Hi there, my name is Frances - I’m a Midway Jr. High Small Group Leader at River Valley & Special Education Assistant w/ Life Skills at North Middle School. As someone who spends a ton of time with students - I would love to share a few reasons why they need our prayers now more than ever.

1. The things that they love to do and their whole normalcy has been turn upside down. They are having to stay home and do school from home, without the in person help of their teachers and educators. 

2. Some students rely on our school systems for many things. For some kids, the only love, friendship, and affection they receive is from their teacher at school. For others, school is where they get all of their dietary needs met. For most, the routine of school and every day life is the one thing that keeps them going.

3. High School Seniors are trying to stay calm about potential crushed dreams for their senior years. Their sports seasons. Prom. Graduation. Will they have these events? Will they get these special senior year moments? They’ve been thinking about their future and how hard they have worked to get to the point where they are at now. There is an unknown lingering in the air for them.

4. Kids in our ministries have to miss out on the fellowship of Tuesday & Wednesday nights - a time where they were able to discuss/read the Word and worship together. I am so thankful for our ministry workers working hard right now to bring the Word and encouragement to kids every day via media & virtually. But the feeling of being together to worship, hear his word and then getting to discuss things after is looking very different now for these kids - and for many of them - it’s really hard to not have that in-person connection.

Let’s be praying for our kids. They are just like all of us - walking through uncharted territory. But they are also younger than we are. They need extra help and support. We might be having difficulties with work..having our schedules messed up, etc .. but so have theirs. Their minds are still growing; they are still learning who they are. For a lot of them, they do this kind of learning at school, at youth group, and/or with friends (which looks different right now).

Our kids are our future. Right now a lot of them don’t know what that holds for them. And a lot of them are just trying to survive this pandemic just like us. And of lot of them are trying to survive through feelings of fear, hunger, loneliness and isolation.

Here’s a few ways to pray -

-Pray that they most importantly cling to the hope of Jesus in this dark time.  

-Pray that our students in youth group can feel the warmth of community somehow in this time, whether it be with their small group or small group leaders (virtually). 

-Pray that they choose gratefulness.

-Pray protection for our ones who don’t have life easy or safe home lives.

-Pray that this pandemic doesn’t diminish their hope in Christ, but brings them closer to Him.

-Pray for them to be reminded of God’s goodness. 

-Fran Widdison (Midway Jr. High Small Group Leader & Special Education Assistant at North Middle School)