RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Two years ago, Katie Russell, who at the time was a middle school student in the Russellville School District, felt God calling her to start some kind of Bible study, but she wasn’t sure what to do.
Russell heard about a friend who had a small girls’ Bible study group at the junior high and thought that would be great to have at the middle school.
“I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I felt led because I believe it is so important for believers to come together and study the Word. I know personally that it is much easier, as a girl myself, to be in, and in this case, lead a study with just girls,” Russell said.
Now in junior high, Russell has had the opportunity to lead a small study with her volleyball team and will hopefully do the same with the girls’ basketball team. She was also involved in the recent “relaunch” of the Christian Student Union (CSU). It had been more than four years since there had been a Christian organization at Russellville Junior High School (RJHS).
“I am so honored to be a part of the relaunch of Christian Student Union. I really believe that God is doing something great here at the junior high, and I am just so thankful that I get to have a front-row seat to it,” Russell said.
Jessica Taylor, a teacher at the school and club sponsor, said the relaunch of CSU came about through “the Lord’s conviction.” She was approached three years ago about heading up a Christian club when she first started at RJHS. It was her first year teaching theater, which she had never done before and, at the time, did not feel that she could sponsor a club and learn her new position.
Fast forward to this year. Before school started, their principal, Sara Walker, sent an email to staff about a group of students interested in starting a CSU type program.
“I didn’t act upon it immediately. However, after certain violent events that took place in our country, I felt burdened more than ever about the state of our young people, especially within the age group that I am with every day,” Taylor said. “I reached out to Mrs. Walker to see if anyone of our staff at RJHS had expressed interest in starting the CSU. She gave me the name of two other people who wanted to be involved in this new ministry. I emailed them immediately.” Those individuals were Angela Jones and Brent Taylor.
They then began forming a leadership team, which included Russell and fellow students Sam Tindlle, Miyah Arroyo, Cooper Rogers and Jayden Rosales. Additionally, Taylor said they reached out to Chris Russell, pastor at Russellville Second Baptist Church, to help draft bylaws.
Speakers were lined up, and a date was set for the first meeting of the new CSU. The meeting, Oct. 23, was scheduled to take place in the health room off the gym during the ninth-grade lunch. Russell said they had planned for 20 attendees at most. Eighty-two showed up.
“Students started filing into the health room. It didn’t take long to realize we wouldn’t fit. We scrambled and made a few calls to admin to make sure we had permission to move into the choir room. We quickly relocated and filled that room as well,” Taylor said. “It was amazing. Teachers and coaches started peeking their heads because they wanted to witness what was going on. It was so encouraging to see so many students meeting to hear the Gospel.”
The guest speaker at the first meeting was Jay Ham of Church in the Dirt in Russellville. Russell said the first meeting “went better than I could have imagined.”
“I am so honored to be a part of the relaunch of Christian Student Union (CSU). I really believe that God is doing something great here at the junior high, and I am just so thankful that I get to have a front-row seat to it,” Russell said. “I hope that we use this to glorify Him and bring students to Him. I hope that CSU has a lasting impact on students, that they will feel comfortable asking the leadership team questions if they have them, or having Gospel conversations with other students. I hope that we continue to grow and use all of this for God’s glory, because He is the only one who deserves all of the glory for whatever happens.”
When asked how folks could pray for them going forward, Russell said, “They can pray that God will give our team clarity and wisdom in any decisions we have to make, and that we would make the right decisions. Pray for revival in the school and among students and pray for the pastors who come to teach as well.”