Photo:
Friendship area residents gather in front of Friendship Central School last month for regular prayer for students, teachers, other staff members, the Board of Education, parents, and more. Community churches will be expanding prayer efforts to include weekly prayer at another location.
Friendship Churches Continue
Expansion of Community Prayer Initiatives
FRIENDSHIP, NY -
A group of Friendship churches again is expanding community prayer
opportunities as they begin the second year of prayer in front of Friendship
Central School each month.
The What God is
Doing in Friendship NY alliance of churches hosts an 8:30AM prayer gathering on
the first Thursday of each month, which started last September, to pray for students, teachers, other
staff members, the Board of Education, parents, and more.
The gathering
then moves across the street to the Bible Baptist Church at 43 West Main Street
for a free continental breakfast.
Starting
Thursday, September 12, community prayer will be held each additional week at
the Missions House at 28-32 East Main Street, site of the former St. Andrew's
Episcopal church, offices and rectory, which is being expanded for new joint
churches community connection activities for children, youth and families.
Following
prayer at that location for individual, community and other concerns, attendees
will be able to receive an orientation on how they can Bless Every Home in the
area, another joint venture in which participants pray daily for their
neighbors.
This
previously-announced activity provides a computer-generated list of neighbors,
a different handful of which are prayed for each day.
Individuals who
are unable to attend any of the Thursday prayer times due to work or other
conflicting schedules are encouraged to pray wherever they are at that
time. They aren't required to be a part
of a church to take part in any of the activities.
Residents also
are being encouraged to let organizers know at what other times they are able
to participate if there is different scheduling by sending an email to WhatGodisDoing@outlook.com or telephoning (585)
664-9989.
Pastors note
that prayer is the foundation for communicating with God, learning where and
how He is working and being guided by Him as it relates to individual, family
or community situations and more.
Monthly prayer
at the school will include a focus on the institution's Character Trait of the
Month which churches seek to build awareness for and spread to their
congregants and the entire community.
This year's
school designations include:
September: Respect - The way you treat
your peers, yourself, your teacher, your environment, your belongings, and
those belonging to others.
October: Responsibility - The ability
to act independently and make good decisions on your own.
November: Gratitude - Be thankful and
appreciative.
December: Service for Others - Think of
others first.
January: Courage - Face your fears and
complete things that are hard.
February: Perseverance - Display strong
work ethics.
March: Integrity - Do what is right,
be honest and fair.
April: Pride - Feeling highly
satisfied about who you are, where you come from and what you have
accomplished.
May: Empathy - The ability to
understand another person's thoughts and feelings in a situation from their
point of view, rather than your own.
June: Celebration of All - Celebrating that all individuals are equal.
