What is See You at the Pole (SYATP)?

Answer

See You at the Pole (SYATP) is an annual event where Christian students gather at their school’s flagpole to pray for their families, friends, churches, and communities. It is typically held on the fourth Wednesday of September, before or after school hours. While pastors, parents, or other adults may support the students’ efforts, the SYATP organization discourages adult leadership. The aim is for See You at the Pole to be entirely student-initiated, organized, and led. Legally, schools in America cannot promote or hinder students’ participation in SYATP. Sometimes, local churches and youth ministries host a follow-up “SYATP Rally” (also known as “Saw You at the Pole” or “See You After the Pole”) in the evening, which may include worship music, speakers, dramas, and prayer-focused activities.

See You at the Pole originated from a youth group’s initiative in Texas in the early 1990s. During a ministry retreat, the teenagers felt led to pray for several local schools. They later shared their impactful experience at a youth conference that summer, influencing thousands of other students. In September 1990, over 56,000 teens on 1,200 campuses participated in the first See You at the Pole event. The movement has since expanded and become an international event, observed in numerous countries worldwide.

Some Christian critics of See You at the Pole often reference Matthew 6:5–6 to argue against public prayer. In this passage, Jesus advises, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

“I reward you.”

Upon the face of it, this would seem a fair argument; however, the context of Matthew 6 suggests that Jesus is teaching about the attitude and motivation behind righteous acts such as helping the needy, prayer, and fasting. If one does such things for prideful recognition, then the acts are rendered useless in the eyes of God « Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. », (Matthew 6:1b). See You at the Pole events are not intended to be a show of piety but to encourage unity and provide a central, easily accessible place for Christian students to gather for prayer.

Some American opponents of See You at the Pole claim that the event is unconstitutional. According to the United States Department of Education’s guidelines for “appropriate religious expression on school grounds,” student-organized religious events are a Constitutionally protected form of free speech. While SYATP is legal in the U.S., the organization recommends for students to move their prayer gathering off campus if they are approached by school administrators/authorities and asked to leave, because “See You at the Pole is about praying, not arguing about your legal rights” (www.syatp.com).

The decision of whether or not to participate in See You at the Pole is between each student and God. No matter if the student attends public school, private school, charter school, or homeschool, he or she can choose to gather with other believers to pray on SYATP day or any other day. Meeting other Christians at school can help students encourage one another «Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. », (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and inspire each other to love more and give more to their community «and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works», (Hebrews 10:24).

Idea one another to provoke unto love and to good works: », (Hebrews 10:24). Corporate prayer is a biblical practice (Matthew 18:19-20;Acts 2:42) and can be extremely helpful in connecting like-minded Christian students of varying grade levels. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, and when believers are unified in worship and prayer, no matter when or where, their faith will be edified (John 17:22-23).