Place of prayer and film
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on September 19, 2016 9:53 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Lt. Sherrie Stokes holds a prayer rock and explains how people are encouraged to write their prayers on notes that are displayed on the wall in the prayer room of the Salvation Army. Lt. Phillip Stokes looks at notes on the small table in the prayer room.
The Salvation Army is offering two new services to the Wayne County community with a community prayer room and movie night.
The prayer room is a place where anyone can go and spend time in prayer.
"There's a sign in sheet if you want to sign in; if you don't, then that's fine," said Lt. Sherrie Stokes with the Salvation Army. "There's a hanger we can put on the front side of the door saying it's in use, do not enter."
For anyone needing help to know how to pray, there are various prayer tools in the room.
"If you don't feel fully comfortable with how to pray or how to start praying, we've got a few books in there and a few flip charts on how to get started with your prayer," Mrs. Stokes said.
On one wall in the prayer room are sticky notes where people have also posted their prayers.
"Anyone can put a note up," Mrs. Stokes said. "They don't have to put names, but they can. There's an array of items in there that people are asking for prayer for -- a sick loved one, dealing with death or addiction, daily struggles, help to find a job, praying for children. There are just so many notes in there."
Mrs. Stokes said a lot of people are using the prayer room.
"It's just a quiet area where anyone in the community can come in and just open up their heart to Jesus," she said. "Since our family store is right across the street, sometimes our employees will take breaks and walk over here and spend time in the prayer room.
"Some of the community members who have received some of our social services will come in and go into the prayer room, sometimes not the day they received the assistance, but on a totally different day."
She said she's seen people stay in the prayer room up to an hour.
The prayer room is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. It's also open Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday night during service.
Community movie night is another program at the Salvation Army. It's held once a month at 6 p.m., usually the first Friday unless there is a function going on there.
Mrs. Stokes said about 30 people attend.
"We make popcorn and put it into individual bags and e have sodas and water," she said. "Sometime if we get a donation of pizza, we'll invite people to eat pizza before we start the movie."
Mrs. Stokes said people take their children and grandmothers and grandfathers take their grandchildren. Sometimes the men in the Salvation Army's homeless shelter will stop by to watch the movie.
"One night we watched the 'War Room' movie with them and there wasn't a dry eye in there," she said. "Even the grown men were in tears."
The Salvation Army began having movie night to let people in the community know that it's a safe place.
"It is church, but it's not just church," Mrs. Stokes said.
"You can come here and have fun. You don't have to be afraid when you walk in the door.
"You can bring your family here and fellowship and have fun with no pressures of the world. Sometimes it seems like the world is so full of chaos. So it's nice to take a break from life sometimes and sit down and relax with your family or by yourself."
Mrs. Stokes said that people look forward to movie night.
"We have a lot of seniors that live in this area that don't have a lot to do," she said. "Especially on Friday or Saturday night, they find themselves at home by themselves. So why not offer a family movie that's for all ages of people to come and watch.
"We have a group home here in the area and some of their men volunteer here. They bring their group out and watch a movie on movie night. They don't get very many outings. And soda is something they don't get a lot of either. So they'll ask me if they can have two sodas on movie night. It's so precious."
And it's all free.
Mrs. Stokes said if a business or group wants to donate food for movie night, that would be an extra for moviegoers. It could be pizza, hot dogs, anything the Salvation Army could serve right before the movie.
"Something that we're really looking for is a popcorn machine," Mrs. Stokes said. "Right now we have to take each individual bag and put it in the microwave. If anyone happens to have a popcorn machine, we would be absolutely willing to take it off their hands."
Also, if anyone has a DVD he or she would like to donate, the Salvation Army could use it for movie night.
The next movie night will be Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.