Women, men and children in over 170 countries will gather at 7 p.m. Friday to celebrate World Day of Prayer.

In the Lehighton/Weissport area, a service will be celebrated at Zion United Church of Christ, Second and Iron streets, Lehighton. The service is sponsored by Lehighton Interfaith Fellowship.The church is handicapped accessible.The World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday in March.Services begin at sunrise in the Pacific and follow the sun around the globe.This year, the women of Egypt wrote the service titled "Streams in The Desert."Participating in the service are: Mary Kay Levendusky, All Saint's Episcopal Church; Bill Lester, Tracy Lester and Shirley Stamm, First Presbyterian Church; Jean Gothard (pianist), Jenny Keiper, Joan Mertz and SALM Emma Weaver, Grace/Zion Lutheran Church; Rose Marie Austin, Ss. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church; and Rae Grow and Shirley Radler, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.There will be a time for refreshments and fellowship after the service.