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The community prayer service celebrated yearly in Winchester could have been delayed a week due to weather. 

However, a spirit of unity and more for Clark County still reigned supreme. 

On Saturday, Jan. 18th, First Christian Church on 24 E. Hickman Street hosted the event beginning at 10:00 a.m. 

“I want to thank First Christian Church and [Reverend] Jerry [Johns] for hosting us today,” said Winchester Mayor JoEllen Reed, thanking many staff and others for the role they’ve played. “It’s the 19th year of the community prayer service.” 

The event hosted a who’s who among Winchester personalities, including former Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner and his wife, Carolyn, Magistrate Robert Blanton, Clark County Public Schools Superintendent Dustin Howard, incoming Winchester Police Department Chief Travis Thompson, former Clark County Circuit Court Clerk Martha Miller, former Clark County Fiscal Court Judge-Executive Henry Branham, and more. 

After the opening and invocation by Mayor Reed, different prayer topics for the community during this upcoming year were honed in on – including addiction, homelessness and housing insecurity, hopelessness and suicide, abuse, and others in distress. 

Although Sheila Brown was originally scheduled to cover the topic of addictions, though couldn’t attend because of illness, Deputy City Clerk Dianna Layne filled in during her absence. 

Telling the story of her son, who struggled with addiction, Layne referenced Proverbs 28. 

“I know that God heard and that he answers prayer, and…I know God has plans for him,” she said. 

She also referenced 1 Peter 5:10, which – in the New International Version (NIV) – states: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 

Angel spoke of how he hopes others can view homelessness. 

“Too often, those experiencing homelessness are judged, blamed, or dispirited,” he said. “The stigma creates a cycle of shame and isolation…it hurts us as a community…preventing us from working together to find solutions.” 

While Miller prayed for others in distress and Reverend L. Aimee Marshall prayed for those battling abuse, Rebeka Gooslin prayed about hopelessness and suicide. 

Speaking emotionally about personal details such as the death of a newborn child and her own father’s struggle with mental health, Gooslin – who works as a teacher – offered a message for the city of Winchester. 

“Healing and restoration takes time,” she said. “Your past does not define your future. You have a purpose today…trust in the Lord and let the Lord guide you through this process.” 

After her speech, joined by others in the audience, she sang a rendition of “All My Hope” by Crowder. 

Certainly not least, Reverend Jerry Johns – senior minister of First Christian Church – delivered the benediction. 

“May the spirit of unity, which binds all creation together, dwell richly among us,” he said. “May the blessings of the creator, redeemer, and sustainer rest upon us and flow through us [so] that we may be instruments of grace bound together in harmony and service.”