March of Prayer: Community invited to 40 nights of worship, prayer at different churches

Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal
·5 min read
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Churches from more than 20 denominations and associations offer worship in their particular, authentic style during the annual March of Prayer. The community is invited to join in prayer and praise starting March 1.
Churches from more than 20 denominations and associations offer worship in their particular, authentic style during the annual March of Prayer. The community is invited to join in prayer and praise starting March 1.

The fifth annual March of Prayer will fill 40 nights with worship and prayer, each night hosted by a different church, as a commitment to the unity they have in Jesus, according to a news release from Pastor Paul Lintern.

The churches, which affiliate with more than 20 denominations and associations, each will offer worship in their particular, authentic style, inviting the community to join in prayer and praise.

Starting March 1, the services begin each night at 6 p.m., except March 9 and 25, and five of the services during Holy Week leading to Easter, and will offer prayer for a variety of topics and concerns, including local ministries, community leadership, and national issues, with an special focus on victims of addiction and the path of recovery, Lintern said.

Of special interest will be the creation of the Jericho Wall of Remembrance and Recovery, planned for this summer at a retaining wall next to a parking area east of First Christian Church on West Dickson Avenue, near West Third and Bowman streets.

Fundraising will begin in March, with artists’ painting in the summer and dedication during Mental Health Month in September. The Planning Committee includes representatives of the City Arts Council, local churches, Mansfield Council, Volunteers of America and Mansfield Rotary Club.

More information is available at JerichoWall.info.

“I know of no other event just like this,” said Lintern, who again organized this year’s March of Prayer.

Rev. Paul Lintern has organized the 5th annual March of Prayer for the community with 40 nights of worship and prayer at different churches.
Rev. Paul Lintern has organized the 5th annual March of Prayer for the community with 40 nights of worship and prayer at different churches.

“It is often that churches in any city will have cooperative worship services, for special occasions, and it is not unusual for a church to host nightly prayer events indefinitely, but I am yet to find any community that will schedule a prayer service at a different location so many nights in a row,” he said.

The first March of Prayer, in 2019, filled every night in March, then was continued for another 19 days until Easter, because of other churches wanting to join in, using the theme, “Mansfield is Godsfield,” then “Richland is God’s Land.”

The next year's event was cut short by COVID after 16 days, but continued for 45 days through nightly “living room” prayer services offered on the Godsfield Facebook page, which still keeps participants up to date on March of Prayer services and local church events, Lintern said.

The last two years have filled March, and added nightly services during Holy Week, concluding with the Sunrise Service at Kingwood Center on Easter morning.

One of the special parts of each service occurs when guests from other congregations are invited to offer blessings for that evening’s hosting church.

“God moves in a community when its people come together to pray; several ministries along Park Avenue West, including ARC Empowerment Center, Rubies, and Elijah’s House, can safely be described as Godsfield ministries, as many congregations helped to start and maintain these addiction-related ministries,” according to Lintern.

“This is a remarkable opportunity for people to visit churches they are curious about, and to join in singing and prayer with their Godsfield partners,” he said.

Here is the March of Prayer 2023 Schedule; All Services begin at 6 p.m. unless noted. Follow on Godsfield Facebook Page:

Wednesday, March 1 — The MAC, 291 W. Cook Road.; Thursday, March 2 — Journey Life Center, 2578 Springmill Road; Friday, March 3 — First Baptist Church, 4534 Ohio 13, Bellville; Saturday, March 4 — Southside Christian, 2055 Middle-Bellville Road; Sunday, March 5 — Church Requel, 2 Marion Ave.; Monday, March 6 — Recovery Road, 378 Park Avenue West (ARC); Tuesday, March 7 — Linden Road Presbyterian, 124 S Linden Road.; Wednesday, March 8 — Holy Trinity Lutheran, 525 W. Cook Road; Thursday, March 9 — First United Methodist Church, 12 N. Diamond St., 7 p.m.; Friday, March 10 — Fusion Lexington, 2200 Industrial Parkway; Saturday, March 11 — St. Luke’s Point of Grace, 2 Marion Ave.; Sunday, March 12 — Potter’s House,  374 Willowood Drive East; Monday, March13 — Grace Fellowship, 365 Straub Road East; Tuesday, March 14 — Fusion Madison, 2170 Park Avenue East; Wednesday, March 15 — Freedom Ridge, 2200 Bedford Blvd, Ontario; Thursday, March 16 — ARC Empowerment Center, 378 Park Avenue West; Friday, March 17 — Really Recovered, at MAC, 291 W. Cook Road.; Saturday, March 18 — Faith United Methodist, Ohio 96 across from Crestview Schools; Sunday, March 19 — Open Bible, 1150 Rayfield Drive; Monday, March 20 — Ontario United Methodist, 3540 Park Avenue West; Tuesday, March 21 — Kingdom Grace Fellowship, 105 Reba Ave.; Wednesday, March 22 — Abundant Life, 1085 Bedford Blvd, Ontario; Thursday, March 23 — Salvation Army, 47 S. Main St.; Friday, March 24 — Christian Life, 961 Springmill St.; Saturday, March 25 — Sar Shalom, 2510 W. Fourth St., 10;30 a.m.; Sunday, March 26 — Oakland Lutheran, 2045 Olivesburg Road; Monday, March 27 — Lexington Church of the Cross, 236 Otterbein Drive; Tuesday, March 28 — Clay Memorial Lutheran, Bowman and Amoy East Road; Wednesday, March 29 — Paradise, 87 Illinois Ave North Road; Thursday, March 30 — Belmont Community — 1119 Belmont Ave.; Friday, March 31 — Mansfield  South Park Pavilion, 100 Brinkerhoff Ave. ; Saturday, April 1 — Come Together in One Accord, 525 W. Cook Road; Sunday, April 2 —  MIMA, Oasis of Love, 190 Chester Ave., 4 p.m.; Monday, April 3 — First Christian, 200 W. Third St., at Jericho Wall; Tuesday, April 4 — Providence Baptist, 112 W. Sixth St.; Wednesday, April 5 — GracePoint Lexington,  1887 W. Cook Road; Thursday, April 6—Main Street United Methodist Church, 230 S. Main St. , 7 p.m.; Friday, April 7 — Grace Episcopal Church, 41 Bowman St., 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 8 — First English Lutheran, 53 Park Avenue West, vigil, time tba; Sunday, April 9 — Kingwood Center — 7 a.m.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

Twitter: @LWhitmir

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Community invited 40 nights of worship, prayer at different churches