UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

“Living Stations of the Cross” Event Featured in the Boston Globe

Members of Trinity Church and other local congregations participated in an outdoors Stations of the Cross event on Good Friday.

UniteBoston’s Executive Director Kelly Steinhaus served in the role of Jesus for the first four scenes. She writes, “This year, I am seeing Holy Week in a whole new way. It’s difficult to describe in words how this experience has impacted my faith personally.”

The Boston Globe article features an image of Kelly with a crown of thorns and holding the cross.

Photo Credit: John Tlumacki, Globe Staff
Photo Credit: John Tlumacki, Globe Staff

Check out the article here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/25/ways-cross/PWRDp7nPmFJ0h3IY2QnZTN/story.html

Be encouraged by how God is making visible His love to our city!

Ted Talk by Boston’s Bonnie Gatchell

Bonnie Gatchell is the director of Route One Ministry, who works with women exploited by the commercial sex industry by entering strip clubs. She has provided educational training to many local churches and organizations across New England, exposing the reality of sex trafficking in New England and providing practical solutions to bring about its end.

Last week, Bonnie was featured on Tedx. Listen to her speak out for exploited women, and visit Route One Ministry to join in their efforts to help women experience the breaking of chains and healing of wounds through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

New UniteBoston Reps!

Above, Jeff Bass from the Emmanuel Gospel Center trains 8 new UniteBoston reps about “Living Systems Ministry” last Saturday at our annual UB Reps training.

While we all come from very different backgrounds, we are united because we all love Jesus!

Click here to learn more about UB Reps, or here to learn about other volunteer opportunities with UniteBoston!

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Today begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity!

John Armstrong from the Act 3 Network shares with us more about the history of this movement. Check out his blog here: www.johnharmstrong.com

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between January 18 and 25. It is actually an octave, which means the observance lasts for eight days.

The observance began in 1908 and was focused on prayer for the church unity. The basic idea, and the January dates, were suggested by Father Paul Wattson, co-founder of the Graymoor Franciscan Friars. Watson conceived of the week beginning on the Feast of the the Conversion of St. Paul and concluding on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Peter. The dates and ideas actually were a variant of the Protestant version of these Catholic celebrations. (Wattson was himself a former Anglican priest.) In the mid-1920’s Protestant leaders proposed an annual octave for unity leading up to Pentecost. (Many local communities also celebrate this time and offered joint prayers for unity.) Pope Benedict XVI “encouraged its observance throughout the entire Roman Catholic Church.”

What is interesting is that this observance began in Catholic circles but once it jumped boundaries it took new forms and meanings. Abbé Paul Couturier of Lyons, France, who has been called “the father of spiritual ecumenism,” (a model that has profoundly influenced me and one also openly embraced by Pope Francis) had a slightly different approach than Father Wattson. He advocated prayer “for the unity of the Church as Christ wills it, and in accordance with the means he wills.” By this Abbé Couturier enabled other Christians with differing views of the Petrine ministry to join in this movement of prayer. In 1935, he proposed naming the observance “Universal Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” This proposal accepted by the Catholic Church in 1966. Abbé Couturier’s message influenced a number of Catholic leaders thus today this is the direction Catholics and Protestants take in their celebration of this week of prayer.

Locally in Boston, you can take part in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by attending:

Below, Protestant and Catholic members of the UB community joined to watch the Spotlight movie together last Sunday and discussed implications for ministry in Boston.

Boston Dream Center 2015 Highlights Video

UniteBoston is excited to highlight the Boston Dream Center this week.

The Boston Dream Center is doing amazing work in the area to meet the needs of people in Boston through care and compassion ministries, groups, and outreaches!

Check out their video highlights from 2015 here:

 


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