By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Local residents will join tens of thousands of others across the country for the annual Day of Prayer Thursday in Hays.
The event has been moved inside this year and will be from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Hays VFW, 2106 Vine.
The event is open to the public at no cost. Tea, coffee and cookies will be offered after the event.
Speakers have been selected to pray on a variety of topics, including schools, medical staff and the military among others.
This year's theme is "Pray fervently in righteousness and avail much." James 5:16b
Two vocalists from Hays High School, Skyler Rodriguez and Remy Stull, will sing at the event with Devlyn Jochum accompanying on the piano. A group of Thomas More Prep-Marian students will pray for education.
After the volunteers offer prayer, prayer requests will be taken from the audience.
The national event began in 1952, but the present day was set by President Reagan in 1988.
Terri Braun and Cheryl Glassman are the coordinators this year for Hays.
"I think it helps recall our founders," Braun said, "and how they faced their challenges. They prayed to God for guidance."
Glassman said she thought the event promotes unity in the community. The event is nondenominational.
"We all go to our separate churches and our separate workplaces and do our own thing, but this allows all of us to commune together and talk about prayer," she said.
Braun said we have so much division in our nation that it is inspiring to think of so many people all praying at once. More than 60,000 locations conducted National Day of Prayer events in the U.S. last year.
"This is one time that we can all come together for the same reason to pray for our nation," she said. ... "One nation under God."
A video of the event will be on the Hays Post Friday morning.
The schedule of the event is below.
Noon - Welcome - Patrick McGinnis
12:01 p.m. - Honor Guard and Pledge of Allegiance
12:03 p.m. - Music by Hays High School students (Devlyn Jochum, Remy Stull and Skyler Rodriguez)
Prayers:
12:10 p.m. - Government (Mayor Mason Ruder, Judge Thomas Drees)
12:14 p.m. - Church (Deacon Steve Urban, St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church; Pastor Craig Hauschild, First United Methodist Church)
12:18 p.m. - Military (Col. (Ret.) Gordon D. Kuntz, AN, NGUS; Tim Greenwood, USMC/R 1992-1998)
12:24 p.m. - The Kingdom of God (Alberta Klaus, Becky Clark)
12:26 p.m. - Businesses (Dorothy Gideon, Gene Stramel )
12:30 p.m. - Media (Leigh Ann McCottry, Linn Ann Huntington)
12:34 p.m. - Education (TMP students)
12:38 p.m. - Families (Dana Stanton, Jo Good)
12:42 p.m. - Community prayer requests
12:46 p.m. - "God Bless America"
12:48 p.m. - Benediction (Chris Prater, pastor, First Baptist Church)
Cover photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.