ST. LOUIS – You never know who might be praying for you. Just ask Michael Byrd, pastor of Faith Community Bible Church in north St. Louis.
Or you could ask Bethany Chapin, an 11-year-old from Oklahoma City.
Byrd, his wife Traci and Faith Community were featured last summer as part of Lifeway Christian Resources’ Vacation Bible School curriculum, highlighting North American missions. Byrd said it was humbling to know people were praying for them from all over the nation.
“During the time we received several letters, videos and even emails of how people were praying with us and for us,” he said. “And it really just seemed like those things came at the right time when we needed the encouragement the most.”
But when VBS was over in 2023, one young lady, then 10 years old, never stopped praying. Bethany, a member of Southern Hills Baptist Church Oklahoma City, said she felt drawn to the Byrd family and the church plant.
“I thought it was cool how they were ministering to their neighborhood,” she said. “And I just liked them as a family. I also liked how Mrs. Traci started a cooking class for all the ladies around her.”
So Bethany and the others in her VBS class prayed for the Byrds. At the end of the week, Bethany asked the missions teacher if she could have the poster of the Byrd family. That poster found its way to her wall, and the Byrds’ family and church found their way into her prayers each night.
“I would pray for their community, church and their family every time I saw the poster,” Bethany said.
That was a year ago. In summer of 2024, when the Chapin family began planning a vacation to St. Louis, the poster got the wheels in Bethany’s mind spinning. While her parents were tossing around ideas like going up in the Gateway Arch or sailing on a river boat, she suggested visiting the Byrds’ church.
“I wanted to see the places I’d seen in the VBS videos,” Bethany said. “I wanted to go to their church, meet them in person and see them worship and share the Gospel.”
The Chapin family looked up the Byrds on social media, but their messages never reached Michael. So they figured out the church’s address and decided to pop in on a Wednesday night Bible study.
Byrd said the sight of Bethany and her family walking through the door caught him off guard, then brought joy.
“We were at church preparing for Wednesday night prayer and Bible study when this new family walks in,” Byrd said, adding that he was shocked to find out they’d come all this way and that he still had prayer warriors praying for him, his family and the church.
“We were extremely encouraged by their sacrifice,” he said. “They took time out on their vacation to not just visit us, but encourage our hearts. It was priceless.”
The family got to worship and study with Faith Community Bible Church – the topic that Wednesday night was, appropriately enough, prayer – as well as have BBQ with Byrd and one of his sons the next day.
“To know that even that far away, people are still praying, still lifting up me and my family to the Lord, and also calling out our church to the Father is extremely encouraging,” Byrd said. “It was just a reminder that God will always send you what you need right when you need it.”
Byrd said he hopes Bethany – and others – keep praying the Gospel would continue to be proclaimed in his corner of St. Louis.
“As we continue to serve Jesus, pray that we remain faithful to the mission and vision that God has entrusted to us,” he said. “We desire to see leaders developed and churches planted all throughout the inner city. With the leading of the Lord and the prayers of the saints, God’s will be done.”
For her part, Bethany has promised to keep praying, and the poster remains on her wall.
“He told us prayer requests, so I’m definitely going to keep praying for him, his church and his family,” she said.
