GirlTREK encourages Black women and girls to use walking as the first practical step to leading healthier, more fulfilled lives. From Oct. 15 to Oct. 23, the organization connected with the community through churches, in an initiative called Prayer TREK, a program to increase talks about God and counter the toxic viewpoints of hate in our communities, on the airwaves and social media posts.
“Regardless of faith or background it’s our job to inspire women everyday to move towards the light of living, ” the GirlTREK team said in an email to supporters.
The Prayer TREK was virtual, free and had a simple request: each participant dedicated 30 minutes a day to walking.
They walked and called in each morning for their daily motivation and they were recorded for registrants to watch if they could not join for the live sessions.
“Sometimes we do that by talking about history, sometimes pop culture, sometimes hood politics and liberation theology. Like a good pot of gumbo, we mix it all in to speak truth to power, honoring the complexities of the lives of the women we serve.”
Nearly 3,000 churches across the country participated in Prayer TREK.
During the program, participants walked and reflected on the Bible’s Fruits of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23), which are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
GirlTREK is not a faith-based organization, but they welcome people from various belief systems to register. Participants do not have to be a member of a church to join Prayer TREK.
This fall’s group had daily prayer calls with singer-songwriter Victory Boyd and the co-hosts of
“Truth’s Table,” Dr. Christina Edmondson and Ekemini Uwan.
Churches registered to have a Prayer TREK crew were entered to win $1,000 for their health ministry. The drawings were held daily during the challenge, which gave them nine chances to win.
For those that missed the opportunity to participate in Prayer TREK, there are other ways to get involved with GirlTREK this fall.
The next activity is their 21-Day Gratitude TREK. The goal is to help families, churches and communities get and stay active with a self-guided walking challenge that includes over 30 ideas participants can use to practice kindness and spread love while you walk.
Participants can use this guide to prepare for the organization’s annual Black Family 5K after the Thanksgiving holiday.
