Cell-Phones Help Promote Prayer Campaign
Organizers of the annual See You at the Pole (SYATP) event in which students nationwide gather at their school flagpoles to pray for their campuses and country, will this year use technology to its advantage. The event organizers are hoping that cellphones will aid in promoting this year's event and its message that when we call, God promises to answer.
Students will be encouraged to follow the theme, "PRAY: call 2 me," by using their cellphones to text message their friends and family to pray before, during, and after the September 21 event. The 2005 SYATP theme is based on Jeremiah 33:3, where God says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (NASB)
"This day serves as a springboard for continued unity and cooperation for teenagers to reach out to their campuses," said Paul Fleischmann, president of the National Network of Youth Ministries, which coordinates the event.
See You at the Poll started as a student-initiated prayer meeting in Burleson, Texas, in the 1990s, but has now become a worldwide phenomenon. Last year, 2 million students from all 50 states participated in the event under the theme, "Ascend: Clean Hands. Pure Hearts".
On an international scale, over 20 countries from six continents sent in reports on their gatherings. SYATP events is also being coordinated by Australia (www.syatpaustralia.com)and Canada (www.syatpcanada.com), which observed the day earlier this year on May 12.
"We are thrilled with the ownership these young people have taken," said Fleischmann.
While the prayer event is mainly spread through word-of-mouth, church congregations will also promote the event by sponsoring "Campus Challenge Sunday," September 17-18. Additional promotional resources for SYATP 2005 will also be available on its main website (www.syatp.org) or by ordering.
Beginning next year, SYATP will be held on the fourth Wednesday of September to allow students more time for preparation for the event.
