Unveiling Our Paper Mile
On Sunday, May 3, Millbrook Baptist Church, along with our many partners, will assemble and display our completed Paper Mile prayer chain. What a symbol of solidarity with and affection for neighbors in Wake County! Our 11:00 am worship service will include a procession and blessing of the chain, as well as justice-centered texts and prayers. Following worship, at 12:30 pm, we will gather at the outside front entrance of the Millbrook Baptist Church Sanctuary (1519 E. Millbrook Rd.) with neighbors throughout our city to formally display the completed prayer chain.
Based on prayers received to date, we anticipate a paper chain extending more than 3,000 links! Our plan is to display two separate portions of the chain along the sidewalks of East Millbrook Road (between Old Wake Forest and Falls of Neuse Roads), each one seeking to raise awareness for homelessness and food insecurity. Our Housing Chain, 1,258 links long (representing our 1,258 unhoused neighbors in Wake County), will extend from Millbrook United Methodist Church (adjacent to Second Street Place) toward Millbrook Elementary School. Our Sustainability Chain, 2,093 links long, will extend from the Millbrook Baptist Church Sanctuary entrance, along the parking lot, and out toward the opposite sidewalks. The 2,093 links, each roughly 16-inches long, comprise a total of 33,500 inches (representative of the 33,500 food insecure children in Wake County).
Diagram of the planned display of the two portions of the Paper Mile Prayer Chain
We are excited to welcome Stephen Gruver, Homeless and Prevention Services Division Director of Wake County, who will update us on the work of Second Street Place. We will also hear updates from Douglas and Millbrook Elementary Schools about the impact of Angel Fund donations for students and families.
There are 1,258 links on the table in the Millbrook Sanctuary that will be fastened together for the Housing Portion of the Paper Mile Prayer Chain
After these updates, and a final prayer of blessing, the collected gathering will unfurl the paper chains along the two sidewalks of East Millbrook Road. Once the Paper Mile is in position, we will take a drone photo from overhead, as well as a selfie-style walking video of both portions of the chain.
After Sunday’s event, Millbrook Baptist Church will create collateral materials that feature images of the chain, and provide a final count of prayer links, as well as total funds raised for Second Street Place and the Angel Fund. Participants are encouraged to take home segments of the prayer chain as a keepsake.
Rain Plan: In case of inclement weather, there is a contingency plan to unfurl the paper chain indoors throughout the hallways of Millbrook Baptist Church.
For additional information, please visit our event page, or email Bob Stillerman (bob@millbrookbaptistchurch.org).
How Can I Participate in the Paper Mile Unveiling?
Millbrook Baptist Church will host two public events on Sunday, May 3, 2026. During our 11:00 am worship service, the congregation will formally bless/commission the prayer chain. Immediately following worship (Noon), the congregation will begin moving paper chain sections (50-100 links per section) from the sanctuary to the parking lot sidewalk.
At 12:30 pm, we will gather at the outside front entrance of the Sanctuary. After a short ceremony, we will begin positioning the chain along the sidewalks. We will need volunteers to station themselves along each sidewalk and hold a small section of the chain. We will have chairs for anyone who needs them. Additionally, bottled water and light snacks will be on hand. We encourage everyone to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Finally, we will have seating for anyone who wants to watch from the sanctuary entrance but is unable to participate in the unfurling.
We continue to accept prayer links. Ideally, we would like to receive contributions by Sunday, April 26, but we will do our best to incorporate any submissions received beyond that date.