From June to September, Canada Bermuda Youth is hosting a territory-wide prayer run for children, youth and their ministry leaders. Participants are welcome to walk, run or even skip. The purpose of the run is not to race, but to focus on prayer and engagement with the community.

Runners can choose a distance of five, 10 or 25 kilometres, with shorter distances targeted at younger youth. At the end of the run, participants receive a red and blue finishers’ medal for completing their prayer run.

St. Thomas Citadel, Ont., hosted a prayer run for the young people at their corps in July. A group of 12 youth between the ages of seven and 13 came together to walk five kilometres, stopping at their local high school, hospital, elementary school and home corps. They were encouraged to get out in the community and pray for the people and places they saw.

At the elementary and high schools, they prayed for the safe return of students and faculty in the fall. At the hospital, they prayed for doctors, nurses, patients and their families.

“I hope that this event has encouraged them to pray often for those around them,” says Jennifer Atkins, children and youth ministries co-ordinator at St. Thomas. “I also hope that they feel secure and safe praying freely out in the open and are not afraid of being a Christian.”

To learn more about the prayer run and get involved, visit the Canada Bermuda Youth page.