Hickory church to host Moms in Prayer event
Mothers, grandmothers, aunts and ladies are invited to Hickory United Evangelical Presbyterian Church Wednesday, April 26, for an afternoon of worship, fellowship and prayer.
The free Rise Up & Pray event, which runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. inside the sanctuary at 210 Main St., Hickory, is held in conjunction with Moms in Prayer International, a global organization that gathers mothers in prayer for their children, schools, teachers, administrators and staff.
“(The flyer) says, ‘Rise up, Hickory,’ but it’s really, ‘Rise Up, Western PA ladies,'” said Merri Clark, a Hickory UEP member who is spearheading the event. “(The state Moms in Prayer team) will just come in and do a little service. We’ll sing and talk about how important prayer is, especially during these times. There have been shootings, and people should pray for their kids and schools.”
Clark has been a member of Moms in Prayer for more than 20 years. The nonprofit helped Clark through her husband’s 15-month deployment to Iraq, she said, and has since 1984 offered comfort to thousands of women worldwide.
Moms in Prayer provides an encouraging space in which mothers learn, grow in their parenthood and faith, and pray together. Clark hopes women from Western Pennsylvania will gather inside Hickory UEP’s sanctuary for a powerful afternoon of relationship building with each other and with God.
“The first reason is to glorify God. The second thing is to give parents peace during this time,” said Clark.
Along with guest speakers Ashley Strnisha and Diane Ippolito, state coordinator for Moms in Prayer, the Rise Up & Pray event will lead women in lessons on prayer.
“It’s so important, prayer, for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. God is real and he loves to hear and have a relationship with us. If you’re worried about your children, he loves to hear from mothers. We’re hoping that ladies will learn more how to pray for their children, specifically with Scripture, and also encouraging their families, and just to educate them on how to pray,” said Clark.
To learn more about Moms in Prayer International, visit https://momsinprayer.org/.
For more on Rise Up & Pray Hickory, email Merri Clark at clarkwwmd@msn.com.