Comets Join in Prayer with See You at the Pole Tradition

"…Then we're going to pray for our local community, for the leaders and the people who live in Fergus..." Student body chaplain Matthew Knutson’s voice carried across the front lawn as the sun cut through the yellow and orange leaves Wednesday morning before school. He outlined the morning for the See You at the Pole time of prayer, where staff and students gathered in front of the Castle at Hillcrest Academy.

High school is often a whirlwind of activities, academics, and self-discovery. For students at Hillcrest Academy, See You at the Pole is one of many events observed throughout the year that gives purpose, unity, and reflection amid the daily hustle and bustle of high school life. Held annually on the fourth Wednesday of September, this event brings together thousands of students around the country to pray to Jesus.

For Hillcrest Academy, See You at the Pole is part of a natural rhythm of prayer that is incredibly important for high school students. Many studies have shown that prayer has a profound impact on the lives of young people, revealing that prayer for young people guides them to a sense of identity and purpose and helps bolster mental health.

At Hillcrest, however, prayer isn’t simply a means of self-improvement. Prayer cultivates a deeper trust and acknowledges students’ and staff's reliance on Christ. Many students at Hillcrest see prayer connect naturally to their studies, where they read the likes of R.C. Sproul, Augustine, and C.S. Lewis in healthy doses. The practice of prayer is an ancient tradition of transformation that is reinforced in the classroom where they read reflections and testimonies of the power of prayer, like this from Lewis, "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me constantly, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God; it changes me."

As students and staff gathered in unity earlier this week, arms linked in prayer and hands lifted in praise, they found a sense of belonging and strength. The event fell perfectly into the rhythm of homecoming this year, a time when so many alumni are returning to the Castle to remember what God did during their time at Hillcrest. It must be encouraging for alumni to know that the same God who met them at 17 years old so many years ago is the same God impacting the hearts and minds of kids Pre-K through 12th-grade students this year at Hillcrest Academy.