When church school students "mail" requests and thanks, members of a prayer group act as divine postal workers.
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE
Published February 25, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - From the very littlest, children at Pasadena Community Church School are mailing their requests for prayer in specially crafted, hand-decorated boxes that hang outside their classrooms.
Those who are too young to write express their petitions and thanksgivings with drawings or tell their teachers what they want to say. Then, every Tuesday morning, a small group of parents, grandmothers and two staff members meet to offer prayers on their behalf.
Cindy Fierros, preschool administrative assistant, is a member of the prayer group that conceived the idea for the mailbox ministry.
"We thought that would be a good way for us to reach out to our families," she said.
"We just thought it would be a way to show the families how we valued prayer and we wanted to involve the children in some way. It's been a real blessing in so many ways."
Prayer requests have included ones for healing and that mom and dad would stop fighting. There have been offerings of thanksgiving for mothers and even a little sister.
In a recent batch of notes, a first-grader wrote, "Thank you for my dog and my family. I love you." Another, where the word "heal" had been erased and rewritten, asked, "Dear God, Plese heal Ryan when he is sick." And from a third-grader came the following request: "Take care of me on my birthday and also let me have fun."
Deb Schoofs, whose daughter, Lauren Baillie, 6, is a pupil at the school, is a member of the Tuesday group that prays for the requests.
"Each week we lift up an entire class by name and the teachers, and we also focus on community prayers that come in as well," she said.
"We have been praying for people in Iraq, but our primary focus is on the school community and staff."
Mrs. Schoofs first organized the prayer group of parents, grandparents and staff three years ago. Another mother, Allison Payne, and Mrs. Fierros were among those who helped launch the mailbox ministry that evolved from it last fall, she said.
The wooden mailboxes that hang outside each classroom were designed and built by two Pasadena Community Church volunteers, Sid Spate and George McCall, members of the congregation's Monday Morning Men's group that does odd jobs around the church and school. Students personalize them with hand drawn pictures, stickers and Bible verses that fit in plexiglass pockets at the front of the padlocked boxes.
The prayer group, which has grown to over a dozen members, does its work in the faculty lounge.
"We put some worship music on and we collect the prayer requests and take a moment to touch base with whoever is there to see whether they have any additional prayer requests," Mrs. Schoofs said.
"We read some scripture and take some deep breaths to quiet our minds."
Parents who would like to participate but can't because of other obligations receive a list of requests and praise reports to pray over at home, said Diane Knoke, principal of the 54-year-old school at 112 70th St. S.
The ministry is part of the school's effort to emphasize a sense of community, Mrs. Knoke said. Two families gave money to build the mailboxes, and parents and other family members are encouraged to "mail" prayer requests of their own, she said.
Prayer, Mrs. Knoke added, is an important activity at the school for 2-year-olds to fourth-graders. A fifth grade is being added in the fall.
