By Claire Cameron
Reporter

The Parents’ First Call to Prayer is an opportunity for parents to gather and bless students.

The First Call to Prayer was started about a decade ago by the Baylor Parent’s Network. Parents come together in various groups across the nation to pray for Baylor’s faculty and the students.

The First Call to Prayer is a monthly event hosted by the Baylor Parents Network.

All over the country, groups of parents meet up to “blanket the campus with prayer.”

Amy Sauer, the co-chairwoman for the parents’ prayer group in Chicago, said she thought the Parents’ First Call to Prayer was a great way to support Baylor’s campus.

“I believe in the power of prayer,” Sauer said. “We pray for everyone, we pray for faculty and kids and just the whole campus and that’s so powerful.”

Sauer said she has been part of the group for eight years and has a daughter at Baylor.

“It means a lot to my kids to know that other people they don’t even know are lifting them up in prayer,” Sauer said.

Denver junior Tessa Saathoff said she loves knowing there are parents praying for her and all the other students at Baylor.

“I think it helps take some of the stress away to know there are people out there supporting me,” she said.

The Parents’ First Call to Prayer doesn’t only benefit the students, said Wendy Saathoff, the chairwoman for the Denver group.

“It’s a very important resource for parents,” Saathoff said. “Being so far away it’s a chance for us to give support to our kids.”

Sauer said she also valued the prayer group for the support the parents give one another.

“We are sending our treasures thousands of miles away, so it’s wonderful to meet parents who know what it’s like and spend time before God with them,” she said.

Saathoff said it is important to pray for Baylor because everyone on campus benefits from it.

“Knowing that our children are at Baylor takes away a lot of worry about being away at college,” she said. “We know they are at a university that cares about their success. Praying contributes to the success of Baylor.”

Sauer said her group sees it also as a way to feel connected to their students while they are away.

“This is such an important time in the life of young adults, for them to figure out what they believe and it is not an easy journey,” Sauer said. “It’s a pivotal point in their life and it’s a parent’s job to support kids and this is one way to do that.”

Robin Jordan, chairwoman of the Fort Bend, Houston, group, said she sees prayers as an integral part to Baylor’s success.

“I think 100 percent that our prayers are a huge factor in Baylor’s success.”

She said she hopes students know that they are being prayed for by thousands of parents all over the nation.

“I think it gives them a sense of comfort and I hope it gives them confidence to know that they are being prayed for,” she said.

San Diego, Calif., senior Hayley Gibson said she didn’t know about the Parents’ First Call to Prayer.

“I think it great that parents can become involved in supporting us this way because prayer is a powerful thing,” Gibson said. “With all the stresses of our daily lives at Baylor, it’s great to hear that parents want to pray for us.”

Saathoff said she remembers how difficult college can be and that students need to know that they are being lifted up in prayer.

“We believe they can and will do great things. We know that sometimes they need some extra support,” Saathoff said.

Sauer said she will continue to pray for Baylor every day.

“I am truly amazed by the group we have praying for our students,” she said. “There is no greater privilege than to be able to pray for Baylor and all its students.”