TOWAMENCIN – It’s hard to imagine something that makes high school students willingly get up early to beat their buses to school, alert and smiling no less. Yet every year, on the fourth Wednesday of September, that’s what one can find students all over the world doing, as they join together as more than schools, more than towns, and more than nations, but as family.
North Penn is one of many schools internationally that takes part in See You at the Pole Day. Essentially, this morning meeting is “an opportunity for all the Christians at North Penn to come together and just pray over the school year, and pray over each other and pray over all the students and staff at North Penn,” according to one of the NPHS Christian Club’s officers, Sierra Gomes.
Around 30 teachers, students, and community members gathered together this year in the courtyard for a time of group prayer.
“It feels good to be part of something bigger than yourself Seeing a bunch of people coming together to partake in something so peaceful and nice and hopeful feels good,” Christian Club officer, Echo Yordy said.
Even on the local scale, students were moved by this morning. Just being able to see so many like-hearted people, who were before just another face in the hallway, uplifted many.
“In such a big school it’s easy to feel alone in your faith, but knowing that there’s people all over the country praying to the same God that you are is really encouraging”, Gomes stated.
For those looking for a community of faith within North Penn, Christian Club meets every other Tuesday.
Even though one student claimed she only got an hour of sleep, another had four, and others likely didn’t have too much more, they still were joyful, and happy to be in the presence of one another and of God.
“I think there’s a lot of negativity and groups of people that are just so negative all the time, and it’s really nice to get with a group of people who all want the same thing, and that’s the peace and the goodness of God to be spread,” reflected Yordy.
Even though students prayed for many different concerns, each one wanted the best for North Penn. While so many things burden the community, this day offers a time of release, both to God and to peers.
“The safety of our students is the biggest thing, just for me personally because of everything happening across the country at the moment… the safety and well-being of everybody here,” Yordy explained.
Gomes also said that “a lot of people are definitely praying for revival; we’ve seen it spreading throughout our generation more recently, so we’re praying for revival to happen right here at North Penn.”
Perhaps this revival will indeed reach North Penn. Officer Bianca Pasmin described how “at first it started out with a smaller number but as we continued praying our group just got larger, and it was a demonstration of our faith, especially since we have a bunch of people walking by us, seeing that we’re praying. It’s a way for us to show that we are Christians, and that we aren’t ashamed of our faith.”
For these students, their hope in God and in the brightness of a future with Him didn’t end after heading to class.
Gomes is looking forward, saying “Anything we do can glorify God if we have the right heart posture… my prayer is that my life will be a life of worship.”