC Christian communities, in a non-voting capacity.
Consultants - anyone who would be invited to the committee for a particular purpose, in a non-voting capacity. A consultant may be from other faith traditions.
ACTIVITIES:
Activities may be categorized as follows:
- Studying and encouraging our congregations to study and learn the forms of worship of the Member Churches, appreciating the commonality and seeking to understand the differences.
Identifying opportunities for ecumenical prayer and worship and encouraging the participation of the Member Churches on such occasions.
- Identifying and creating written resources for ecumenical prayer and worship.
- Standing as a witness to the Vermont Ecumenical Council, its committees, and its Member Churches that the foundation of all efforts for unity and for fruitful action begins with prayer and worship.
MEETINGS:
The Committee on Prayer and Worship will meet periodically to engage in the activities of the committee and to witness to the mission and purpose of the committee by praying and worshipping together, in the spirit of unity.
* This Purpose Statement was approved by the VT Ecumenical Council Board of Trustees 6/9/04.
Sponsored Event:
"A Worship Service Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity"
Members serving on Prayer & Worship Committee
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