By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
Baylor is taking its local faith globally as it prepares for the Collegiate Day of Prayer — an event dedicated to praying for college students, who are considered a vital part of the church and the next generation of leaders.
The Collegiate Day of Prayer will be a two-hour evening prayer and worship service. The broadcast will take place Feb. 29, 2024, and will be livestreamed from Waco Hall for all college students around the world to tune in.
Dr. Torie Johnson, associate vice president for strategic communications and initiatives, said the Collegiate Day of Prayer is unique compared to Baylor’s past religious events because its reach is limitless.
“There are international connections to the Collegiate Day of Prayer, while other events, like FM72, are designed to administer to the folks who are right there at the local level,” Johnson said. “But now we have a chance to go beyond what is local. We are a small part in something that has been happening for such a long time, and we don’t take that lightly.”
Dr. Charles Ramsey, associate chaplain and director for campus ministries and church connections, said local ministries and churches in the Waco area are helping spread the word.
“There are 61 churches that come to our church fair each year, and we are hoping to involve them as much as possible,” Ramsey said. “The ones who have been at the heart of FM72 already have a natural affinity for involving a lot of students on campus and have been successful in bringing some more energy into this, along with local churches that host Last Thursdays, including Highland Church.”
Although other colleges in the U.S. have hosted the Collegiate Day of Prayer before, Ramsey said what sets Baylor apart is its desire to be connected with the Christian church and its aspirations to be a truly Christian university — not only in name but also in how it operates on a daily basis.
Ramsey said one of these daily Christian practices is the highly anticipated Baylor 40-Day Prayer Guide, offering morning devotionals for college students and those who wish to pray for the college students in their lives.
“Our 40-Day Prayer Guide will include 40 different students from 40 different churches each giving a prayer request,” Ramsey said. “This will come in the form of a daily drop on social media, where a student says, ‘I want to pray this for my generation,’ or ‘I see this happening in the world.’ Then, someone from their church, like a Sunday school teacher, pastor or close friend, will pray that request to allow the local churches here to dovetail into the life of that student.”
Johnson said Baylor is honored and humbled to be a part of the 200-year tradition, as the Collegiate Day of Prayer’s mission is to connect young people who are working through their faith.
“Looking beyond that day, we want to be mindful that the Lord moves in the ways that He moves, and it may be that someone has a moment and it happens after the evening broadcast,” Johnson said. “We want to make sure that they have a place where they can be shepherded.”
