Start School with a Blessing

Posted by on July 10, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Uncategorized

colored-pencilsBack to School Blessing & Worship Service
Sunday, August 18, 10:30 a.m.
West-Ark Auditorium
900 N. Waldron Road, Fort Smith, AR
Let us pray for you all year!

August 18 is Back-to-School Blessing Sunday!

West-Ark is keeping one of its favorite traditions, the Back-to-School Blessing.  On Back-To-School Blessing Sunday, we make a special effort to bless our school children, college students, teachers and school workers.  This Sunday begins a personal commitment to praying for these individuals.  Here is why we do the Back-to-School Blessing:

  1. Praying is every Christian’s ministry.  The Spirit distributes different gifts as they are needed, but every child of God is given the privilege to pray.  The Back-to-School Blessing gives our members the opportunity to focus on praying for specific individuals.  On August 18, you will be able to take a card with the name of a student, teacher, or education worker.  Your pledge in taking that card is to pray for that person during the upcoming school year.  Your prayer is a ministry to that person, and over the years we have heard how our students and teachers/educators have been blessed because someone like you is ministering to them through prayer.
  2. West-Ark has a particular calling to Campus, Kids, Healing, and Hope.  The Back-to-School Blessing fits all four of these.  Our first ministry to our campus ministry and our youth is to pray for them.  We also believe that by praying for our schools and our young people, we are contributing to the healing of our community and our nation with the hope that our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.
  3. It is unifying.  The Back-to-School Blessing illustrates how all generations work together in God’s plan.  Also, it brings together all of our schools – our public, private, college, Christian, and home schools.  We include just about everyone in this event.  Everyone can pray and everyone needs prayers.
  4. It is mission work.  Our best opportunities for evangelism in this region will be through our schools. We have many stories that testify to this.  When Jesus noticed that the fields were white for the harvest, he told his disciples to begin by praying to the Lord of the harvest.

Get ready for the Back-to-School Blessing.  If you are new to our church family and work in a local school (home, public, private, etc.), we want to know.  Send us an email at office@westark.org.

As extracurricular events are beginning before the official start of school, please invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to the August 18 Back-to-School Blessing.