Sequim barn to host National Day of Prayer event

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 1, 2019

After gathering in Pioneer Memorial Park last year for The National Day of Prayer, members of Pray Olympic Peninsula or POP look to bring hundreds of community members together on May 2 to pray for each other and the nation.

Under the theme “Love One Another,” organizers with multiple Sequim churches host prayer and worship music from 5:30-8 p.m. in The Barn at Cole Farm, 577 West Sequim Bay Road.

The National Day of Prayer is held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation.

POP member Donna Frankel with Sequim Community Church said they’ll focus on praying for the arts, business, church, development of community, education, family, government and health care as a large group and in smaller groups.

Rich Hay, pastor for Olympic Bible Fellowship, serves as master of ceremony, and will help orchestrate the groups.

Hamburgers and hot dogs will be available to the first 300 people from 5:30-6:30 p.m. from The True Vine Fellowship and The Promise of Life Cafe operated by Frank and Babbette Tyler, who support churches and various groups with fundraising across the Olympic Peninsula and in Kitsap County.

At 6:30 p.m. church leaders Jonathan Simonson and David Isaac Rivers lead worship music, which Simonson said consists of well-known Christian songs that should appeal across denominations. Words will be displayed on a large screen above the audience.

The program runs from 7-8 p.m. with Sequim Mayor Dennis Smith scheduled to appear and make a proclamation about The National Day of Prayer.

Jeff Cole said he’s opening up his barn to the public for only the second time after a worship night event was held nearly two years ago that brought in about 500 people.

“We want to make the barn available,” he said. “People have lived here 40 years and didn’t know this barn was here.”

Along with The National Day of Prayer, he hopes to host weddings, movies and more worship nights.

Cole said he has parking for about 1,000 cars including some handicap parking near the barn.

Organizers seek parking attendants though and those interested can contact Jeff Cole at JeffCole@mail.com or 360-316-1177.

Cole also invites people to play music and/or pray at the barn the day of the event starting as early as 6:30 a.m. He’ll also share his vision for his barn around 6 p.m. at the event.

About POP

About three years ago, Clallam Prayer changed to Pray Olympic Peninsula as inclusive way for church groups across the Olympic Peninsula to promote prayer.

Frankel said their goal is to have at least one person on the peninsula praying all the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

POP members said they have eight churches participating with a prayer coordinator at each church helping set schedules.

Branette Richards with Dungeness Community Church said they’d like to expand more across the Olympic Peninsula.

Organizers for The National Day of Prayer include Jeff Cole, host; Branette Richards; Carolyn Tormala, Sequim Bible Church; Eileen Damian, Calvary Chapel Sequim; Melissa Murray; Donna Frankel; Joyce Dennis, Congregation of YeHoVaH in Sequim; Dani Goulding; Frank and Babbette Tyler, The True Vine Fellowship and The Promise of Life Café; Rich Hay, Jonathan Simonson and David Isaac Rivers.

For more information, visit www.nationaldayofprayer.org.