City Mission to participate in National Day of Prayer
Dean Gartland, president and CEO of the Washington City Mission, pictured in a file photo, said the shelter will have to close if the coronavirus crisis does not resolve within the next few months.
In this file photo from 2017, several people participated in the traditional “signing and hoisting” of the final construction beam of City Mission’s 22-bed shelter for homeless veterans, the Patriot House.
City Mission will host a National Day of Prayer, gathering on their campus at 84 W. Wheeling St. in Washington Thursday. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Pray for America – Unity.”
“Our society is being torn apart and it appears that we are drawing battle lines against each other,” said City Mission President/CEO Dean Gartland. “This is not how societies are to function in order to solve our most important problems. We need a focal point that pulls us together beyond our disagreements and removes the battle lines. Prayer is a significant way for us to do that.”
The National Day of Prayer gathering at City Mission will kick off at 9 a.m. with a prayer circle around the campus to symbolize the unifying power of prayer.
Observer-Reporter
Observer-Reporter
City Mission in Washington
“Joining hands with one another to pray is a beautiful symbol,” explained Leah Dietrich, director of residential programs at City Mission. “I think it will give hope to everyone involved.”
City Mission will also host prayer stations throughout the day to encourage continuous prayer on different themes, including: Unity in America; Unity in the Church; and Unity in families, workplaces, communities and cities in America. Tours of the campus will be conducted throughout the day to give a glimpse of the stories of hope and transformation within the walls of the mission, and an outdoor prayer tent will be available for a time of personal prayer.
“We are engaged in a significant spiritual battle here at the Mission,” Gartland said. “As men, women and children come to us for help and hope, we are responsible to guide them in the most effective way possible. The local church is our lifeline. Their prayer support means so much to us. When there is an opportunity (like this) for us to come together and pray, it is even more meaningful and powerful!”
A Gallup Poll conducted in November of 2016 found that a record high 77 percent of Americans perceive the nation as divided.
“God is the only one who can bring true unity to this beautifully complex nation,” said Cassie Defibaugh, the church and community relations specialist at City Mission, and “this is a fantastic opportunity to link arms with fellow servants of Christ and show that we as the Christian Church stand together in unity.”
Dietrich said that seeing the community come together for the National Day of Prayer event shows mission residents that the community cares for them.
“I think it shows that we have a community that cares for one another regardless of background, race, religion or housing status,” she said.
For information, visit citymission.org.