Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 18-25, 2026

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called

to the one hope of your calling” Ephesians 4:4

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*Click the link at the bottom of the page for the WPCU 2026 PDF Booklet

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an important opportunity for us in the Sword of the Spirit to pray for unity with Christians from around the world and from various church traditions. We work with materials provided by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches in conjunction with the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity of the Catholic Church. 

This year, our theme is based on Ephesians 4:4:  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”.  The brothers and sisters tasked with composing the 2026 materials come from the Armenian Apostolic Church, part of the Oriental Orthodox tradition. 

The Armenian Church is one of the oldest Christian communities, deeply rooted in the teachings of the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who evangelized in Armenia as early as the 1st century AD.  St Gregory the Illuminator greatly contributed to its flourishing in the early third century.  During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the Church became a sanctuary for those suffering and preserving hope for a brighter future. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia experienced a religious revival, and the Armenian Apostolic Church reclaimed its central role in society.  

The Armenian Apostolic Church has a rich tradition of ecumenism, striving to build bridges with other Christian communities. In recent decades, it has engaged in dialogue with various traditions, including Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Churches, seeking common ground while preserving its unique heritage.

We hope this journey together through the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will increase our hope for greater unity among us and among the Christian people.

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From the International President   

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

As we join with Christians around the world in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026, we rejoice in the theme taken from Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.”

This theme speaks deeply to us as the Sword of the Spirit, an international community of covenant charismatic Christian communities. We are a people from many nations, languages, and traditions, yet bound together by one covenant and one Spirit. What unites us is not human effort, but the grace of God poured out through Christ and sealed in us by the Holy Spirit.

At this time in history, when division, confusion, and hostility often mark the world, the Lord is calling us to be living witnesses of His desire for unity. Our covenant life, our commitment to one another, and our ecumenical mission are not small things—they are signs to the wider Church that Jesus’ prayer, “that they may all be one” (John 17:21), is still alive and being fulfilled in our day.

As we celebrate this week, let us remember three encouragements:

1.      Hold fast to the hope of our calling - The unity we long for is not simply organizational, but spiritual and eternal. It is rooted in the hope of resurrection, of the Kingdom fully revealed, of Christ all in all.

2.      Deepen our love for one another - Unity is not only proclaimed but lived. Our relationships across communities and traditions must reflect the humility, forgiveness, and charity of Christ Himself.

3.      Be bold in witness - The world longs for hope and reconciliation. When we live as one people in Christ, across barriers of culture, denomination, and background, our very life together becomes a proclamation of the Gospel.

Beloved brothers and sisters, take courage! The Spirit who unites us is faithful. The God who has begun a good work in us will carry it on to completion. As we pray with the whole Body of Christ this week, may we be renewed in our mission to build covenant communities, to strengthen bonds of unity, and to shine as a sign of God’s Kingdom on earth.

With love in Christ and confidence in His Spirit!

Manny de los Santos

International President

The Sword of the Spirit

You can find the documents in other languages here.