UNITY VILLAGE, Mo.— Association for Global New Thought leadership council members will be the featured keynote speakers at Unity Village, Missouri, during the 13th annual celebration of the Unity World Day of Prayer, September 13 to 14, 2006.  All World Day of Prayer events will be available via streaming video on www.worlddayofprayer.org.  The Association for Global New Thought works for planetary transformation based on universal spiritual truths, reflecting core teachings of the world's great spiritual traditions.  AGNT focuses on peace, justice, healing, and self-realization.

            Unity World Day of Prayer is a worldwide prayer activity designed to raise the spiritual awareness of humankind through a united expression of faith. All events are free and are open to people of all faiths.

            Events begin Wednesday evening, September 13, 7 p.m., in the Activities Center, at Unity Village, Missouri, located at M-350 Highway and Colbern Road, near Lee's Summit (1901 NW Blue Parkway). For more information, log on to www.worlddayofprayer.org or call (816) 251-3540. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

7 p.m.—Opening Ceremony in the Activities Center.   Speakers include Tom Zender, member of the AGNT leadership council and president ex-officio of Unity; Rev. Carol Carnes from the Center for Conscious Living, Santa Cruz, California; Rev. Mary Omwake from Unity of Maui, Wailuka, Hawaii; Rev. Christian Sorensen from Seaside Church of Religious Science, Encinitas, California; Rev. Argentina Glasgow from the Detroit Unity Temple, Detroit, Michigan; Rev. Kathy Hearn from the United Church of Religious Science, San Diego, California; Rev. Wendy Craig-Purcell from the Church of Today, San Diego, California;  and Dr. Michael Beckwith from Agape International Spiritual Center, Culver City, California.

8 p.m.—24-hour Prayer Vigil begins in the Silent Unity Chapel.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

7:30 a.m.—Daily Word service in the Activities Center.   Speakers include Dr. Roger Teel from the Mile Hi Church of Religious Science, Denver, Colorado; Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey from Portland, Oregon; and Rev. Howard Caesar from Unity Church of Christianity, Houston, Texas.

11:00 a.m.--Silent Unity Prayer Service in the Activities Center. Led by Rev. Lynne Brown, vice-president of Silent Unity.

11:30 a.m.—Unity World Day of Prayer activity provided by Unity Institute students from the Ministry and Religious Studies program.     

7 p.m.—Evening Prayer Celebration in the Activities Center.

            Unity World Day of Prayer was first held in 1994. It is organized by Unity and

its transdenominational prayer ministry, Silent Unity. Millions of people have been the

focus of prayer during special Unity World Day of Prayer vigils held each year at many of the nearly 900 Unity churches and centers around the world. Last year, the names of an estimated 1.3 million people were prayerfully acknowledged during the prayer

vigil at Unity Village. To submit a prayer request, call (800) 669-0282. This year's Unity World Day of Prayer theme is “Partners in prayer:  Creating a world of unity.” This year's World Day of Prayer affirmation is: “United heart to heart in prayer, we create a world of radiant life, overflowing abundance, and lasting peace as we awaken to the power of God within.”    

“In Unity, we know that prayer works,” said Unity president Charlotte Shelton. “We host World Day of Prayer as an opportunity for humankind to experience a transformation of health, abundance, and love on a global level.”

            To learn more about the World Day of Prayer, to submit names of friends and family members for the prayer vigil, and to enjoy an affirmation set to sound and motion, visit www.worlddayofprayer.org.

Unity is a worldwide movement of prayer, education and publishing that helps people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives.

Unity was founded in 1889 in Kansas City. It is best known for Daily Word, a monthly magazine of inspirational messages that is read by more than one million people in 180 countries. Silent Unity maintains a 24-hour prayer vigil every day of the year and receives more than two million letters, telephone calls, and e-mails for prayer annually.

RELEASE: August 15, 2006                     FOR RELEASE UPON RECEIPT

Contact:          Tom Taylor, Manager           Phone: (816) 251-3565

                        Public Relations                     E-mail:  taylortc@unityonline.org

                                                                        Web site:  www.unityonline.org