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By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter

HELENA – The Church at Cahaba Bend is using the month of September to reach out to faculty and students at each of Helena’s schools to offer prayer and support through their “Pray for Our Schools” initiative.

According to Senior Pastor Patrick Friday, with children returning to school in the midst of the pandemic, CCB wanted to do something to help their local community.

Through this they created this initiative which involves prayer walks at each of the schools in the city, yard signs that encourage citizens to “pray for our schools.”

“We have been receiving all kinds of information from our members who all very active in Helena such as students, teachers and parents are all concerned. It grew as we got closer in august about everyone going back to school,” Friday said. “We asked what’s the number one thing we can do, and that’s cover Helena in prayer.”

CCB has organized a prayer walk at each of Helena’s schools every Sunday at 12:15 p.m., where members of the congregation meet safely distanced and wearing masks with school administrators and faculty to help provide spiritual support to those working to support children on the front lines of the pandemic.

“We know that prayer makes a difference and we are trusting in prayer and God to do what God does best. Which is bringing strength, courage, healing and hope,” Friday explained. “We have seen that response already with our teachers.”

“This past Sunday, we were at Helena Elementary School. Several teachers came out and were just so grateful to know that they were being prayer for and we took names and we will be praying for them all by name,” he said.

To further their mission CCB is also giving out signs that read “Pray for Our Schools,” so that the community can see them and continue to keep school faculty in mind whether they are on their daily commute, or just out for a walk.

These signs are also being used to raise funds to help support teachers with supplies and other individualized needs that were communicated to the church.

As the church has already held two of the prayer walks, Friday said that they are being received very well and are already having the desired impact. As schools begin to integrate towards having traditional learning students come all five days of the week the need is more important than ever.

“I think about each step in this journey. We have another big one coming up with the kids going back for five days and we know they are concerned,” Friday said. “Each of these steps requires a foundation of prayer. We can step out of faith and reassurance knowing that God is with us and watching over us with that hedge of protection that we all need these days.”

CCB is also supporting teachers by collecting supplies like disinfectant wipes, paper towels and school supplies, which can be dropped off at the church. More information can be found at CahabaBend.org.