What can happen when one soul catches on fire and passes that fire along to another? A whole school can catch on fire for Jesus and spread for decades from generation to generation. That’s how See You at the Pole (SYATP) began in 1990 in Burleson, Texas. A little grassroots initiative led by students who wanted to pray publicly for their schools grew into a global movement of Christian students. These students, who were burdened for their classmates, schools and communities, gathered around the school flagpole for a time of prayer and worship and a fire started.

Amazingly, the fire that started over 35 years ago is still spreading today from student to student, from school to school, and from county to county. And that fire was definitely felt this past Thursday evening when Checotah had a SYATP After Gathering at the Performing Art Center (PAC) with over a hundred students, staff and pastors from six different churches coming together to pray for their schools, their administration and their communities.

The SYATP After Gathering began with April Roberts with Relentless Youth from First Assembly of God reading Habakkuk 3:2 which says “O Lord, I have heard thy speech and was afraid: O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”

All the students then had a fun, introductory game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to get everyone acquainted with each other before they began their praise and worship and praying for specific needs and purposes.

Tara Reeves with Revive Youth at Granite Station Church spoke with all the students and explained how it’s wonderful to get to know friends and new people but knowing Jesus was even more important because “He was a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”

Then the worship team sang their first song “Rest of Us” that says “As the Spirit was moving over the waters, Spirit, come move over us, Come rest on us, come rest on us. Fire and wind, come and do it again. Open up the gates, let heaven on in. Come rest on us, come rest on us.” As the song echoed its refrain, some students began to raise their hands, others knelt making an altar at their seat and some came forward to the front as their peers and pastors prayed with them. Many students cried as they felt the presence of God sweep into the PAC and rest on them like the song said.

A Prayer for Community was then offered up by Kristi Shore with First Free Will Baptist and student Sierra Byars who read Jeremiah 29:12-13 “You will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

Another worship song was sung, “Firm Foundation.” Then Benji Bartlett and his team from Faith Temple prayed for the nation, leaders and government.

After the songs “Gratitude and Holy Forever” a prayer for schools, administration, teachers and staff was led by Ignite Youth Aubrey Hanson with New Life United Pentecostal Church.

One student read I Timothy 4:12 that states “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

The praise and worship party continued as April Roberts and students Bella Garvin and Lyndon Watson led the prayer for families and finally pastors and teachers lined the walls as a prayer for all students commenced.

Tara Reeves then told all the students, “God has put a calling on each of your lives and you were created for such a time as this. Though we have our good days and bad days, you have a Creator who gives you the strength to overcome because He overcame. He is there with you in the valleys and He is there with you on the mountain top but you can’t do it alone. At youth camp this year I heard this saying, ‘If you know Jesus as your personal Savior, then this is as close to hell as you will ever get, but if you don’t know Him, then this is as close to heaven as you are ever going to get.’ It’s the sad truth and it’s a harsh reality. However, if you realize you need a Savior and you say I’m not stopping because I want all that God has for me. And this is good but this is not as good as it gets. There’s a promise that God has for each and every one of us and this is not the stopping place. This is the starting point. So as you walk out these doors tonight I’m going to pray that a fresh fire and new passion has been birthed within you. I pray that you take that fire back to school with you and that it burns so hot it catches other students on fire for Jesus.”

After the 2-hour SYATP After Gathering, pizza was provided for the students outside.