March 29, 2024

'See You At the Pole' Wednesday

The Southern Prairie YMCA Christian Emphasis Committee invites the community to the Y 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, for “See You at the Pole.”

"See You at the Pole" is an annual gathering of Christians of all ages at a flagpole for prayer and scripture-reading during the early morning. Meet at the Y, rain or shine. The morning gives everyone the opportunity to take a moment to pray for their school, friends, families, churches and communities.

"See You at the Pole" was inspired by the initiative of students in one youth group in Burleson, Texas, early in 1990. The teenagers felt led to go and pray at night at several area schools during a weekend youth group retreat. They had a profound time of prayer, and their experience was shared with thousands of other youth from across Texas in the form of a challenge in June 1990 at a large conference. More than 56,000 students on 1,200 campuses in Texas and three other states were documented at the first "See You at the Pole" in September of that year. The movement continued to grow nationally and internationally from 1991 on.

In 1990, when youth ministers in Texas first challenged young people to meet on a common day to launch their school year in prayer, one of the concerns was how to help those who wanted to pray together find each other. It was noted that virtually every school has a flagpole, and the flagpole provided an easy-to-identify place to gather. Also, one issue the teenagers were praying about was the spiritual health of their country and their leaders, in obedience to 1 Timothy 2:1–2. Hence, the location and name of the event.

For more information on any Southern Prairie YMCA program, call 641-782-9622, check for updates on Southern Prairie YMCA Facebook page or visit the YMCA website at www.southernprairieymca.com.