See You at the Pole, a global day of student prayer, began as a grassroots movement in 1990 with 10 students praying at their school.
The event is still going strong more than three decades later and has become a national phenomenon, with millions of students praying on their campuses on the fourth Wednesday in September.
It is a prayer rally where students meet at their school flagpole before class starts to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school and their nation to God. It is student-initiated, student-organized and student-led.
Although prayer was removed from U.S. public schools by the Supreme Court in 1962, evidence of faith-based activities in schools is becoming more and more prevalent as time goes on.
As reported by Charisma News, GenZers in Corpus Christi, Texas have sparked revival in high schools around the area. Student-led services don’t take place during school hours, but they are held on school grounds before classes begin, at lunchtime and after school. Bible Clubs have been formed, teens are prophesying and are on fire for Jesus.
Joe Kennedy, a former football coach in Bremerton, Washington, was vindicated earlier this year when the Supreme Court ruled he and others were allowed to pray on the field before and after games. That court battle lasted seven years, and he was reinstated. After Bremerton’s first game, however, Kennedy resigned because he felt the school district had not kept the court order and was retaliating against him.
And then there is Released Time Education, where the United States public school system is required to set aside, during school hours—typically an hour a day—for students to receive off-campus private education.
In June, the Davis School District in Utah decided to ban the Bible from an elementary school and a middle school library. Less than three weeks later, the district reversed its decision and the Bible made its return.
On Wednesday, First Liberty Institute posted to their X account, formerly Twitter, “It reminds us that, because of our wins in cases like Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, we have more freedom than ever to express our faith in public places.”
An X post by Gulf Shores Middle School in Gulf Shores, Alabama, read: “We had a great turnout!”
The same rang true at Satsuma High School in Mobile, Alabama, where a large group of students turned out for an early-morning prayer session.
“I’m super glad that some many of us follow God,” Brynleigh Burleson told Fox 10 TV. “It’s not really something that everyone talks about a lot, but I feel like now that we’ve come together, we have more opportunity to express our love for God.
“I want them to know that it’s okay and this is a safe place to pray and worship. And I love See You At the Pole. This my second year at See You At the Pole. It’s very fun to do,” Claire Boyett said.
Local Pastor Bailey Moore of Free Life Church helped to organize the event and was pleased with the turnout. As the sun rose, the crowd increased from dozens to hundreds of students, Fox 10 TV reported.
“It was very encouraging. Very encouraging, and very inspiring to see the students just gathering here and just showing devotion to their relationship with God. Showing devotion to their prayer life. To get up early,” Moore said.
By text from Corpus Christi, New Life Church Pastor Mike Fehlauer commented, “I haven’t heard on a national level, but here in Corpus Christi, it was an extremely strong turnout for the schools.” {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
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