The third annual fall prayer breakfast is scheduled for 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Columbia First Baptist Family Life Center in Orangeburg.
Organizers say the fall prayer breakfast allows the community to come together to offer thanks and pray for youth and the community at large.
The Orangeburg-Calhoun Association of Clergy and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are sponsoring the event.
This year's speaker is the Rev. Jack Easterby, chaplain of the University of South Carolina Gamecock basketball team.
Easterby was named South Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2005 while a student at Newberry College.
He was a four-year letter winner in golf and two-year captain and also a two-year member of the men's basketball team. He was also on Newberry College's Dean's List for five consecutive semesters and was a member of Newberry's Blue Key honor fraternity.
In the community, Easterby served as a tutor for children at Prosperity-Riker Elementary School, was president of the Newberry Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a speaker on the statewide FCA circuit.
He also served as president of the Newberry Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Newberry Physical Education Majors Club.
Since graduating from Newberry College, Easterby has been employed by The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The Rev. Nate McMillan, past president of the clergy association, said the prayer breakfast is a time for Orangeburg to come together in faith and support and in a spirit of thanks near the Thanksgiving holiday.
Organizers say the fall prayer breakfast is a supplement to the annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast, which is held in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer each spring.
"We have received comments from all over that the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast is so powerful and that it says that Orangeburg can come together to do something positive," McMillan said.
"He is an excellent speaker," local FCA representative the Rev. Earl Humes said of Easterby. "I think we really will be blessed."
And while the focus is upon the youth and the local community, everyone from Canaan to California is invited to attend.
"It is mainly to support our youth," Humes said. "This is where young people come together and everything is geared toward meeting in prayer the needs of our young people and student athletes in the area. We just want to encourage young people with the word."
The event has drawn well -- about 200 and 150 people from all walks for life -- over its first two seasons.
"We are expecting this year's group to be our biggest ever," Humes said. "The youth are getting the message and are getting in tune to what we are trying to do and to encourage them. We want them to know that the adults in our community are praying for them and encouraging them."
The theme of the breakfast remains the same as last year's: "Rescuing and Embracing Our Children and Our Community Through Character."
Tickets for the prayer breakfast are $8 and $10 at the door. To buy tickets, contact any of the following:
* The Rev. Earl Humes, Fellowship of Christian Athletes: 803-707-1197 or e-mail ehumes@fca.org
* Orangeburg City Hall, Middleton Street: 803-533-6000.
* South Carolina Bank and Trust at Orangeburg's four locations.
* Community Resource Bank locations
* Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce: 803-534-6821
* The Regional Medical Center chaplain's office: 803-395-2356.