Mondays with Mike | Underground, Holy, and Real: Meet the Altar Prayer Club at PCA

This is Holy Week.

The week that changed the world—and still changes lives. My prayer is that this would be a sacred and powerful time for each of us: in your walk with the Lord, in your homes, in our churches, and here at PCA. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us the surest hope we have—for ourselves, for those we love, and for the world God so loves.

In that spirit of hope, this week’s podcast introduces a group of students who are shaping the culture of our school in quiet but powerful ways.

The Altar Prayer Club, led by Upper School students and mentored by Ms. Amy St. John, is helping students rediscover prayer—not as a performance, but as a real and personal relationship with God. From breath prayers and Scripture reflection to prayer boards and liturgies, they’re bringing ancient Christian practices into everyday moments. You’ll want to hear what they share. It’s inspiring, thoughtful, and rooted deeply in the gospel.

Looking ahead and keeping in prayer:

• Our 8th graders are in Washington, D.C. this week—please pray for their safety, learning, and unity as they complete their year’s long study on impactful and God-honoring leadership.
• Spring sports—baseball, softball, and varsity track—begin competition this week. Go Eagles!
• Spring Break starts Friday. Enjoy! 
• And on Thursday, May 2, we’ll mark the National Day of Prayer together as a school. Let’s begin preparing our hearts now. Details to follow.

God is moving: in the silence, in Scripture, in student voices and school hallways.

May we not miss what He’s doing. May we join Him. 

Now, on to this week’s MWM Podcast!

1. It Started with a Hallway Bump—and a Shared Prayer List
   Over the summer, Amy St. John began praying for a way to invest more deeply in students. When school resumed, she literally bumped into Louisa in the hallway. Within minutes, they realized God had laid the same vision on both their hearts—a student-led prayer club rooted in ancient Christian practices. Louisa, already serving as the Spiritual Life Prefect, jumped in as the founding student leader. The Altar Prayer Club was born.
   
2. Prayer, Reimagined—One Month at a Time
   This isn’t your typical prayer group. Each month, the club explores a different form of prayer:
   • Breath prayers (Anna, Caterina, Viola) help students connect with God in the hallway, during tests, or at cross-country practice.
   • Liturgies (Lucy) from Every Moment Holy give words to moments when students don’t know what to pray.
   • Scripture-based prayer boards (Shanelle) now hang outside the Miller Room, offering verses for emotions like stress, gratitude, or hope—designed to be pulled in real time by any student in need.
3. From Small Group Routine to Spiritual Awakening
   Students aren’t just learning new prayer techniques—they’re becoming spiritual catalysts:
   • Shanelle saw girls in her small group open up and begin praying aloud for the first time.
   • Lucy recalled a moment when writing personal liturgies led the group to a deep sense of peace and unity.
   • Louisa has watched students grow bolder—not just in prayer, but in sharing their faith and inviting others into it.
4. Prayer as a Response to Conflict, Not a Reaction to Crisis
   When asked how these practices have helped in conflict, the answers were rich:
   • Students talked about using breath prayers when tensions rise at home, when emotions flare, or when surrounded by noise.
   • Viola described a spiritual shift—less panic, more peace—grounded in the growing trust that God is near, even when life feels uncertain.
5. Prayer is Becoming Contagious at PCA
   From lunch tables to small groups, students are passing it on. Lauren shared how prayer is embedded in the worship team, chapel, and even academic stress moments. She described teachers praying with students, peers bringing needs to one another, and prayer becoming a rhythm, not a ritual.

• This isn’t a club for “super spiritual” students. Several said they had no background in liturgy or formal prayer practices—but they’ve discovered new ways to relate to God in ordinary moments.
• No guys… yet. While this year’s group is all young women, it wasn’t designed that way. Amy St. John hopes to invite a male student leader next year to encourage broader participation.
• Prayer doesn’t look like sitting still. Members talked about praying while coloring, walking, singing, even laughing. As Viola put it, “Prayer wasn’t designed to be a burden on us—but to take a burden off of us.”
• The school’s prayer board came from student initiative. Designed around common student emotions, it quietly ministers in the hallway every day—reminding students they are seen, known, and invited into God’s Word.
• Prayer is changing the culture. Louisa closed by saying she’s convinced this group will outlive her time at PCA. Their vision? Student-teacher prayer partnerships. Ongoing collaboration with small groups. Prayer becoming less performative and more personal across the whole school.

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