Lawrence students from kindergarten through college might not be aware of it, but lots of moms in town are praying for them.

And praying regularly for their teachers, administrators and schools, too.

“I think there are probably a lot of people who haven’t heard of us. Our goal is to have every school prayed for, so we’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Gay Sauer, a Lawrence mother who serves as the area coordinator for Moms In Touch International.

The 20-year-old organization, based in Poway, Calif., has about 20,000 small groups of mothers worldwide — most of them in the United States — who meet for one hour weekly in their homes to pray on behalf of their children, educators and schools.

There are 12 Moms In Touch groups in Lawrence, according to Sauer: 10 for mothers of children who attend different public schools, one for mothers who have children at Veritas Christian School, 256 N. Mich., and one for mothers with children at Kansas University.

All of Lawrence’s junior high schools and high schools have groups of mothers praying for them. There are also groups for elementary schools Prairie Park, Schwegler, Wakarusa Valley and Quail Run.

Sauer is the Moms In Touch area coordinator for Douglas, Franklin, Osage and Miami counties. There are 79 public schools and 15 private schools in her four-county area, she said, and about 20 Moms In Touch groups.

The groups are unaffiliated with the schools they pray for, meet in private homes and are not a political or lobbying group, Sauer said.

“Some of the schools know we’re here, and some don’t. Most of them are supportive and say, ‘Hey, we need all the help we can get,'” she said.

Sauer and her husband, Ted Sauer, have three children: Lynne, 17, a senior at Lawrence High School; Michelle, 13, an eighth-grader at South Junior High School; and Natalie, 10, a fifth-grader at Prairie Park School.

The family attends Mustard Seed Christian Fellowship, 700 Wakarusa Drive.

Never out of God’s sight

Praying for children and their schools has an effect, according to Gay Sauer.

“It changes us, and it helps our kids,” she said. “Being in a Moms In Touch group doesn’t guarantee having perfect kids, but it gives us the help and support that we need.”

Lori Lange has been involved with Moms In Touch groups since about 1990.

She leads a group of mothers who have college-age children at KU and other schools. Lange is the Moms In Touch contact person for the Lawrence area.

“I think as our kids grow up and they’re not at home as much, it’s important for us to be reminded that they’re never out of God’s sight,” she said. “When we do know that they have specific needs, to be able to pray for those things in a group, it just kind of multiplies the prayer rather than doing it on our own.”

The hour-long meetings follow four steps: a time of praise, silent confession, thanksgiving and intercession. Any mother, grandmother or teacher who wants to pray on behalf of a specific child may participate, Lange said.

According to the Moms In Touch International Web site, “Our vision is that every school in the world would be covered with prayer. We desire to be a positive support and encouragement for public and private schools, praying that our schools may be guided by biblical values and high moral standards.”

Lange and her husband, Mark Lange, have four children: Heidi, 23, who lives in Omaha; Katie, 20, a KU sophomore; Scot, 17, a senior at Free State High School; and Kelsie, 15, a sophomore at Free State.

The family attends Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 3312 Calvin Drive.

God’s infinite resources

Sherilyn McPherson leads a Moms In Touch group for mothers of children who attend Veritas Christian School.

McPherson, like Sauer, said that praying for children, teachers and schools does have an impact. It affects the mothers who pray, too.

“It certainly made me more aware of what my kids are facing on a regular basis. They know that I pray for them. It’s made them more willing to share their concerns, whether they’re having a test that day, they’re having a problem or there’s something they’re real thankful for,” she said.

McPherson and her husband, Scott McPherson, have three children at Veritas: Daniel, 13, an eighth-grader; Katie, 11, a sixth-grader; and Andrew, 7, a second-grader.

The family attends Lawrence Free Methodist Church, 31st Street and Lawrence Ave.

McPherson explained why she believes it’s important for her to participate in a Moms In Touch group.

“We’re raising children in a society that’s facing difficulties that we didn’t face when we grew up. These are unknowns for kids and for us as parents,” she said.

“If I have to find the power to help my child within myself, that’s a problem. My resources are finite, but God’s aren’t.”