Pictures by Andrew D. Brosig, Erick J. Starkey and Crystal R. Albers
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By Crystal R. Albers
calbers@torringtontelegram.com
GOSHEN COUNTY – Early Wednesday morning, students around Goshen County braved the crisp, fall air to gather at their local school flagpoles and pray.
In Lingle, Pastor Caleb Kinnaman, of North Hills Baptist Church, provided juice and donuts at the student-led event – which originated in Texas in 1990.
“This is my second year being a part of this in Lingle,” Kinnaman said. “But I remember (participating) when I was in middle school and
high school.”
The See You At The Pole challenge began with a small group of teenagers who were inspired to travel to three different schools in one night to pray, according to the movement’s website (syatp.com). The teens gathered at the school’s flagpoles and prayed for their peers and leaders. Later that year, during a brainstorming session of youth leaders, See You At The Pole was officially named and began gaining traction – with more than 45,000 young people across four states gathering at flagpoles to pray at 7 a.m. on Sept. 12, 1990.
The following year, the number grew to an estimated one million students from all over the world praying for their schools, friends, families, leaders and countries.
See You At The Pole continues to “bring students to Christ and to change lives”, the website states.
The Lingle event featured six students and Kinnaman, and focused on the 2017 theme verse, Hebrews 12:2, which reads: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.”
Each of the six young people – five seventh graders and one high-school sophomore – took an opportunity to pray for fellow students, including those in other nations with no religious freedom and who are hungry, for the nation and government, for school administration and teachers, families, friends and finally, for themselves.
Ashlee Hattan, a seventh grader, shivered in the 37-degree weather with wet hair, having just showered prior to the event. Still, she and the others, several of which borrowed gloves from Kinnaman, remained in good spirits.
“(See You At The Pole) just shows that you care about God, you want to be in His life, and you want Him to care about you, also,” Hattan said.
