Prayer walk unites students across Jenison High School
February 3, 2022
“Personally, it has been amazing to be a part of a group that encourages me to grow towards Christ. My favorite thing is the community because I am surrounded by people who are fully immersed in God’s word, and you can not find a lot of places like that in the world.” Makayla Meeusen is a freshman at Jenison Highschool, and she is one of the many students who has been impacted by the prayer walk that was held on the 22nd of January. All grade levels from different backgrounds came together and prayed over the student body, staff, and school community. The Jenison prayer group participated at this event, alongside other student believers across the school.
The Jenison prayer group initially started with a few students at Jenison on the first day of school, each with a mission to share the good news of Christ. They meet every day in room 211 at 7:40 am. So far, the group has grown and reached over 25 people and has impacted many students’ lives, as well as strengthened their walk in Christ. Mary Gibson, a Junior at Jenison High, states, “It has impacted a lot of people who attend just to know that they have other people who are like-minded in their faith. It is nice to do things every day, even if I forget my devotions, I at least know that I read some scripture and prayed with people.”
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“God has really helped me find my identity and who I am. That is the reason why I have confidence and it is the reason why I am happy and excited because I know there is a purpose for what I am doing and why I am here.”
— Mary Gibson, Junior at JHS
The prayer walk that took place was a major success. Students got to connect to one another through prayer, as well as discuss their walk with God. Some parents and youth group leaders from other churches joined, as well as Jenison’s superintendent, Dr. Graham. He stated, “It was very encouraging to see students that care about everybody in this building, and that want to pray for not only their fellow students, but our teachers, our administrators, and they are showing their love for this community. Just the excitement in the room makes me excited to see the impact that students will have in our buildings.”
In the future, the prayer group is planning on doing more outreach activities before and after school to engage students in the community who might want encouragement from God, with the goal of making an influence in the school community in a positive way. “We are hoping to do things like giving out doughnuts and handing out different things however we can to help make an influence at school in a better way,” says Mary.
It is not always easy for everyone to be open to sharing about their personal life, but seeing lots of people who are accepting and understanding has helped students feel safe. “Before I joined, I was timid and scared to share my faith because I didn’t have the confidence. But now that I have attended a prayer group, I have been more involved in praying to God in his word, which has helped me build that confidence,” Makayla Meeusen adds.
The school plans on hosting similar events like this in the future for those who wish to join and connect with us next time. For updates and more info, feel free to check the prayer group Instagram page (@jenison_prayer_group), or contact anyone you know who is in it.