Prayer for Orphans Day. Photo via invictory.org

Ukrainian Churches of different denominations prayed for orphans

Thousands of Churches of different denominations participated in the Prayer for Orphans Day, which was held on November, 6, reports the Christian Telegraph in reference to the Ukraine without Orphans Alliance press center.

They held special services, Sunday lessons, youth meetings and home groups. All preached special sermons and prayed special prayers. Believers also visited orphanages, made festive occasions for orphans and collected special-purpose offerings.

For example, in one of the Orthodox Churches in Central Ukraine, the priest urged church members to have kind and compassionate heart to orphans, especially for those who are disabled. After the service, a table with hot tea, candies and fruit was set for the orphans. That same day, the Church deans visited a lot of orphanages and children's hospitals.

One Kiev Church joined the prayer on Saturday, before the official day of event. Families who adopted children or took children under their guardianship were introduced to the Church. There are five such families in the Church and pastors are sure that there will be more of them. The Church actively ministers and cares for 80 orphans in several orphanages.

A lot of Churches prepared for this day beforehand. They visited families which had adopted orphans, spent time with them, and supplied them with food and financial support. A week before the prayer, a special appeal about the importance of the ministry to orphans was read in Greek Catholic Churches.

The main event of the day was the earnest prayers for orphans not only in Ukraine but in the entire world. More than 20 countries prayed for deprived children. They asked God to inspire believers to open their hearts and homes for children without parents, warmth and care.

The Prayer for Orphans Day ended with telethon named “Prayer for Orphans Day LIVE.” Leaders of religious unions, heads of social organizations, state officials and famous Christian artists participated in the telethon. They discussed questions regarding the orphans in Ukraine and ways of resolving this problem.

“I believe in the power of prayer. This day will become a crucial point in the lives of thousands of orphans,” said Ruslan Maluta, President of the Ukraine without Orphans Alliance. “This event became a real feast for many orphans and families that adopted children. I hope that decisions made during these special events will become acts aimed at changing children lives for the better. The way for Ukraine to be the country without orphans consists of everyday prayer and regular activity to help every child to find loving family.”

As reported earlier, the principal goal for this project, initiated by the Ukraine without Orphans Alliance, was to remind believers about God’s love for children without parents and to support them. According to the Prayer Day press center, the Ukrainian national database for adoption includes 28,625 orphans who are in need of parental care. The general number of the children with orphan status exceeds 100,000.

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TAGS: Prayer for Orphans Day Ukraine without Orphans Alliance Ukraine Kiev orphans Churches

[11/14/2011]

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