Last school year when we started to pray with the high schoolers, many students made the decision to follow Jesus. At that point, we would ask if they had a Bible and invite them to our church or a local church in the area to receive more fellowship and teaching. We realized late into the year, the student probably would never attend our church even though we extended a personal invitation to them. I mean let's get real. Even if they decided to attend "our church", would they really feel comfortable to sit with us or sit alone? When you walk into a new church, you want to feel welcomed and be able enjoy the experience with others, especially people you know.
Another obstacle we wrestled with was Jesus' command from Matthew 28:19-20, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Yes, we were excited to have over 160 students last year profess their decision to follow Jesus, but how were they going to be discipled if they weren't going to church and fellowshipping with other Believers?
That's when we decided to change our approach for the 2023-24 school year. Every high school but one we prayed at, had a Christian club on campus. Most met weekly or bimonthly during lunch or after school. Each club is initiated and run by students with a school administrator overseeing the meetings. Pastors, faith leaders and invited guest speakers are able to address the students during their meetings. This is where new Believers, and others inquiring about Jesus can ask questions in a safe and loving environment. Friendships form and invitations to church youth nights happen during these meetings. Once we understood this, our follow up with the student after the initial prayer is to now give them information about the school's Christian club.
And taking this approach a step further, we contacted the club administrator to introduce Operation PRAY and let them know we'd be promoting their club. This became a win-win for both of us. As a result of forming these relationships, Todd Volker, our board president and author of Street Level Prayer was able to be a guest speaker.
Our first club meeting was at Chino high school; a very active club with over 90 students attending during lunch. What a huge opportunity to teach the next generation on the power of prayer! Granted we had to supply 18 pizzas, but it was so well worth it! The students were thoroughly engaged as Volker was able to teach and role play how to pray with someone. He wrapped up the short presentation speaking a powerful blessing over them. Afterwards, a couple of the club leaders asked if they could pray with our team on Mondays, and they even did a short video with Volker to recap the meeting and post to their social media accounts. What started out as a prayer ministry is quickly evolving into preparing the next generation's disciples, teachers, leaders, prayer warriors, and prophets. I thank God for His lead and guidance for Operation PRAY.
Watch how Todd Volker teaches a student how to pray.
Great video , thanks
Thanks for posting and keeping us up to date on how to pray and share!😀