Special Days of Prayer and Service

Published October 10, 2017

Day of Prayer and Community Appreciation Day allowed Clarks Summit University students to focus on an attitude of prayer and service before Alumni Bible Conference, part of Homecoming Week. These days were intentionally planned to allow staff, faculty and students to be unified through prayer and by serving the community. “It’s great to have one week where students and staff can set aside the monotony of everyday routines and schedules to focus their hearts and minds on truth,” says Kati Raven, office coordinator for the Office of Student Development. Raven adds that the week contained three components: receiving instruction from God’s Word, showing love to the community through good works and worshipping through prayer.

Intentional Prayer

On Monday, Oct 9, CSU students observed Day of Prayer. Through large group and small group sessions, students and faculty had the opportunity to pray for the world, the campus and each other.

The Student Leadership Council intentionally planned the day to provide students with an opportunity to cultivate an attitude of selflessness and ministry. “We wanted to set aside time for them to focus on genuine prayer from the heart,” explains SLC president Drew Bundy. Bundy, a senior studying Church Music, encouraged students to genuinely connect with each other through prayer. In one prayer session, students filled out note cards with prayer requests, then traded with one another to pray for those requests throughout the week. Prayer stations on various topics such as health, missions and the government allowed students to gather together to pray for similar burdens. “We’d really like them to feel rested and in a better spiritual mindset where they can learn more at Bible Conference,” says Bundy.

Besides worship, corporate prayer and prayer stations, students also prayed with brother and sister dorms.

Intentional Service

Community Appreciation Day (CAD) was held on Tuesday, October 10. A unique feature of CAD is that it allows CSU’s community groups to bond together through ministry and service. Student community groups are lead by faculty and staff members to provide intentional mentoring relationships.

CAD provides an opportunity for these groups to minister to the area surrounding the campus. “Community group members can grow deeper in their relationships with one another—which will impact the effectiveness of future community group chapels,” says Raven. “It’s a great way to expose students and faculty and staff to the needs—both physical and spiritual—that exist in our surrounding areas.” Raven organized and lead this year’s CAD.

Groups served in a variety of ways, including cleaning lots in Scranton, Pennsylvania with Neighborworks, maintenance or cleaning projects at local churches, baking cookies for local businesses, volunteering at pregnancy centers and serving widows.

Sonja Liisa Greer, a junior at CSU, says, “We are told constantly in our classes to be leaders and good examples of Christ to those around us. Community Appreciation Day gives us an outlet to do that.” Greer adds, “I also like how we get to do it in our community groups because we can get to know each other better. It’s a great way to work towards a common goal and help people.”