By Paige Topping
The idea for the KARK/Fox16 Victory Over Violence campaign was originally formed in February 2017 following the fatal shootings of two Little Rock toddlers. The goal of the campaign was simple: to help prevent violence in Central Arkansas by uniting community groups and leaders together to become resources for reducing violent crime.
A small group gathers to pray for all of those who have been affected by violence.
Since 2017, the Victory Over Violence Prayer campaign has partnered with organizations such as One Voice, Arkansas for Christ, and CityChurch Network, which led to the creation of the semi-annual Victory Over Violence + One Voice Prayer Rally..“The Victory over Violence Prayer Rally was inspired by the One Voice regional night of prayer event that began in 2017,” says Logan Bloom, the founder and director of Arkansas for Christ. One Voice is the essential product of the CityChurch Network’s Biblical inspiration found in John 17:21: that “they [the church] may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
Groups form throughout the crowd to pray for one common purpose: Victory over Violence in Central Arkansas.
The goal of the Victory Over Violence + One Voice Prayer Rally is to unite every church in Central Arkansas in prayer twice a year. These events typically occur on the first Thursday of May and the Thursday before Thanksgiving. The worship team and prayer team leaders are a combination of diversity with as many as 1,200 gathering from more than 80 Central Arkansas churches. Each participating church shares a common bond:
- A common affection for Jesus as head of the church (Colossians 1:18).
- A common respect for the diverse expressions of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:25).
- A common need for united prayer (1 Timothy 2:1,8).
On November, 15th, Central Arkansas churches and congregations gathered together for the 2018 One Voice + Victory Over Violence Prayer Rally which was held at Second Baptist Church on John Barrow Road. Together, through music, prayer, and genuine love for each other and the city, the Little Rock community united for victory over violence–a tradition that will undoubtedly continue for years to come. For more information about the Victory Over Violence initiatives as a whole, visit the following website.