School starts back up this week for our students. This is a time when kids are both excited and nervous. The feeling of excitement comes because they are getting back into the routine of seeing friends and teachers. The emotion of nervousness comes because of new classrooms, teachers, and pressures. There are probably other thoughts and emotions that come to the surface each time a new school year begins, but we don’t have the time to get into that.

This is our time to begin praying in overdrive. According to StopTheShootings.org there have been 387 school shootings since 1992 (this includes college campuses); South Carolina has experienced 6 of these. This statistic is a reminder to pray, pray often and pray hard. Prayer is how we all can make a major difference in the lives of our kids, administrators, staff and teachers. Here are some practical petitions: safety, understanding, patience, a strong faith, a bold witness, and diligence.

You will be provided a list of the names of our students that will simply be a prayer prompter. I would encourage you to put it in a place that gets your attention consistently. Take each of these names to the throne of grace because each of them needs our prayer.

To kick off this school year we have designed a two-part program. The first part will be Saturday, August 16 at 6 pm: Tie Dye Party; bring a cotton t-shirt and during the night you will enjoy tying your shirt, eating hot dogs, dyeing your shirt, and then watching Frozen. What an awesome night planned before you have to start learning what x and y mean! The second part of this weekend will be Sunday, August 17 at 5:30 pm: Back-to-School Pizza Blast; we will be challenged from Scripture, have a special time of prayer, get a free gift, and eat so much pizza that you may be too sick to go to school the next day!

Grace & Peace,