Some 130 congregations and organizations in at least 3 countries, 33 states in the U. S. and Puerto Rico participated in this year's campaign for the International Day of Prayer for Peace on September 21, 2009.  Of that number, there were at least 55 congregational observances, 38 public vigils, and 8 listening projects.  Some churches held both congregational observances on Sunday, September 20, and then joined with other churches in their communities in public vigils.  Several of the public vigils had more than 10 other churches participating.

Many churches prayed about local economic conditions, immigration issues, or religious tolerance, while others prayed for relief from local violence involving gangs or guns. Still others prayed for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Some held prayer walks, asking God to help them see their neighborhoods in new ways.  Others planted peace poles, which expressed blessings of peace in several languages.  Still others held concerts and theater presentations.  Some events were celebrations, while others were solemn assemblies.  Everywhere people prayed for God's presence in their lives and in their communities.

These are their stories:

A number of people at Annual Conference in San Diego asked for some specific help with Prayer Walking in relationship to conducting a Season of Listening.

Prayer walking is an excellent activity to help Listening Initiative congregations to prepare themselves. A Prayer Walk can help congregations to:

Kay Guyer, a local IDOPP organizer in the 2008 campaign, has put together a powerful 4-1/2 minute video called "Blessed to Be a Witness", which fits nicely the Shalom theme of the 2009 On Earth Peace campaign for the International Day of Prayer for Peace.

In this time of economic uncertainty, the world around us is yearning for messages of peace and hope. Where is the good news?

Not on the evening news, full of scandals and reports about corporate misdeeds and broken trust.

• It was proposed in 2004 during a meeting between World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and then-United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan.
  

• It is celebrated annually on September 21 (or the closest Sunday), the UN International Day of Peace.
  

• It is one of the initiatives of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV).

The International Day of Prayer for Peace and On Earth Peace

• On Earth Peace and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office organized 102 participating congregations in 2007.
  

• In 2008, over 160 congregations and organizations from all over the United States, Puerto Rico, and four other countries took part in the second On Earth Peace campaign.
  

• This year marks the third On Earth Peace campaign for the International Day of Prayer for Peace.