With thousands of seafarers caught up in a life-threatening conflict, Christian maritime charity Sailors’ Society is focusing its 2024 Sea Sunday resources for churches on the plight of crew embroiled in the Red Sea crisis.
It takes 48 hours for a container ship to pass through the conflict zone, during which time seafarers on board face missiles and drone attacks. And ships that avoid this threat face a 5,000-mile detour along with pirate attacks and cyclones.
Sea Sunday is set aside in the church calendar as space for congregations to pray for our seafarers, the men and women who bring us more than 90 per cent of everything we own and use, and to give thanks for their crucial work.
The resources, which are available to download for free at sailors-society.org/seasunday, include suggested liturgy, talks and a mission and outreach service, all based around the story of Jesus calming the storm from Matthew’s Gospel.
Sea Sunday also allows churches to support seafarers by donating to Sailors’ Society’s vital welfare work. This includes trained crisis responders who are in contact with crew in the Red Sea, a 24/7 global helpline and the charity’s unique Peer-to-Peer Support Groups where seafarers can talk and share via WhatsApp with those in the same boat as them, if not on the same ship.
Sailors’ Society CEO, Sara Baade, said: “The story of Jesus calming the storm is a biblical reference that is so relevant to our work. So many storms beset seafarers from the physical hurricanes and extremes of weather that affect their voyages to mental health issues around separation anxiety, loneliness, financial worries and fatigue.
“And this year, on Sea Sunday, we are highlighting a new storm that our seafarers are facing – the crisis in the Red Sea. Our resources give churches the opportunity to learn more about this and the other storms that face seafarers every day, to pray for them and to support our work.
“These resources are free to use – and whether churches have two minutes or an entire service to highlight Sea Sunday, Sailors’ Society is delighted to connect with them to bring hope and transformation into the lives of seafarers and their families.”
Sea Sunday will be officially marked on July 14, but churches can celebrate anytime in the year.
All resources are available to download for free at: sailors-society.org/seasunday
About Sailors’ Society:
For more than 200 years, international maritime charity Sailors’ Society has been transforming the lives of seafarers and their families. The charity works to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support 24/7 to the world’s 1.9m seafarers, regardless of background or faith.
For more information on the charity’s work, please visit www.sailors-society.org
