Students all over Johnson County have stocked up on pencils and pens, notebooks and folders, in preparation to go back to school.
But local faith leaders want to add one more thing to their list of must-haves — the prayers of the community to help give them a successful school year.
A community praise and prayer gathering will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at the auditorium inside Franklin Community High School. Area pastors will lead the group together in praying for students, parents, faculty and staff before the school year begins.
“If God pulls us together a few times a year, that seems to me that it allows us to see the bigger picture, to influence one another and impact the community as a whole,” said Gary Walker, pastor at Franklin City Church.
Following the general assembly, the audience is invited to go to the school of their choice to pray around the flag pole. A pastor and teacher from each school will be present at each Franklin school, as well as Franklin College, to help lead the small groups.
“We thought it was good to have a representative from each school there to share specifically what was going on in that particular building and that particular age group of students,” Walker said.
This is the ninth year for the community prayer event, which was founded in 2014 by the prayer team at Franklin Community Church. The idea was to do a prayer walk around some of the local schools to pray for a positive school year.
Eventually, the idea evolved into hosting a prayer and praise service at Franklin Community High School, bringing together a wide range of other churches and opening the event to people throughout the community.
Since that time, the event has grown in the number of participating churches and the people who have taken part.
The event is important for two reasons, said Daniel Jepsen, pastor at Franklin Community Church.
“First, united prayer reminds us where our true security and help come from. They come from God, not our own plans and rules and laws, as helpful as those sometimes are,” he said. “Second, it reminds us that we are all in this together. Franklin is a community, not a collection of independent individuals. What happens in the schools happens to all of us.”
Gathering people together allows them to praise and thank God for the blessings provided to the community, regardless of denomination, Walker said.
“It shows some unity and one-ness when we’re willing to sacrifice some time to our own families, our own churches, and really come together as the greater body of Christ,” he said. “The Bible says when we do this, the world will take notice.”
IF YOU GO
Community Praise and Prayer Gathering
What: An opportunity for students, parents, staff, teachers and community members to gather and pray for the upcoming school year.
When: 6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Franklin Community High School performing arts center, 2600 Cumberland Drive.
Open to the public. Following the gathering, people are encouraged to go to one of the Franklin schools, or Franklin College, where small prayer groups will meet around each location’s flagpole.
