The "commUNITY" gatherings will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays, August 12 and 26, at Wellsville's Island Park on West Dyke Street. A dish-to-pass or dessert is welcome but not necessary. Beverages and table service will be provided.
Sunday's session will include prayer against a host of disturbing trends revealed in the 2017 Allegany County schools youth survey, showing that 16.9 percent of 12th grade students had engaged in binge drinking in the past month, with 29.2 percent have used alcohol during that same period.
The survey also found that over half of 12th graders had used e-cigarettes or other tobacco vaporizers during the past 30 days, along with 32.6 percent of 10th graders, and 12.3 percent of eighth graders. Over a third of students had used marijuana at some point, including 16.3 percent within the past month of the survey, with 3.4 percent of senior students having used other drugs, including 2.8 percent LSD or psychedelics and the same percentage for heroin and prescription pain killers during the same 30-day period.
Students also are saying that they have "felt depressed or sad most days" in the past year, "even if (they) felt OK sometimes," with 55.4 percent of 12th grade females either agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement and 30.3 percent of males. The number for females is fairly consistent from eighth grade on.
Over a quarter of all 12th grade females report having hurt themselves by cutting or burning themselves when they are upset about something, with males at 11.3 percent. This number for all females, eighth grade and above, is in excess of 21 percent.
Of 10th grade females, 14.9 percent also report having made a plan for how to attempt suicide within the past year, with 14.7 percent of 12th graders and 12.9 percent of eighth graders reporting the same. Males report a lesser percentage at each grade level.
Mission Genesee Valley clergy say that churches began praying about the suicide issue for all ages several years ago when the county was experiencing the highest percentag for completed suicides in New York State. Although the ranking has dropped significantly, they said it still is "too high" at 15th from the top in a 2015 report from the State Health Department.
The multi-church prayer events follow a similar activity in July, drawing some 100 attendees from county churches, along with two Mission Genesee Valley-hosted summer gatherings last year that drew overflow participation for dinner, praise music, worship and prayer for community revival and transformation in Allegany County and beyond.
The event continues an initiative of renewing of individual minds and hearts to combat issues of addiction, abuse, racism, suicide, poverty, family dysfunction and more that pastors say are growing throughout this area, the United States and world.
It will include reflections on "What God is Doing in Allegany County" and upcoming multi-church activities over the coming months, along with the children and families prayer focus. Information will be available at the picnic on the soon-to-open Hope Center in Wellsville, desired Celebrate Recovery ministry expansions throughout the county, Back to Church and Compassion Sundays in September, online missionary outreach, and more.
A second praise, worship and prayer gathering, at the same time on Sunday, August 26, will focus on the upcoming Back to School period, including prayer for students, parents, teachers, support personnel, administrators, schools boards, colleges and universities, and others in the education field. The Journey to Transformation initiative started in January 2017, when county churches joined together for a three-day training by the international Sentinel Group to equip church leaders and attendees about the process of revival and transformation of communities, including information on locations throughout the world where this has occurred.
In May of last year, dozens of church-goers also participated in a followup Solemn Assembly gathering for prayer, worship, testimonies and declaration of community needs.
Since that time, twice-a-month Sunday night praise, worship and prayer gatherings have been held around Allegany County, often focusing on specific topics such as families, schools, veterans, economic vitality, substance abuse, and more.
The Journey to Transformation prayer focus also includes weekly rotating community prayer sessions from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays. These are part of a growing multi-church emphasis on the renewal of minds and hearts of individuals and families for county and communities transformation through prayer for the host and other churches and Christian organizations, individuals, the community, county and more.
This month's Friday night gatherings include August 10 at Wellsville Bible Church, 2908 Andover Road (State Route 417), Wellsville; August 17 at Crosstown Alliance Church, 450 North Highland Avenue, Wellsville; August 24 at First United Methodist Church, 79 Madison Street, Wellsville; and August 31 at the Fountain Arts Center, 49 Schuyler Street, Belmont.
A third set of community prayer gatherings for individual and general concerns, including family members and friends, are held weekly from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. each weekday at Knights Creek Evangelical Methodist Church, 2987 Knights Creek Road (County Road 9), Scio; 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesdays at Belfast Free Methodist Church, 11 Chestnut Street; and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays at the Power House Youth Center, 23 West Main Street, Fillmore. Members of the community with prayer needs are welcome to attend any of these prayer sessions. Further information about these activities and the Journey to Transformation initiative is available at www.facebook.com/
In May of last year, dozens of church-goers also participated in a followup Solemn Assembly gathering for prayer, worship, testimonies and declaration of community needs.
Since that time, twice-a-month Sunday night praise, worship and prayer gatherings have been held around Allegany County, often focusing on specific topics such as families, schools, veterans, economic vitality, substance abuse, and more.
The Journey to Transformation prayer focus also includes weekly rotating community prayer sessions from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays. These are part of a growing multi-church emphasis on the renewal of minds and hearts of individuals and families for county and communities transformation through prayer for the host and other churches and Christian organizations, individuals, the community, county and more.
This month's Friday night gatherings include August 10 at Wellsville Bible Church, 2908 Andover Road (State Route 417), Wellsville; August 17 at Crosstown Alliance Church, 450 North Highland Avenue, Wellsville; August 24 at First United Methodist Church, 79 Madison Street, Wellsville; and August 31 at the Fountain Arts Center, 49 Schuyler Street, Belmont.
A third set of community prayer gatherings for individual and general concerns, including family members and friends, are held weekly from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. each weekday at Knights Creek Evangelical Methodist Church, 2987 Knights Creek Road (County Road 9), Scio; 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesdays at Belfast Free Methodist Church, 11 Chestnut Street; and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays at the Power House Youth Center, 23 West Main Street, Fillmore. Members of the community with prayer needs are welcome to attend any of these prayer sessions. Further information about these activities and the Journey to Transformation initiative is available at www.facebook.com/
