BOTKINS — The Botkins Ministerial Association will host an interdenominational Celebration of the Word of God on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m., at Immaculate Conception Church, North Main Street, Botkins.

The service will be held as part of the area’s observance of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Special music will be provided by a choir assembled for the occasion. Fellowship and refreshments will follow the service. All are welcome to attend.

The Botkins Ministerial Association includes Botkins United Methodist, Immaculate Conception Catholic, Only Believe Ministries, St. Lawrence Catholic and St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches.

Begun in 1908, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated each year in cities and towns across the country and around the world.

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary year of the beginnings of the Reformation, the theme: “Reconciliation – The Love of Christ Compels Us” (2 Corinthians 5:14-20) has been chosen. The materials for the 2017 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have two accents: reflection upon the main concerns of the churches marked by Martin Luther’s Reformation and a recognition of the pain of the subsequent deep divisions that afflicted the unity of the Church. Selecting this theme is an opportunity to take steps toward reconciliation.

The theme and text for each year’s observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are chosen and prepared by representatives of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and representatives of the World Council of Churches. The international texts are developed, adapted and published for use in the USA by the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute.