For the second year in a row, the FC community will gather for the year-end convocation in the Peoples Church main sanctuary from 8 a.m.-8:30 a.m., May 2. All grades, K-12, will meet for a time of prayer, worship, and fellowship on the National Day of Prayer.

At 7:50 a.m., the percussion ensemble will perform a prelude, immediately followed with a welcome and opening prayer by FC Superintendent Debbie Siebert. Before the seniors on the high school worship team lead the school in a time of worship, a video showcasing the year’s theme will be played.

After the theme Bible verse is read (Philippians 1:27), Siebert will give an invocation speech, and a group of student representatives will lead a time of prayer, covering various areas of the school, including thanksgiving, leaders, school ministry in the community and individual growth in Christ.

Having participated in the organization in the convocation last year, worship team teacher David Martens looks forward to continuing the tradition and refocusing the community on the school theme.

“The end-of-the-year convocation helps us wrap up the year and helps us remember what our focus was for the year because through the months, we have kind of gotten off of that,” Martens said. “Our focus is to end the year strong.”

Martens appreciates the opportunity to worship as a whole school and enjoys seeing everyone give glory to God for everything He has done throughout the school year.

“I think it’s wonderful when we meet as an entire school: parents, students, grandparents, alumni and whoever else comes,” Martens said. “We get to enjoy God’s presence together. I think just to have that continuity and to have an event that we can all look forward to, and all meet together to glorify God is important.”

Freshman Olivia Quebe believes the year-end convocation is a great advantage of attending a Christian school and is excited to participate in a time of worship with her peers and fellow FC students.

“I’m glad that the whole school gets to come together in prayer and that’s the advantage of going to a Christian school,” Quebe said. “We can all freely talk about Christ and talk to Him as one group, and it’s a great way to connect with some people that you didn’t know. My favorite part about going is the worship. I think it gets everyone in a good mood and lightens the sprits of everyone.”

The National Day of Prayer is the first Thursday in May. This year’s theme nationwide is “Pray for America.” Locally Fresno City Hall will observe the event at Fresno and “P” streets, beginning at 6 p.m. Clovis City Hall will host a noon prayer at 1033 Fifth Street. There will be speakers at each event. Call 559.291.9199 for Clovis information and 559.250.5475 for the Fresno event.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @madeleineyee.

For more news, read the April 29 article, Feather wins NSPA Pacemaker, Best of Show.