Home Page

It’s a common sight to see Chicago Bears flags proudly lining the streets of neighborhoods that surround the Windy City. But the Chicago Bears aren’t the only Bears whose flags stipple the streets; the Baylor Bears are also well represented for being some 900 miles from Waco.

These flags signal that proud Baylor families live all over the city. The strength of the Chicago Parents in Prayer group demonstrates just how proud these parents are, as dozens of parents meet regularly to cheer on their students and the students of those in their communities.

Kim Rasmussen currently leads Parents in Prayer meetings in the Chicago area, and has been a member of the Chicago group since 2014 when her eldest Bear began her Baylor journey. “It’s been so fun to join in community with other parents in Chicago as we walk alongside our students. We are blessed to have so many amazing families who have such a strong love for Baylor,” Rasmussen said.

The Chicago Parents in Prayer group started out as a small group of parents who met occasionally to pray for their students. It has now evolved into a thriving network of prayer, community and encouragement fervent hearts for Baylor students. 

Tom and Marcia Huizinga joined the Baylor Parents in Prayer group in 2011 and were soon asked to consider hosting the group in their home, a challenge they readily accepted. “For the next several years, we opened our home and our hearts to Baylor parents and students in the Chicagoland area. We cared for each other as we prayed together, laughed together and sometimes even cried together as we loved on our students from afar,” Marcia Huizinga said.

Throughout the changes in attendance, the core of the group has remained constant. Encouragement, servitude and fellowship are the pillars of the Chicago group, which have stood firm over time. The monthly meetings serve as an outlet for these parents to engage with other parents, Baylor students and God.

Huizinga recalls many meetings filled with powerful prayer for the Baylor community. “As I heard the prayers being offered in small groups throughout the home, I couldn’t help but think what God must be hearing and how blessed each of these students were to have a symphony of prayers being offered on their behalf,” she said.

Parents in Prayer has also sparked friendships among parents and students who share a special bond through their Baylor ties. “I’ll always remember flying into DFW Airport the day before Move-In Day with my daughter, Callie. I recognized a woman on our flight who was wearing a Baylor T-shirt from the Send-Off Party, and we started talking to her family to share in our excitement. Callie started talking to her son, Ben, and the two became close friends. Kris, Ben’s mom, has also become a good friend of mine. We’re thankful for the ways Baylor has brought our families together,” Rasmussen said.

As a student, it means so much to me to know that there are people in my hometown cheering me on as I navigate my college experience. Parents have been praying over me every step of the way, from acclimating to college freshman year, to navigating college during a pandemic my junior year, and job hunting during my senior year.

Selfishly, one of my favorite features of the group is the Care Packaging Parties. Just when the stress of finals week hits its climax, a package arrives from my Baylor Family in Chicago stocked with snacks and other essentials to push me through those late-night study sessions.

The group has remained steadfast in carving out time for community after COVID-19 transformed how they conduct their meetings. For now, parents are gathering over Zoom, but they remain hopeful that they will be able to join hands in prayer again soon.

The Chicago Parents in Prayer group is just a sliver of the community that parents all over the country are invited into through their own local Parents in Prayer chapters. The unity that these groups create bridges the gap between students and parents while creating a support system for parents as they adjust to parenting a student through college.

The best part? Parents don’t have to fling their green and gold very far, as there are dozens of groups already established all over the country, and others just waiting for a group of parents to put their dot on the map. “For where two or three are gathered together…”

“We are so grateful to Baylor University for investing in this program and including parents all over the country in this way. It is hard to send your kids off to college, especially when it is far away, but the blessings abound when you are able to share the experience with others,” Huizinga said.

There are more than 40 groups across the country for Baylor parents to get involved with in their own hometowns. Find out info on the group closest to you at: https://baylorparents.campuses...

By: Emily Anderson, BU Senior and Parent Engagement Intern