Augusta residents take part in community prayer

Five minutes, one flashlight (or candle) and a prayer: That's what the Butler County community of Augusta says bonds them together through the COVID-19 pandemic that keeps them from gathering.

Residents say despite being at a distance, they are together in their faith. From their own driveways Friday night, families paused to say a prayer.

Augusta Mayor Mike Rawlings had the idea for the community-wide effort.

"The idea is to help people see that we do care and we want to be positive about it," he says.

Rawlings started promoting the community prayer earlier this week. On Facebook, he called for the community to stand in their own driveways with a flashlight or a candle and to spend five minutes in prayer to promote unity.

"This is such a wonderful idea where we can be very serious about the restrictions and things that we are following, but we can all be on our driveway and be apart, but be together," local pastor Terri Rawlings says.

Augusta City Council member Kip Richardson says Friday night's effort sheds light on how the community pulls together and helps each other out to pull through difficult circumstances.