Witt-Birn students gather at flag for prayer

Gathered around the flag pole outside of Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, 35 students offered up prayers silent and aloud for their school, country and fellow classmates on the morning of Sept. 25.

See You At The Pole is an organization that started in 1990 as part of a global week of student prayer. On the last Wednesday of September, students are encouraged to meet for prayer before the start of the school day.

Interim youth Pastor Aaron Keller of the Wausau Alliance Church was on hand to help organize this impromptu event. Several Witt-Birn students participate in his youth group and reached out to him for help in leading it.

Any student who wanted to participate was welcome to join the group. Although the group was made up primarily of high school students, there were some students from each of the middle schools.

According to Principal Jill Sharp, WBHS has had this event in the past, but not regularly.

“My kids go to Pastor Aaron’s youth ministry program and the subject came up about SYATP, and the kids asked if he’d help organize it for Witt-Birn,” said Karen Schairer, of Birnamwood.

Keller commented that it wasn’t important to just publicly be doing something but to also carry that compassion to the students and staff inside the school. He opened with a reading of Matthew 5:13-16, which is a message about being the salt of the earth, the light of the world and to shine that light so others will see your good deeds and glorify God.

Shannon Seegmiller, of Wittenberg, brought her three sons to participate in the event.

“The turnout was amazing,” said Seegmiller, who felt it was important for her sons to be there to share in prayer and grow their faith with their classmates.

Keller encouraged students to “pray for your school and for the people who don’t know Jesus.”

He also commented that it was important to be thankful for the opportunity to pray in public and thankful for a country that allows that freedom.

Seegmiller’s son Henry is a junior, and he said he was happy with the turnout and felt “it was important to share the message of Jesus Christ in our school.”