Meet Judi Kenney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Judi Kenney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Judi, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Well, actually Operation P.R.A.Y., Prayer Reaching All Youth was birthed from a vivid dream I had. I was holding a Need Prayer? sign, standing in front of my son’s high school and where my husband is a teacher and coach. God told me to pray at three high schools, three days a week for thirty minutes. I wrote down the dream, waited, and prayed for God’s confirmation.

Soon after, God validated my dream through several incidences, including a friend’s recommendation to read Todd Volker’s book, Street Level Prayer. The book is literally a “how to” for street prayer ministry. In the book, it shares how Todd began his ministry in a vacant lot across the street from a hospital in my city! I emailed Todd, and he directed me to his church, Inland Vineyard in Corona to see first hand how to do street prayer ministry. Every Saturday the church distributes food boxes to the community and offers to pray with people driving up to receive their box. Upon meeting and sharing my dream to the prayer team, I asked for people to join me in praying with the students at the high schools. Two seasoned prayer partners, Don Decker and Darleen Padilla answered the call and joined me on this new journey to share of the love of Jesus with Gen Z. Together, we bought a Need Prayer? banner and hung it on a pop-up canopy and began praying with students after school when they leave campus at three high schools, three days a week for thirty minutes.

In a few short months, the prayer team expanded and prayed for hundreds of students. The needs and stories were many and great, and then God revised my dream to have a prayer team of two at every California public high school (1,297 to be exact) by 2025. At the end of school year 2024, our teams prayed with thousands of students, and hundreds committed to living their life for Jesus Christ. Currently we are stretched across five schools districts in Southern California, but still a far cry from God’s vision of 1,297!

What should our readers know about your business?
Operation PRAY began as a vision from God. That vision has expanded to have prayer teams at all 1,297 California public high schools. The ministry has largely grown organically through word of mouth. As a team, we’ve put the training in place to now grow exponentially through social media.

What really makes us unique to the ministry world is weren’t not all from the same church, but rather we are from various Christian churches coming together with the same mindset: to authentically show the love of Jesus through prayer; point students to a relationship with Jesus and connect them with other students by inviting them to join their campus Christian club. By promoting and extending an invitation to the student led club, we have the school’s blessing when we’re praying on the street. Rarely do we get harassed by the school administration, but instead we get a “thumbs up”.

There are several areas that excite me about Operation PRAY. One, we’re a group of Christ Followers from all ages and backgrounds with the same heart to reach the next generation with the love of Jesus. Two, this is the most fascinating ministry I’ve ever been apart. When we’re on the sidewalk in front of the school asking students when they walk past us, “Can I pray for you?”, they respond. Often the prayer request is for their grades; but then there are the requests that trouble them to the core of who they are. Addictions, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, relationships, a lack of purpose, loneliness; these are very real things they’re struggling with. And, yet they’re willing to share with us; mere strangers standing on the sidewalk waiting to engage with them. They’re looking for hope and someone to listen and share their burden with them. One of best things about the ministry is showing up week after week on the same day at the same time. This builds caring, trustworthy relationships with the students. And, that’s what really matters to them!

After our first year, I personally met Todd and Pam Volker and shared the vision with them. They enthusiastically wanted to join us. It was at that time, we decided to form Need Prayer, Inc., a 501c non-profit organization. Using my thirty plus years as a bookkeeper and business owner, forming a non-profit was easy. And, Todd’s experience as an author, was extremely helpful in writing the training content for the website. The business effortlessly came together.

Through word of mouth and sharing the vision with a few local churches, we started to gain more prayer teams. This can be time-consuming and so we’re always looking to connect with people who have the time and heart to pray for the next generation. There are several reasons why people might be afraid to stand on the sidewalk and approach students, but in reality, it’s minor compared to the abundant joy and enthusiasm you receive when you do engage with them!

We recently attended a college ministry fair for potential volunteers and was approached by a young woman. She asked me, “Do you remember me?” I admittedly said, “Sorry, I don’t.” She replied, “Well, I remember you. You prayed with me last year at my high school. You prayed for our track team to do well at our meet.” And, then she said, “I was so impressed that you cared enough to pray with students, that I want to return the favor, and pray at the high schools with you.” What a tremendous surprise that was for us and confirmation that this ministry IS making a difference the lives of Gen Z.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I’d like to dedicate the success to Jesus Christ, the original Teacher of Street Ministry and Evangelism. Operation PRAY’s board: Todd Volker, President and author of the Street Level book series and Bobby Rowland, Vice President.
Our committed prayer teams ministering to thousands of high school students.
Our families, friends and churches who continually support the ministry through prayer, resources and donations.
My husband and prayer partner, Brian.

Website: https://www.operationpray.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/operationpray

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OperationPRAY1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OperationPRAY