A New Hope

Dylan Poe, 22, left, and Chad Schmidt, 24, both of Newton, pray together Saturday night at Community Heights Alliance Church as part of a three-hour community prayer event dubbed “Prayer Wars.” Proposed by Discover Hope founder Rob Robinson, the event was an effort to declare “spiritual war in our community” with half-hour sessions to pray for churches, law enforcement, to spark healing and alleviate addiction in Newton and beyond. Multiple churches, a praise band and dozens of people participated in both private meditation and lively public prayer.