Students and staff of faith praying together before school. photo by Kyler Jackson
Faith is growing all around Thomas Jefferson, and I have seen great things unfold this year surrounding religious beliefs.
Recently at Thomas Jefferson High School, I have noticed a huge spark in communication about faith, many students and staff members are talking about how it is rising, changing them, or even sparking their interest. To me, it feels like revival is about to break through. In my experience, the clubs here at TJ have grown significantly in numbers. With there being more exposure, we have seen new people beginning to get involved. Now, I don’t know where everybody stands in their faith, but one thing I know for sure from personal experience is, as we let God work through us in these groups, we grow in our faith and continue to find our purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to force you to believe in God, but I am here to show you all of the beautiful things faith has done for me and others.
In these groups, we want to not only teach you about a life with faith, but a life of fellowship. We spend so much time connecting and drawing closer to each other through God. No matter your circumstances or background, you are loved, chosen, and forgiven. I hope this can show you all of the various positive things that Christ has done for me and others here at TJ. I know many people are afraid to join these clubs or get into their faith because they feel they are too far gone, or because they do not have a Bible. These are all things I have heard, but I want you to know that everyone is welcome to attend all of these clubs. We want everyone to know that there is something greater than what meets the eye.
Though, TJ does a great job catering to students of all faiths, as shown by multiple clubs. For one, we have Youth For Christ (YFC) which is led by one of very few Denver High School YFC leaders, Chip Simmons. I have seen God work in countless ways, but I wanted to share that this was a path for me to find my faith. I have seen lives changed simply when students show up and give 100%. Doing this leads to transformation; you find who you are and become the best version of yourself through purpose. For such a long time, I felt like I had no purpose. I always stressed about who I was becoming, or what I would do in the future. Once I put my faith in something higher than my concerns, I found a purpose and was transformed into who I am today by the renewing of my mind.
Moving on to Bible Study, this is a club run on Wednesdays during lunch by me, since Bible Study is a student-run club, this inspires other students. This club has shown that adults are not the only ones who are capable of spreading the gospel. When people see their friends open up about their faith, they begin to open their own hearts into sharing or learning about faith. I have seen this change many people, not just by putting their faith in Jesus, but also by finding new ways to read their Bible and taking inspiration to start their own small groups. I have even seen some members of Bible Study make social media videos about Jesus! God is inspiring people as we let him work through us in our groups. Just showing up and listening teaches you so much, not only about yourself, but about what it means to follow your faith and live a life of faith.
Let’s take a peek at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), which is led by TJ’s world language teacher Kyler Jackson, at lunch on Thursdays. This is the most popular faith group here at TJ. FCA is a great way for student-athletes to connect their sport(s) with God. It teaches them great lessons within their sport(s) on how to treat teammates, opponents, officials, and coaches. FCA not only brings us closer to God, but closer to each other. In every group here at TJ, we are family.
Moving on to Jewish Club, this club is run on Mondays sponsored by English teacher Amber Wilson. Jewish Club is focused on learning about Jewish culture and Jewish news going on around the world with Jewish celebrities or in israel. Jewish club is about everyone coming together as a whole and building each other up finding those new friendships and relationships, sophomore Sami Merei said his favorite part about Jewish club was that “not everyone is Jewish, but we are all accepting of each other no matter what, and we all love each other in there.” Jewish club hopes to teach others about new religions and cultures outside of their own and make new friends.
Finally, touching on Muslim Student Alliance: this is not currently a club, but it used to be and is no longer happening. In the future a student or staff member may be able to get this back up and running to help other students not only connect with their own faith, but learn more about different faiths and see a different point of view.
You don’t have to be perfect, and you don’t need to have it all figured out. All you need is a little bit of faith and time to find your purpose through these clubs. Hopefully, these groups can be an outlet to help and lead you in the right direction, but do what is right for you. Everyone’s journey with faith is different. Follow your heart, and do not let anyone else tell you differently.
