By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

Pastor Stew Burns, Central Haven Church, and three of his children gathered around the flagpole next to the New York Mills High School last Wednesday morning to pray as a part of the growing International Day of Student Prayer event, also known as “See You at the Pole.”

See You at the Pole is a day set aside each year for students to come together and unite in prayer to uplift their schools, communities and nations. The global event began in Burleson, Texas in 1990 when a group of teenagers felt led to pray over local schools during a youth weekend. The movement continued to grow and has since become an international event set annually on the fourth Wednesday in September.

This is the second year that this event has been held in NY Mills with the Central Haven Church organizing the prayer rally. The church’s Facebook event invited all NY Mills students to gather around the flag pole to pray over their teachers, school leaders, friends, families, state and nation. They also invited parents and adults to join the students in prayer at the flag pole prior to the school day.

“In 1990 when youth ministers in Texas first challenged young people to meet on a common day to launch their school year in prayer, one of the concerns was how to help those who wanted to pray together find each other,” said the See You at the Pole website. “It was noted that virtually every school has a flagpole, and the flagpole provided an easy-to-identify place to gather. Also, one issue that the teenagers were praying about was the spiritual health of their country and their leaders, in obedience to 1 Timothy 2:1-2.”

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way,” reads the English Standard Version of 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

Though this year’s turnout was low, Pastor Burns and his family made the most of their time together, praying for our nation’s leaders, the school administrators, teachers and staff members, and especially for the students of the NY Mills School. With prayers for the uplifting of the senior and junior classes in their final years at school, for the various sports and organizations such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, as well as the end to all school shootings, the Burns family ask for provision over the many members of the NY Mills school district and its community.

“I think it’s important for our community to be praying for one another because life has been pretty hard lately,” said Pastor Burns. “We’ve had a lot of lives lost, and other lives changed forever locally, in our state, nation and around the world in the past few months.

“Jesus commanded us to love one another,” he continued. “The funny thing about prayer is it changes your heart towards others. You can’t pray for people and hate them at the same time.”

Though this year’s event was small, Burns is hoping that, like other communities, the See You at the Pole movement will spread in NY Mills and a crowd of people will unite around the flagpole next year.

“I pray next year so many students are praying at the school flag pole that all the adults wanting to join would have to gather around the flag pole by Central Park,” he said.