Lutherans to Lead Evening of 40 Days of Prayer for Peoria

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peoria hosts Day 25 of the 40 Days of Prayer for Peoria beginning at 6 pm the evening of Saturday, January 24, 2009. The Rev. Steven P. Tibbetts, STS, Pastor at Zion, will lead the ecumenical prayer service using the contemporary Lutheran rite for Evening Prayer, which is traditionally called Vespers or Evensong. The 40 Days of Prayer services have been held at 6 pm each evening since December 31 at First United Methodist Church, 700 Main Street, Peoria. The 40 Days will continue through February 8.

The 40 Days of Prayer for Peoria was first held last year as a response by area churches and ministries to Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis’ invitation to include prayer as part of the fight against violent crime. Zion co-hosted one evening of prayer last year with St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. Since the initial 40 Days last year, continued prayer efforts in the city have been coordinated by Push for Peace Peoria (website www.pushforpeacepeoria.org) which has organized this year’s second effort. The prayer services reflect the wide variety of Christian practices available in the Peoria area, yet center on the whole church’s common prayer for the city.

A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Zion has been proclaiming the Gospel from the South Side of Peoria since 1894. The church is located at the corner of Easton Avenue and Hayes Street, one block west of the intersection of Jefferson and Western, on the South Side of Peoria. For more information call (309) 637-9150 or view Zion’s web site at www.zionpeoria.org.
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