More than 50 leaders of campus Christian groups, students and campus pastors gathered at sunset next to Danforth Chapel Wednesday to kick off 40 days of 24-hour prayer.
The focus of the event is to create unity on campus among the 30-plus
Christian groups, including Campus Crusade for Christ, Chi Alpha, Alleluia Lutheran Ministries, the Rock, Christian Challenge, the Navigators and the Faithful City.
"[The 40 days of prayer] is just a nondenominational, united Christian event, where we can pray for unity on our campus and for Christian revival at ASU," said Jonathan Yee, a management senior who helped coordinate the event.
Leaders of all the on-campus Christian groups have been meeting for the past year and a half to
encourage prayer and harmony between all the groups, and this is an important step in achieving that, Yee said.
The event marks the beginning of 40 days of "continuous prayer," where students of all Christian denominations are able to pray together on campus in an organized manner, Yee said.
Danforth Chapel has been reserved for this purpose from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., and its lawn from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day until Nov. 4.
Students and faculty are able to sign up online for a one-hour prayer slot at www.loveasu.com.
"The whole point of this kick off event is to establish a single vision [among all the groups on campus]," said Chris Ngai, a finance senior and coordinator of the prayer event.
It's hard to pray if you don't have a united vision to pray about, Ngai said.
"[This event] will enable Christians to come together for one goal - to love on the campus," said Shawn Zajas, a marketing junior. "It's all about the people on campus and showing them a
Christian culture on
campus."
The hope is all the groups feel united together in this prayer event, Zajas added.
The prayer event is all about laying down individual agendas to create one unified one, he said.
Katie Cannon, who attends the Chi Alpha Christian group, agreed.
"We want real radical change here," the social work sophomore said. "We need to put an end to all of our separate groups and affiliations and come together as one."
Reach the reporter at: amanda.chan@asu.edu..
