NORTH JEFFERSON COUNTY — There will be a lot of prayers sent up for schools across north Jefferson County in the coming weeks.
A new ministry group known as P3 (Power of Praying Parents) and campus ministry group First Priority have teamed up to organize prayer walks on the campuses of area schools.
The first two prayer walks were held on Feb. 21 at Bragg Middle School in Gardendale and on Sunday at Gardendale High School.
The idea was the brainchild of Gardendale resident Kristi Millwood. A parent of two, she said schools need prayer now more than ever.
“We have seen increasing violence since prayer was taken out of schools,” she said. “I was doing research and statistics are just alarming as to what goes on in our schools. It was important for my daughter to see her mother active in prayer for her and her friends.”
Millwood said she had the idea of the prayer walks after a See You at the Pole event last year. She presented her plan to Donnie Rhodes at First Priority after receiving encouragement from a higher power.
“The Lord just kept on me about it,” she said. “I talked to Donnie and he said the easiest thing to do is just start doing it. It’s been an awesome experience.”
Millwood said about 15 people attended the first prayer walk at Bragg. However, she’s hoping the momentum will grow.
Rhodes said Millwood’s P3 idea was an answer to one of his own prayers.
“I’d been praying for parents to get more involved in the schools,” he said. “A big key to student life is their parents.”
He described the prayer walks as a natural offshoot of the See You at the Pole rallies, in which students gather at flag poles on school campuses to pray for their schools, fellow students, faculty and staff. Like Millwood, he said he worries about what students face on a daily basis.
“Through First Priority, I have the opportunity to be on campuses all the time,” he said. “There’s a great movement of the Lord through students, but they’re still battling peer pressure, bullies, drugs and alcohol. There’s a lot of prayer need.”
The walks are held on Sundays because school is not in session. Those who participate are welcomed and then directions are given as to where participants are allowed on campus. After a group prayer, the group proceeds to walk around the school campus, praying over buildings, buses, doorways or any other part of the school.
After 45 minutes, the group comes back together and participants share a brief word of encouragement before a final closing prayer.
The tentative prayer walk schedule for the remainder of the year is as follows:
• March 7: Gardendale Elementary School
• March 21: North Jefferson Middle School
• March 28: Mortimer-Jordan High School
• April 11: Bryan Elementary School
• April 18: Snow Rogers Elementary School
• April 25: Tabernacle Christian School
• May 2: Mt. Olive Elementary School
• May 16: Fultondale High School
• May 23: Corner High School
• May 30: Bagley Middle School
In the event of bad weather, the group will meet at North Gardendale Baptist CHurch in the Borden Life Center.
Millwood said the prayer walks are open to anyone, including students, teachers or staff members at the schools.
“This is not denominational; it’s for the community,” she said. “These students will be the politicians, the doctors and the leaders of their communities. This is for the future generation.”
For more information on the P3 prayer walks, contact Millwood at p3ministryngbc@yahoo.com or Rhodes at 612-9347.
Religion
March 1, 2010
Prayer walk group to meet at area schools in upcoming weeks
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