Brookhaven’s Mission Mississippi is sponsoring a back-to-school prayer rally to pray together for the homes, schools and communities in Lincoln County.

“Starting a new school can be an adjustment for new students, teachers and administrators,” said Ward Four Alderman Shirley Estes, “but what better way to honor the occasion than to gather together in prayer as a community?”

Mission Mississippi supporters are encouraging a large turnout by inviting people to join them in praying to petition God to bless the children and youth, parents, families, teachers, administrators, other staff members and the school boards as well as the home schooling community in the Lincoln County area.

Betty Harrington, Mission Mississippi steering committee member, said, “There are plenty of disasters in communities and schools everywhere, and we are gathering to pray for God’s protection.”

Harrington added that she is not anticipating any tragedies of any kind in the area, but just to see the community gather in a unified effort of prayer.

Harrington also said that the prayer rally is something the Brookhaven Mission Mississippi would like to see an as annual event, but as of now the rally is just a pilot program for the community.

Mission Mississippi began in 1993 in the state and continues to promote equality and unity for all races to live in harmony in Mississippi. The Brookhaven group has been meeting for more than a year now.

Mission Mississippi was started by Christian leaders and business owners in Jackson to start promoting racial reconciliation in Mississippi and to give community members across the state an outlet to experience unity with fellow Christians regardless of skin color.

When asked about the local equality at the monthly meeting in Brookhaven, Harrington remarked that it is usually close to 50-50, but the meeting demographics vary from month-to-month on racial ratios.

The prayer rally began last year in celebration of the statewide Mission Mississippi’s 20th year anniversary as the Glowing For Christ lighted cross project that involved the Fellowship of Christian Athlete members was commemorated in every county in Mississippi, and a lighted cross was carried across the state to local communities to commemorate the achievement.

The school prayer rally will take place on Sunday, Aug. 3, from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Railroad Park where Cherokee Street intersects with the railroad tracks.

For more information on the rally, and for questions on how to become involved with Mission Mississippi, contact Betty Harrington at 601-833-6042.