'It’s like starting with a new slate': Prayer teams visit Marion schools before Opening Day
Forest High School teacher Michael Conrad likened the Church of Hope Prayer Walk held at his school Sunday morning to a cleansing for the upcoming year.
“It’s like starting with a new slate,” Conrad said.
About 400 Church of Hope congregation members fanned out in small groups to perform Prayer Walks at 43 Marion County Public Schools on Sunday morning in advance of school opening day, Thursday, Aug. 10.
The Prayer Walk at each public school was part of the church’s annual “Go, Gather and Give” faith in action outreach.
Emily Cummins, an associate pastor at Church of Hope, stated the “Go, Gather and Give” outreach has been held for 15 years, but this is the first year for the countywide school Prayer Walks.
At Forest, prayers were offered throughout the building and grounds for students, teachers, school staff and faculty.
The Prayer Walk group included 11 Church of Hope members and Forest faculty members Buddy Wyckoff and Kyle Strausser.
“This is fantastic. There’s so much that the public doesn’t understand (about) what we deal with,” Strausser said.
Wyckoff prayed with the group while touching the doors of the school library.
Michael Conrad and his wife, Patti, are Church of Hope members and participated in the Prayer Walk.
Patti Conrad found the prayer outreach “emotional.”
Church of Hope member Troy Hall completed the Prayer Walk with his son Aidan, 18, a recent Forest graduate.
Erin Nulty with Church of Hope performed the Prayer Walk with her son, Evan, 12. Both walked the halls of the school as the prayer continued.
A Prayer Walk guide sheet provided by a member listed areas at each school where at least five minutes of prayer should be offered. The areas: parking areas, front office, hallways, classrooms, restrooms, lunchroom, gymnasiums, playgrounds and athletic fields, locker rooms and the outsides of the schools.
Suggested prayer intentions included “protection against bullying, physically, mentally and emotionally” in the locker rooms; “wisdom, skill, patience and kindness for teachers” in the classrooms; and “welcome back” for teachers, administrators and School Board members in the front office areas.
Scripture verses to be read aloud included Psalms 34:7 and Proverbs 17:15 in the parking area and 2 Timothy 1:7, James 1:5 and Psalms 27:1 in the classroom.
A basket of snacks and drinks was left for incoming staff.
Members returned after the Prayer Walks to the Church of Hope on Maricamp Road for fellowship and breakfast.
Charlie Stinnett, a volunteer with the church, was among the team members who helped with the gathering.
Brain Till, an associate pastor at Church of Hope, said the inaugural Prayer Walk outreach was a “great experience” and he was “excited to partner” with the local schools.
Church members Earl and Linda Wilson prayed at Wyomina Park Elementary School.
“It was awesome,” Earl Wilson said. He said prayers were offered for all students at the school.
Former Ocala mayor and former City Council member Gerald Ergle was part of a Prayer Walk team that visited Ocala Springs Elementary.
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Ergle said he found it “impressive” that 15 to 20 people with the school came out voluntarily on a Sunday morning to join the Prayer Walk.
Church of Hope Lead Pastor Mark Cummins, who is Emily Cummins' father, summed up the intention of the Prayer Walk in a text message:
“There’s a lot of pressure in our schools. We see the violence that often happens in our schools. Instead of cursing the darkness, we’ve decided that we’re going to be a light.”
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Church of Hope prayer teams visited schools Sunday; school starts Thursday
