Community Prayer Breakfast Draws Hundreds for Fellowship

More than 150 people join in fellowship, despite the rain, at the 6^th Annual Irmo Community Prayer Breakfast held at Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church.

The yearly breakfast, which was started by Rep. Nathan Ballentine and Rep. Chip Huggins, featured a program that included members from Seven Oaks Presbyterian, Union United Methodist, Teen Spirit Forum of the Midlands and Riverland Hills Baptist.

Ballentine said both he and Huggins started the prayer breakfast because they wanted to offer the community a chance to come together to hear a good message and for camaraderie.

“I’ve been to various prayer breakfasts in Columbia and Chapin, and never had one in Irmo,” Ballentine said. “I thought there should be one in the area.”

Huggins said the breakfast is a great way for the community to receive an uplifting message during good times and bad.

“It’s something we feel like, in good times and bad times, the community needs to know that God is in control,” Huggins said. “I think it’s important that good messages like we heard from Mr. (Steve) Arnold are (received) to let people know that through God anything is possible.”

Steve Arnold, operator of the Chick-fil-A in Ballentine, delivered this year’s message.

Arnold shared his experiences, which he called his “faith journey," as an operator in the Chick-fil-A franchise.

“None of us are here by accident,” Arnold said during his speech. “The journey is continuing. God is not through with us, yet.”

Arnold, who has been employed with restaurant group for 17 years, said it was through his faith and relationship with God that he has prospered.

Ballentine said Arnold's message was told from the heart and resonated with the community.

"He’s such a giving person at Chick-fil-A," Ballentine said. "I wanted everybody in the community to get a chance to hear from him."

The audience was a diverse crowd with members from the Irmo-Seven Oaks community, local businesses, churches and civic organizations.

Clyde Griffy, who moved to the Irmo area from Illinois about a year ago, said the breakfast was a great way for him to get out and meet his neighbors.

“I thought the breakfast was nice,” Griffy said. “With being new in the community it’s good to get out a little and this is just one way to do it.”

Griffy said he enjoyed Arnold’s message and would attend the event in the future.

Breakfast was provided by Chick-fil-A and members of the Irmo High School Air Force JROTC did the presentation of colors.