My husband, Brett, and I attended an ice cream social at Brookhaven Academy Sunday afternoon to meet the new Head of School Jason Case and Cougar head coach and athletic director Ron Rushing.

It also gave my husband a chance to say hello to a couple he knew when he lived in Summit years ago, coach Russell Cruise and his wife, Kim, who is a teacher and principal at the private, Christian academy.

And there was ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream.

But there was also a lot of prayer.

One cooled my tastebuds and the other warmed my heart.

It was a standing-room only crowd at the third annual prayer walk at the academy, which officials say is a school that is “prayer led and prayer fed.”

They added the ice cream social to the prayer walk for families and the public to get to meet Case and Rushing and some of the other teachers new to the school.

But it’s the prayer time that’s become an awesome tradition.

Case, a former principal at West Lincoln Attendance Center who has been an educator for three decades, spoke to the BA families before they left to pray over their kids’ teachers and classrooms, desks and lockers, the athletic playing fields and court and administration offices.

“I am retired but I don’t believe in retirement,” Case told the crowd of about 250 people including parents, students and staff. “I believe in serving Jesus Christ until He says it’s time to go home. And that’s what I intend to do. I do this because I believe in serving Him by serving other people.”

It was an amazing sight to see families gathering in the courtyard and in classrooms to pray together for a safe and prosperous year for their kiddoes and for the teachers who are up for that challenge.

Some will say it would be nice if prayer were allowed in public schools as well. Here’s the thing — it is.

According to the ACLU, public schools students have the right to pray individually or in groups or to discuss their religious views with their peers so long as they are not disruptive. Students enjoy the right to read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, pray before tests, and discuss religion with other willing student listeners.

I pray they take advantage of that right often.

Donna Campbell is managing editor of The Daily Leader. She can be reached at donna.campbell@dailyleader.com.