Champaign County residents have two opportunities to observe the 68th annual National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2.
A National Day of Prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. in the Urbana High School auditorium, 500 Washington Ave. Pastors and congregations from across Champaign County will gather to pray for the nation and will be joined by state and local government officials, educators and local businessmen and women.
In addition, planners of the service are encouraging local veterans to attend as they will be recognized for their sacrifice in protecting the freedom to worship.
Pastor Brian Coleman of Faith Tabernacle Church, Urbana, will be the keynote speaker. Music will be provided by the Graham High School choir, directed by Polly Trenor; a community praise band; and Andy Perdue, who will perform a patriotic medley.
A National Day of Prayer service also will be held May 2 at 6 p.m. at the Mt. Carmel Friends Church, 3470 Kennard-Kingscreek Road, Cable. Other Cable area churches participating include the Cable United Methodist Church, the Middletown Church of God and Jenkins Chapel Community Church.
The theme of this year’s National Day of Prayer is “Love one another. Just as I have loved you.” (John 13:34). Planners hope that the local NDP services serve as a catalyst for spreading love throughout Champaign County and beyond.
President Harry Truman signed the National Day of Prayer into law in 1952, and President Ronald Reagan amended the law in 1988, setting the first Thursday of May for the national observance.
St. Paris Federation of Churches
The St. Paris Federation of Churches invites people to pray at Saint Paris First Church of God, 122 E. Walnut St. in St. Paris anytime between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2. Prayer stations will be set up to help focus prayers, or people can feel free to come and go and pray however they choose.
May 4 event in Urbana
According to organizer Christian Walton, a 2019 Citywide Prayer Meeting will take place May 4 and is being hosted at the River of Life Christian Center, Urbana. Pastors of all churches in the area such as Urbana United Methodist, Mechanicsburg Christian Fellowship, River of Life Christian Center, Faith Tabernacle Church (Urbana), Jerusalem Second Baptist (Urbana) and many more from surrounding cities have been invited to come together at River of Life to worship, be inspired, and to leave changed for a better life, church, and community. The service time begins at 11 a.m. and is scheduled to end by 1 p.m. A vocalist group called Harmony from Columbus is scheduled to sing as well, along with a band from Springfield. Walton is the host of the event, along with a visiting minister from Rod Parsley’s World Harvest Church in Columbus.
