Sample 11 Days Plan for an Ecumenical Celebration

So you want to plan your own 11-Day celebration? Below is a list of activities from 2008 you might consider participating in and/or planning for your own church community. This is NOT meant to communicate that all activities should be done, but rather you can pick any of the bulleted items under each day to create your own plan.

Not every event listed has resources on www.11daysofunity.com. The items in BOLD BLUE are available for download at www.11daysofunity.com/resources. We have provided this list to help support you in being creative in your own community. While the possibilities are endless, we hope this helps jumpstart your involvement. Read carefully through each day, as some items are duplicated on multiple days to show a variety of options when you plan an event. This list is NOT exhaustive by any means!

At the end of this list are more ideas for your church. Start planning now! Get connected with the wider community through an interfaith council, other churches, and secular peace organizations. Finally, let us know if we can be of help in any way. Thank you for getting involved… in creating a world that works for everyone.

• Sunday Service: Peace Theme
• Youth Education: 11 Days Curriculum at Youth and Family Ministry section online, it contains 3 Sunday lessons, starting the Sunday before World Day of Prayer. Also online are the activities that are described in the curriculum document.
• Play “Fine Line” song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.
• Make Prayer/Peace Flags to hang outside at church for the coming week through the 11 days.

• 24-hour prayer vigil, in concert with Unity Village prayer vigil.
• Listen to WDOP 2007 – Interfaith Prayers from Multimedia section of resources.
• Have congregation join at church to watch live streaming of Gregg Braden, keynote speaker for WDOP
• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.
• Begin 11 days of peace prayers, use the brochure online Print section of resources of 11 Days of Peace Prayers. Use at church each day, with staff, volunteers, etc. and/or encourage people use it at home every day. Begin with Unity prayer in brochure.
• Ask participants to hand out 11 Day Peace Cards “Make Peace Your Business.” Encourage community, staff, volunteers, etc. to use at church and affirm each day, and/or at home with families and friends. Use the affirmation cards for longer than the 11 days.
• Begin book study of The Intention Experiment by Lynne McTaggart. Download from Print Materials section of Resource page 11 Days Power of Prayer to create your own intention “experiment” at your church or for yourself.

• Continue 24-hour prayer vigil, in concert with Unity Village prayer vigil
• Continue with Day 2 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Nonviolent Communication Workshop (www.cnvc.org )
• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.

• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.
• Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, watch the video in the Multimedia section on the Resource page. Contact Pachamama Alliance (www.pachama.org) to set up a presentation (you will want to advertise this symposium far ahead of time in order for people to plan to attend).
• Continue with Day 3 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Nonviolent Communication Workshop
• Greening Your Church workshop
• Earthdance, for more information visit www.earthdance.org.

• Sunday Service: Peace Theme
• Youth Education: 11 Days Curriculum at Youth and Family Ministry section online, it contains 3 Sunday lessons, starting the Sunday before World Day of Prayer. Also online are the activities that are described in the curriculum document.
• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.
• Nonviolent Communication Workshop
• Invite a local Interfaith group or people from various religious traditions, see Multimedia resources: 11 Days Web Links Doc. Also see 11 Day Interfaith Celebration under Print Materials section of resources online.
• Make Prayer/Peace Flags to hang outside at church for the coming week.
• Continue with Day 4 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure

• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.
• Continue with Day 5 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Begin series of classes:
1. Small Group Peace Book Study
2. Peace Film Series with discussions
3. Exploration of World Religions

• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.
• Continue with Day 6 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Continue series of classes that started on Monday.
• Diversity Celebration: Break into small groups and tell a short history of your family’s diversity in dyads. Then share in small groups then in large group. May share ethnic food, music, dance, dress.

• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.
• Invite a local Interfaith group or people from various religious traditions, see Multimedia resources: 11 Days Web Links Doc.
• Create a mid-week Interfaith Worship Service, see 11 Day Interfaith Celebration under Print Materials section of the resources online.
• Continue with Day 7 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Continue series of classes that started on Monday.

• 11am prayer service, in concert with Silent Unity 11am service.
• Continue with Day 8 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Continue series of classes that started on Monday.

• Continue with Day 9 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Continue series of classes that started on Monday.
• Nonviolent Communication Workshop
• Greening Your Church workshop
• With Interfaith or Ecumenical Partners:
  - Create an 11-Day Peace Film Festival, or show one transformational film this evening
  - Carry out a Spiritual Social Action activity
  - Gather for a “Peace Music Concert.”

• Continue with Day 10 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure
• Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, watch the video in the Multimedia section on the Resource page. Contact Pachamama Alliance (www.pachama.org) to set up a presentation (you will want to advertise this symposium far ahead of time in order for people to plan to attend).
• With Interfaith or Ecumenical Partners:
  - Create an 11-Day Peace Film Festival, or show one transformational film this evening
  - Carry out a Spiritual Social Action activity
  - Gather for a “Peace Music Concert.”
• Create an Abraham Walk, visit www.agnt.org, for more information.

• Sunday Service: Peace Theme
• Youth Education: 11 Days Curriculum at Youth and Family Ministry section online, it contains 3 Sunday lessons, starting the Sunday before World Day of Prayer. Also online are the activities that are described in the curriculum document.
• Play Fine Line song by Richard Mekdeci, in Multimedia section of resources.
• Nonviolent Communication Workshop
• Invite a local Interfaith group or people from various religious traditions, see Multimedia resources: 11 Days Web Links Doc.
• Make Prayer/Peace Flags to commemorate International Day of Peace.
• Continue with Day 11 prayers from the 11 Days of Peace Prayers Brochure

• It is the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan so they may invite you to celebrate prayers and breaking of the fast with them some evening.
• You might want to experience a Jewish Sabbath Service on Friday Evening.
• Check with local Hindu, Buddhist, CaoDai, Baha’i, Sikh, etc. communities for ways to interact.

Connect with your local Christian community to plan joint “Peace” events: Mennonites, Quakers, Church of the Brethren, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Congregational, United Church of Christ, Lutherans and Disciples of Christ Churches, Religious Science, Divine Science and Catholic Pax Christi leaders.

Read through the 11 Days Secular from the Resource page, Print Materials section online, it gives wonderful ideas of how to connect with the larger secular community to plan events throughout the 11 days.

Invite your local Neighborhood Watch Group or Neighbors to a Neighborhood and Pet Blessing some Saturday or to an Ice Cream Social to build peaceful relationships.

Present your City Council with a Proclamation to sign for “11 Days of Global Unity: A Season of Interfaith Celebration.” Download the Declaration of Interdependence from the Print Materials section.

Promote involvement of government agencies and private companies in focusing on peace in various ways in their workplaces through the connections in your congregation.

Read through the 11 Days Interfaith Possibilities from the Resource section online, it gives wonderful ideas of how to connect with the larger community to plan interfaith events throughout the 11 days.

Distribute 11 Day Peace Cards throughout your city.

Promote Peace Creative Expression through music, art, skits throughout your city, include youth organizations.

Promote Community-wide Diversity Celebrations such as cultural fairs with food, costumes, music, dance and stories or parades with flags from many countries and prayers for each country as recommended by the United Nations. See Declaration of Interdependence in Print Materials section.

See 11 Days Press Release Doc in Print Materials section to help promote the events you plan.