Families join in prayer walk on Moraine Elementary grounds
PROSPECT — A small group of community members and families of students gathered Sunday evening, Sept. 21, for the second-ever prayer walk at Moraine Elementary School.
Callie Rogerson, a new member of the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization and one of the walk’s organizers, said the event was arranged by herself and a group of other parents to put positive energy toward the school.
“It’s a way to bring everyone together, no matter their walk of life,” she said. “We had a good time. We had some people who had never attended a church service before, but for them to be here and support us meant the world.”
Rogerson said the first week of classes was a huge success and the hope is to continue to do prayer walks for the future. She said herself and the leaders of the walk have already found an indoor space willing to host them in the colder months.
“We’ve been offered the fire hall to use whenever the weather does change,” she said. “We may even resort to not doing so much weekly as biweekly or even monthly, just to gather together. With the fire hall, it’s nearby, so we can have proximity to the school.”
For Sunday’s prayer walk, the group split into four smaller groups that traveled between stations. Each station had a different focus of prayer: students and families, teachers and support staff, administrators and board members, and school atmosphere.
Before beginning, Rogerson took some time to reflect on the biblical story of Jericho, the main subject of last week’s walk.
“We’re not here to bring down the walls of brick and mortar, but we have God to break down all the fear, discouragement and division and replace that with peace, healing and hope for every student, teacher and family connected to this school,” she said.
Each station was situated at different sections of the school’s playground. After every group rotated through each station, the entire congregation then walked the perimeter of the school before meeting at the front for a closing prayer.
“May every teacher have wisdom and patience. May every child feel safe and encouraged and supported. We pray for learning that not only builds knowledge, but also character and compassion,” Rogerson said.
