Members of the Barton County Association of Churches said they hope to have every congregation in Great Bend represented at a unity prayer service this month. Everyone is invited to the service, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the First United Methodist Church, 2123 Forest. The speaker will be the Rev. Carrie Buhler from Trinity Methodist Church in Great Bend.
Sister Teresita Huse and the Rev. Leonard Maxwell announced the service, which is also an opportunity for local Christians to unite in the worldwide observance of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25, which  began in 1908 in New York. The 2014 theme, “Has Christ Been Divided?”  (1 Corinthians 1:13) was chosen by an International Ecumenical Committee.
The purpose of the service is to pray for greater unity among Christians and enjoy fellowship following the service, sponsors said.
“The Church in the Acts of the Apostles is the model of the unity we seek today. It reminds us that prayer for Christian unity cannot be for uniformity, because unity from the beginning has been characterized by rich diversity. Christian unity for which we pray always reserves authentic diversity. However, Christian unity is something that actually takes place throughout the year. The highlighted week of Jan. 18-25 focuses one’s attention in a particular way that Christian Unity for which we pray always reserves authentic diversity.”