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Here are a few Christian “highlights” and ideas you can lean into for January 2026, both globally and personally:

Global and church-wide highlights

• Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: From 18–25 January 2026, churches around the world are invited to focus on the theme “one hope, one calling,” drawn from Ephesians 4:4 (“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”).[3]
• Many churches use early January to emphasize renewed devotion, gratitude, and recommitment to Christ for the new year, often through focused worship, communion, and teaching on repentance and faith.[2]
• Various ministries are promoting January prayer and fasting initiatives (for example, multi‑day fasts seeking spiritual awakening in America and deeper dependence on God).[7]

Seasonal spiritual focus

For Christians, January naturally carries a few big spiritual themes:

• Continuing to rejoice in the Incarnation as the Christmas season closes (meditating on passages like Luke 2 and John 1).[1]
• Epiphany themes: Jesus revealed as Son of God and Light of the world (for example, the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3 and the call of the first disciples in Matthew 4, which many churches read in January).[1]
• Unity of the body of Christ: praying that the church across denominations would live out its calling as “one body and one Spirit.”[3]

Practical ideas for January 2026

If you want to live out “Christian highlights” this month, you could:

• Join or start a short season of prayer and fasting (even one meal a day) to seek personal renewal and pray for your church, city, and nation.[7]
• Participate in a local or online prayer gathering tied to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, asking God to deepen love and cooperation among believers.[3]
• Set a simple Scripture plan for January (for example, read Ephesians, the Gospel of John, or a short 8‑day plan in a Bible app) and journal one way to obey each day.[3]
• Make one intentional step of witness: invite a friend to church, share your testimony, or offer to pray with someone who is struggling.[4]

Ideas specific to Indianapolis

You can look for:

• Local churches or dioceses hosting events for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (many cities organize joint services between Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox congregations in that Jan 18–25 window).[3]
• Special January worship nights, communion services, or New‑Year‑focused sermon series at churches near you (most medium‑to‑large churches promote these on their websites or social feeds).[5][2]

If you tell me what kind of “highlights” you’re most interested in (events to attend, things to watch/listen to, or personal spiritual practices), I can narrow this down into a simple plan for the rest of January.
Starting the New Year with a Christian perspective is important because it reorients your plans, hopes, and worries around God’s character and promises rather than your own strength or circumstances.[2]

Centers life on God, not self

A Christian perspective shifts New Year thinking from self-improvement to God-dependence. Instead of only asking “What do I want to change?”, you begin with “Lord, what are You doing in my life, and how can I join You?” This keeps goals from becoming self-centered projects and turns them into acts of worship and obedience.[7]

Uses the New Year for repentance and renewal

Scripture connects “newness” with repentance and new life in Christ, so the turning of the year is a natural time to confess sin and receive fresh grace. Starting the year in repentance draws you closer to Jesus, not by dwelling on failure, but by embracing His forgiveness and the “new creation” identity you already have in Him.[1][4][5][2]

Grounds your identity and hope

Culturally, a new year can intensify pressure to “reinvent yourself,” but the Christian perspective says your core identity is already secure “in Christ,” not in your performance or your resolutions. That frees you from perfectionism and despair when you fall short, and anchors your hope in God’s faithfulness rather than in how well you keep your goals.[4][9]

Shapes priorities and decisions

Approaching the year Christianly means seeking God’s kingdom first and letting that shape how you use time, money, relationships, and opportunities. Practices like Scripture, prayer, and committed involvement in a local church at the start of the year set your “compass” to true north and influence every other decision you make.[3][9][10][2][7]

Gives meaning to seasons and struggles

A Christian perspective views each new year as a season in which God remains sovereign, purposeful, and present in both joy and suffering. That lens helps you see trials as places of growth, provision, and renewed peace in Christ, rather than as meaningless interruptions to your plans.[6][2]

Sources
[1] 4 Ways to Approach the New Year with Jesus - The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/4-ways-to-approach-the-new-year-with-jesus/
[2] Welcoming the New Year 2026: – A Fresh Start with Faith and ... https://bcworldview.org/welcoming-the-new-year-2026/
[3] Planning Your New Year and Making God's Word a Priority https://www.epm.org/resources/2014/Jan/1/planning-new-year-gods-word/
[4] RePost: The Christian New Year - by Casey McCall https://www.caseymccall.com/p/the-christian-new-year
[5] Starting Fresh as a Christian in the New Year | iBelieve.com https://www.ibelieve.com/holidays/starting-fresh-as-a-christian-in-the-new-year.html
[6] A New Year Perspective - Thoughts about God https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/new-year/filoiann_new-year-perspective
[7] Plan Like a Christian: Five Principles for a New Year | Desiring God https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/plan-like-a-christian
[8] What does the New Year mean? - Psephizo https://www.psephizo.com/life-ministry/what-does-the-new-year-mean/
[9] Preparing for a Faithful New Year https://www.bethesdaseniorliving.com/blog/preparing-for-a-faithful-new-year
[10] What sort of New Year's resolution should a Christian make? https://www.gotquestions.org/new-years-resolution.html
Sources
[1] January 2026 Program Summaries | Worship Anew https://worshipanew.org/articles/january-2026-program-summaries
[2] Prayer & Worship: January, 2026 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW1e4eog6aQ
[3] Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 invites Christians to one ... https://www.oikoumene.org/news/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2026-invites-christians-to-one-hope-one-calling
[4] All Christians must humbly, joyfully invite others to trust in God, pope ... https://georgiabulletin.org/news/2026/01/all-christians-must-humbly-joyfully-invite-others-to-trust-in-god-pope-says/
[5] Sunday Morning Worship | "Glorifying God Through a Stronger Faith" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1B3CShdiDE
[6] NIGHT OF WORSHIP | January 20th, 2026 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TSz9NjH38o
[7] 14 Days to Awaken a Nation Fast - Jan 2nd, 2026 - Christian Union https://christianunion.org/america/national-fast/
[8] Top 50 Christian Songs of January 2026 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyORnIW1xT6wsEc82uNr_bGEbv5uaI_Yj
[9] 07 January 2026 - Only By Grace Reflections - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK_jcXxomhM

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