See You At The Pole held last Wednesday at Purdy School
October 4, 2023
By Ezra DeVore, Special to the Barry County Advertiser
Approximately 70 attended Purdy High School’s See You At The Pole last Wednesday. Photo: Purdy School District
Purdy High School held their See You At the Pole event, a gathering for Christian students to meet in the morning and pray, held by FCA last Wednesday at 7:35 a.m. in the parking lot beside the Superintendent’s office.
Abbi Coy, the overseer, states that “it is completely student-led. Students sign up and pick out each thing. Leaders just make sure spots are filled, and students are ready to go. The students follow an optional outline that FCA provides that tells what suggested prayer subjects are. Students even meet with our secondary vocal music teacher, Lauren Lee, to pick out songs to sing for See You at the Pole.
“Students even help our amazing janitor, Joe Hoffman, set up and clean up, crowd control, and pass out papers on top of singing and praying. Approximately 65-75 individuals, including students, teachers, and community members, joined us that morning.
“I feel the students learn responsibility. I’ve witnessed kids I knew in fifth grade through high school come up, facing hardship after hardship, and become leaders. It was never anyone else; it was them. To witness their growth was amazing. I think it gives them practical skills for adulthood, showing compassion to others and loving them. We’re taught to love, and I think that creates empathy in the kids - to have that listening ear.”
Coy has spent nine years as part of Purdy YouthAlive/FCA in some capacity, with four years organizing See You At The Pole and Concert of Prayer, an event similar to See You At the Pole in the format, the sole difference being the addition of a speaker.
“Students also hold all the roles in this event, including taking pictures and helping run lights,” Coy adds. “This year’s speaker was Brian Mitchell, our South Central Missouri FCA Area Director. Arnhart Baptist Church’s Worship team provided music. The Purdy area churches, approximately six, let out their Wednesday night services to attend the service that evening at 7:00 in the Purdy FEMA Building.”
After this event, Coy handed off her oversight of these events, stating that she plans to work more directly in her church, saying, “It has been and always will be a truly amazing organization loving on our students, watching them grow in their faith, and become all that they are meant to be. It is a beautiful piece of Purdy Schools that builds community through grace and love.”
Currently, the leaders of grades 7 - 12 are Jennifer Arndt, the head of the program, and Heath Carmichael. Arndt, the Secondary Science Teacher, has been a part of FCA in some capacity for six years and the leader for approximately four years.
Carmichael, Secondary Weights Coach/Boys’ Basketball Coach, now spends his third year in this role.
YouthAlive and FCA, the programs that put on the events, have been involved with Purdy schools for 18 years, begun initially by Mrs. Susan Funkhouser.
As numbers dwindled in recent years, Coy says the school faculty selected three to four students per grade level to be placed into leadership positions for the group who “stand out and can be great role models for other students.” A week before the See You At the Pole, Coy noted that the number of attendees had doubled, from only ten or so to over 25 students.
“All the kids I talked to were shocked to be picked. We all know we’re broken, but these kids shine a light. In the world we live in, kids just want to be wanted. I feel they lost a piece of their community with Covid, and as a community and as a school, we’re trying to build that back - but it’s a process. Every age group is different with that process.
“Purdy is a tight-knit community as it is, but this gives them a place to know they don’t have to be an athlete; they can do anything and everything. They can come Wednesday morning and be loved on by classmates; they choose what to discuss, and other students come up to them and say, ‘Hey, I really needed that today.’ It’s a big community piece that I feel is really growing our kids. Kids can go through the same situations and lean on each other. Say one child’s parents divorce - another can speak on that, and it helps having that connection - it’s a safe place. Prayer requests are shared to help each other, not for judgment. Even I can listen more to people, it puts me in a good mood, which, just as a human being, lets me be more compassionate. Starting your morning off with that changes your whole day. It makes you forget the chaos of the world. It puts you in a mindset of ‘Yes, this is happening, but I can move forward in empathy and compassion.”
Coy says that there are students involved who are juniors or seniors that she’s never seen before, with higher attendance numbers than recent years have seen, with nearly 70 attendees - both students and adults from six surrounding churches.
Abbi Coy, the overseer, states that “it is completely student-led. Students sign up and pick out each thing. Leaders just make sure spots are filled, and students are ready to go. The students follow an optional outline that FCA provides that tells what suggested prayer subjects are. Students even meet with our secondary vocal music teacher, Lauren Lee, to pick out songs to sing for See You at the Pole.
“Students even help our amazing janitor, Joe Hoffman, set up and clean up, crowd control, and pass out papers on top of singing and praying. Approximately 65-75 individuals, including students, teachers, and community members, joined us that morning.
“I feel the students learn responsibility. I’ve witnessed kids I knew in fifth grade through high school come up, facing hardship after hardship, and become leaders. It was never anyone else; it was them. To witness their growth was amazing. I think it gives them practical skills for adulthood, showing compassion to others and loving them. We’re taught to love, and I think that creates empathy in the kids - to have that listening ear.”
Coy has spent nine years as part of Purdy YouthAlive/FCA in some capacity, with four years organizing See You At The Pole and Concert of Prayer, an event similar to See You At the Pole in the format, the sole difference being the addition of a speaker.
“Students also hold all the roles in this event, including taking pictures and helping run lights,” Coy adds. “This year’s speaker was Brian Mitchell, our South Central Missouri FCA Area Director. Arnhart Baptist Church’s Worship team provided music. The Purdy area churches, approximately six, let out their Wednesday night services to attend the service that evening at 7:00 in the Purdy FEMA Building.”
After this event, Coy handed off her oversight of these events, stating that she plans to work more directly in her church, saying, “It has been and always will be a truly amazing organization loving on our students, watching them grow in their faith, and become all that they are meant to be. It is a beautiful piece of Purdy Schools that builds community through grace and love.”
Currently, the leaders of grades 7 - 12 are Jennifer Arndt, the head of the program, and Heath Carmichael. Arndt, the Secondary Science Teacher, has been a part of FCA in some capacity for six years and the leader for approximately four years.
Carmichael, Secondary Weights Coach/Boys’ Basketball Coach, now spends his third year in this role.
YouthAlive and FCA, the programs that put on the events, have been involved with Purdy schools for 18 years, begun initially by Mrs. Susan Funkhouser.
As numbers dwindled in recent years, Coy says the school faculty selected three to four students per grade level to be placed into leadership positions for the group who “stand out and can be great role models for other students.” A week before the See You At the Pole, Coy noted that the number of attendees had doubled, from only ten or so to over 25 students.
“All the kids I talked to were shocked to be picked. We all know we’re broken, but these kids shine a light. In the world we live in, kids just want to be wanted. I feel they lost a piece of their community with Covid, and as a community and as a school, we’re trying to build that back - but it’s a process. Every age group is different with that process.
“Purdy is a tight-knit community as it is, but this gives them a place to know they don’t have to be an athlete; they can do anything and everything. They can come Wednesday morning and be loved on by classmates; they choose what to discuss, and other students come up to them and say, ‘Hey, I really needed that today.’ It’s a big community piece that I feel is really growing our kids. Kids can go through the same situations and lean on each other. Say one child’s parents divorce - another can speak on that, and it helps having that connection - it’s a safe place. Prayer requests are shared to help each other, not for judgment. Even I can listen more to people, it puts me in a good mood, which, just as a human being, lets me be more compassionate. Starting your morning off with that changes your whole day. It makes you forget the chaos of the world. It puts you in a mindset of ‘Yes, this is happening, but I can move forward in empathy and compassion.”
Coy says that there are students involved who are juniors or seniors that she’s never seen before, with higher attendance numbers than recent years have seen, with nearly 70 attendees - both students and adults from six surrounding churches.