On Saturday, Nov. 14, women worldwide will participate in four hours of prayer called “Arise! Cry Out.” The movement was started by the organization Moms In Touch International and will focus on fasting and prayer for children and schools around the globe.
In the Qcity area, The Park Ministries (6029 Beatties Ford Road ) will be one of three churches hosting a prayer event. The others are: Church at Charlotte (2500 Carmel Road) and Pitts Baptist Church (140 Pitts School Road NW) in Concord.
We met with Minister Kimberly Nash Alexander, first lady of The Park Ministries, to talk about her church’s involvement and what she hopes will come from the event. Alexander is the mother of two young daughters and works as a speech therapist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. (Her responses were edited for brevity and clarity.)
Q. How did you become involved with the group, Moms In Touch International?
One of the ministers on staff (at the Park Ministries) mentioned it to me and thought it would be a good idea for our women’s ministry. I did some research online and found there weren’t a lot of church groups involved, per se, but community groups. So we decided to start a church-base group for Moms In Touch International at The Park South and the Beatties Ford Road location.
Q. Is this your first year being involved in the organization?
Yes, we are coming up on our one-year anniversary. We have a prayer group Monday nights and Wednesday mornings. Essentially, they get together and pray scriptures as it relates to the lives of the kids. We actually cover certain schools. Moms In Touch International for the city of Charlotte, they have a master list, and they want to make sure there isn’t a school in Charlotte that isn’t covered in prayer.
Q. So you actually pray for individual schools?
We pray for the schools, we pray for the administrators and we pray for the kids.
Q. Why focus on schools and not just the children?
The atmosphere where kids are makes a huge difference. You need teachers who have a love for learning, a love for teaching and a love for the kids. When they took prayer out of the schools, they couldn’t really take it out because they didn’t take out Christians.
Q. What do you think of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools?
I think they have come a long way. I think they are in the process of growing and developing even more. I think they need prayer to make the right decisions and choices for the kids.
Q. How many moms are expected to pray on the day of the event at the Park Ministries?
We are expecting to have about 200 women here on Saturday.
Q. What are the needs that you see for children here in the Charlotte community?
The first thing is health. With H1N1 and the flu, our kids are not as healthy as they have been. Also, kids need to be able to make good choices. Schools are dealing a lot with bullies, drugs and premarital sex. They are dealing with a lot of issues and kids are making decisions at an age that we didn’t have to. Kids need positive peer group interactions, and adults who pour into their lives in a positive way because they may not have that at home.
Q. What does the Park do for outreach to help children?
We have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Also Elevate, a teen summit for kids 11 to 17 years old. We identify opportunities for young girls and boys to get what they need as it pertains to leadership, learning and self-esteem. They learn to become empowered at a young age and to get what they need to move forward in their lives successfully and as Christians.
Q. What are you hoping women will get from the “Arise, Cry Out” experience?
We worry about the well-being of our kids, but we don’t cover them spiritually like we should. My desire for this event is to raise the consciousness of women about the value of prayer for kids. If we can give something to our children that has eternal value, then we should, and prayer should be that gift.
Q. Are you excited?
Yes, it’s a great opportunity for us not to be separated as churches. All of us are coming together for this issue as it relates to prayer. So it’s really not a church event, it’s a citywide prayer event. I’m excited for something to cross social and economic lines, racial lines. To really have something that everyone can come together and agree on is great.
IF YOU WANT TO GO:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14
Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Locations:
- The Park Ministries, 6029 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte; Contact: Bonita Jordan, 704-392-1681 Ext. 4224; Email: bjordan@upbc.org
- Church at Charlotte, 2500 Carmel Road, Charlotte; Contact: Kathy Fruendt, 704-614-4695; Email: fruehouse@aol.com
- Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road NW, Concord; Contact: Joyce Seger, 704-795-5681; Email: jeseger@carolina.rr.com
