Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
YMCA prayer team members Megan Wallace, Virginia Nettles, Jhordan Jenkins, and Alex Kinard are shown at a recent prayer walk with members of the community.
YMCA Prayer Team: Megan Wallace, Alex Kinard, Virginia Nettles, and Jhordan Jenkins.
YMCA Prayer Team: Sha’lala Hallingquest.
Attendees of a recent prayer walk hold candles.
According to their website, “The Barnwell County Family YMCA is a center for individual and family recreation, fun and activity.” Recently, however, a special prayer room was created in their facility for a spiritually purposeful pursuit.
Chantsie Pickelsimer, branch director at the Barnwell County Family YMCA, said, “The talk of the prayer room and the prayer walk really started when a group of staff were just talking about the possibility of starting something like this. The room that is used for the prayer room is off to the side of the front desk. It was unutilized most of the time since after workouts people are just ready to get home or back to work. My staff came to me with the idea, and I loved it. It provides a quiet place for anyone to come and just pray or be in their thoughts.”
In addition to the prayer room, one of the bulletin boards in the hallway leading to the gym was used as a way for people to write down public prayers. Though there weren’t many notes the first month, the board was full after two months as people learned about it.
“The most touching is to see notes from children asking people to pray for this or that. It truly touches my heart that my staff were led together to come up with this idea,” said Pickelsimer.
Along with the emergence of the prayer room, the devoted YMCA team inaugurated a prayer walk in November 2022. Sha’lala Hallingquest, Jhordan Jenkins, Virginia Nettles, Megan Wallace, and Alex Kinard have all had a hand in establishing the Prayer Room and organizing the walks.
In unison, the team believes the blessing of brotherly love, sharing testimonies, and encouraging other brothers and sisters to both take care of themselves physically and spiritually is strongly felt along the prayer walks as they “seek to emphasize the C in the Y.M.C.A.” according to Jhordan Jenkins.
“The primary purpose of the prayer walk is to bring our community together, but it is also a time for us as citizens to walk together and pray together regardless of the needs or backgrounds of each individual who comes out. We come together in unity for our town and county,” said Alex Kinard.
Sha’lala added that “it feels really good to know that we as a people we can come together as a community and pray as one.”
Collectively, the team came together and placed chairs, portraits, and more to create a warm atmosphere for all its users. Gym members are welcome to pray and meditate before and/or after they work out during normal hours of operation.
In today’s distracting world, it makes good sense to have such a designated prayer space. It’s hard enough to focus on one thing at a time in our busy environment. But Jesus calls us to look past this world, and to set our gaze upon Him. “If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Our loving Savior Himself set the example for us when He said, “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Jesus encourages that we seek a space for us and our Heavenly Father without any distractions. A prayer room creates such a respite in the world; a station to be conscious with the Lord as a one-on-one relational intimacy develops when we initiate communication through private prayer.
The YMCA prayer team invites everyone to come and join them every third Saturday of the month to pray, reflect, and fellowship.
“You do not have to be a member to come to these walks,” Jenkins said. “Young and older people participate in sharing their prayer requests and member Megan Wallace attaches Scriptures to the board and has a special hand in decorating it. We invite you all to come to make prayer requests and share testimonies.”
Together, the YMCA Prayer Team desires to seek God’s face, humble themselves and pray, “so that the land may be healed.” Jenkins said. “All walks of faith are invited to join us and even those who have questions. Please follow us on Facebook at 7:14 to be inspired throughout the week and learn more about our upcoming events. Looking so forward to having you all join us and be a part of the festivities and watch God change things. May God bless you all.”
For more information, please contact the Barnwell County Family YMCA at 660 Joey Zorn Blvd., Barnwell, or call 803-450-4151.
