North Cobb Christian School hosts Circle of Prayer
Aug. 16—KENNESAW — Over a thousand students and faculty took part in North Cobb Christian School's annual Circle of Prayer Tuesday.
Participants gathered around the 50-yard line of Jacob Dennis Football Field to enjoy a morning of worship.
Students led the crowd in song, and participants sang while raising their hands and bowing their heads.
"It's good to come out here with my buddies and pray," said senior Tanner Hale.
Hale used the prayer circle as an opportunity to reconnect with classmates, saying he thinks the morning is important because it gives people an opportunity to branch out and meet new friends.
Prayers were led by students throughout the morning, with Parker Smith, the school's director of student life, calling on the crowd to pray for such things as stress relief for teachers, peace of mind for parents, and safety for everyone.
Head of School Todd Clingman wanted the event to leave a positive mark.
"When people see how it unfolds, almost everyone leaves encouraged," he said.
North Cobb Christian School has held a prayer circle for about 20 years. The first one saw students and faculty holding hands in a chain around the building, creating the name and the premise of the event.
COVID-19 caused the Circle of Prayer to halt for a couple of years, but it returned at its first opportunity. For the first time in the Circle of Prayers' 20 year history, the school hosted the event on the football field in order to accommodate the 1,100 students and 200 faculty members, according to Clingman.
Hunter Poole, assistant football coach and 10th grade teacher at North Cobb Christian School, stood in the back of the large circle on the field with his students. Poole echoed the importance of the event, saying how the school offers "something with it that you may not find anywhere else."
He added: "I think it's really special. Doing something like this kind of shows out to the community, as well as the rest of the world."
