About 75 students, teachers and Peoples’ Church employees arrived early on campus at 7A.M. on Sept. 15. They circled together around a small flag mounted on a wooden stand in the courtyard between Building 6 and Ground Zero.

Hand-in-hand, they began to lift their requests and praises to the Lord.

The prayer gathering was commenced and guided by student body president, Carson Belmont, ’05.

“We prayed for students, teachers and faculty on campus,” Belmont said. “We also prayed for God to give strength to Christians on secular campuses so that they would stand up boldly for what they believe.” Yet campus students were not alone in the early morning prayer.

The flagpole at Buchanan High School was surrounded by at least 300 students on Wednesday morning, according to senior Justin Curtis.

“See You at the Pole was an awesome experience this year,” Curtis said. “I was introduced to numerous others who have also accepted Jesus as their Savior, and we simply got the chance to pray together.”

Curtis saw this event as a way of witnessing to his unsaved friends.

“At first, I felt like being lazy and not coming early to school,” Curtis said. “But I realized that it was not about me or what I wanted, but rather about what God wanted, and He wanted me to be an example to those friends of mine who are not Christians. I am glad that God convicted my heart to get up a little bit earlier to spend time with Him.”

Schools around the country also gathered on their campuses in prayer. In Columbia, Missouri, students attending Hickman High School congregated amidst stormy weather, as reported on www.syatp.com (See You at the Pole).

As they closed their time together by singing a worship song, the students were pleasantly surprised to see a rainbow break through the clouds, reminding them of God’s faithfulness.

The administration of www.syatp.com encourages students to continue prayer on their campuses. They offer ideas, such as starting a Christian club or youth prayer network, and resources to those interested.

Here on campus, a group of students meet weekly on Tuesday mornings at 7A.M. to prayer walk around the school grounds. Erin Elmore, ’06, is a regular attendee.

“We generally pray for students and teachers or whatever comes to mind,” Elmore said. “Sometimes we’ll stand by the library and pray by name for people that drive into the parking lot.”

Elmore sees this as an opportunity to remind students of God’s calling to His believers.

“Prayer walking is a great way to keep your focus straight,” Elmore added. “This is a Christian school, but it’s also a mission field.”

For more information, ideas and resources on campus prayer, visit the following website: www.syatp.com/info/followup.html. Prayer continues with the Tuesday morning prayer walk. Contact Alex Elmore, ’05, for times and place.