MONROE - Pastor Randy Booth of Monroe United Methodist Church is offering Monroe students, teachers and administrators help in the form of a prayer vigil, following the problems the school district has seen in the past month.
He received a phone request, "Please pray for our school" while on vacation last week.
Booth said the high school students in his congregation are coping well with the problems of vandalism and threatening messages at school.
"They are frustrated," he said. "The students in youth group are usually good students, and they don't like missing school. (But) They can see the anxiety in other kids."
Following the message and seeing what the students in his own congregation are going through, Booth knew how he could help.
"I put two and two together and decided that's what we need here," he said.
Booth and Pastor Brian Henry of the Potter's House church have put together a 24-hour prayer vigil for safety and calm at Monroe Schools. The vigil concludes in the sanctuary at the United Methodist Church with a service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, led by the teenage members of the youth groups of the two churches. The public is invited to the evening service.
The two churches have youth groups meeting on Wednesday nights, ending at the same time. Booth and Jamie Richard, youth group coordinator at Potter's House, decided to combine the teen groups for the concluding service.
"It's about them, why not let them lead?" Booth said, about the teen-led service.
About 74 people have signed up to fill the 48 half-hour times slots. Participants are encouraged to pray at home, at the churches, or near the schools.
With the adults committed to doing the vigil, Booth took an opportunity Sunday night to encourage the teens in his church.
"They play volleyball together, " Booth said about the two youth groups. "This is a time for them to do something spiritual together."
Booth said school evacuations and shutdowns are "totally disrupting," and rumors of when the school might have an explosion are distracting. Public school teachers in his congregation say students are not attentive, he added.
"It's not like a fire drill," he said.
He has encouraged teachers to take extra copies of his prayer guide for others whom they know are receptive to the idea of the vigil. The guide contains ideas and Bible passages for those who don't know how to pray for a half-hour at a time, Booth said.
He received a phone request, "Please pray for our school" while on vacation last week.
Booth said the high school students in his congregation are coping well with the problems of vandalism and threatening messages at school.
"They are frustrated," he said. "The students in youth group are usually good students, and they don't like missing school. (But) They can see the anxiety in other kids."
Following the message and seeing what the students in his own congregation are going through, Booth knew how he could help.
"I put two and two together and decided that's what we need here," he said.
Booth and Pastor Brian Henry of the Potter's House church have put together a 24-hour prayer vigil for safety and calm at Monroe Schools. The vigil concludes in the sanctuary at the United Methodist Church with a service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, led by the teenage members of the youth groups of the two churches. The public is invited to the evening service.
The two churches have youth groups meeting on Wednesday nights, ending at the same time. Booth and Jamie Richard, youth group coordinator at Potter's House, decided to combine the teen groups for the concluding service.
"It's about them, why not let them lead?" Booth said, about the teen-led service.
About 74 people have signed up to fill the 48 half-hour times slots. Participants are encouraged to pray at home, at the churches, or near the schools.
With the adults committed to doing the vigil, Booth took an opportunity Sunday night to encourage the teens in his church.
"They play volleyball together, " Booth said about the two youth groups. "This is a time for them to do something spiritual together."
Booth said school evacuations and shutdowns are "totally disrupting," and rumors of when the school might have an explosion are distracting. Public school teachers in his congregation say students are not attentive, he added.
"It's not like a fire drill," he said.
He has encouraged teachers to take extra copies of his prayer guide for others whom they know are receptive to the idea of the vigil. The guide contains ideas and Bible passages for those who don't know how to pray for a half-hour at a time, Booth said.