The CRU is an organization that helps students come to Christ, equipping them to share their faith. Local chapters organize Bible studies, scholarship events, and other activities. The CRU is often associated with university ministry, but it also has a ministry in high school. S3 clubs are student-run and designed to help students stay strong in their faith through Bible study, service projects, and club events. Belonging to a club affiliated with AFES is like a group of trees around a spring.
When members gather around the Word of God in small groups or in meetings that encompass the entire club, their souls get the life-giving nourishment they need to grow. Members of religious clubs have a different high school experience than the average Ventura County teenager. During lunch, while others eat, study, or just hang out, club members read the Scriptures, pray, and talk about “bearing witness” to others. Open dialogue is essential for building a healthy and effective Christian community, both on and off campus. Jeremy James, president of the TOHS Christian Athletes Fraternity, compares his 50-member group to a big family.
One of the best ways to spread the word is to announce club meeting times in the school bulletin. A Thousand Oaks teacher (who spoke on condition of anonymity) said that religious clubs on high school campuses can become “13-year-old children interpreting the Bible for other 13-year-olds.”Students have the legal right to be on campus, but in order for them to meet with other students without their parents' signature at a club, there must be a full-time faculty member present. While there is no exact data on the prevalence of these groups in Ventura County high schools, “most schools have some type of religious clubs or have had them in the past” according to the county Superintendent. Ask the students you've met with if they know any Christian teachers who might be willing to help.
On the second campus where I founded a Christian club, I discovered and talked to a teacher who was sponsoring a Christian morning club to see if I knew anyone else who would like to participate. Joining the group last year and participating in discipleship (a form of Christian mentoring with other students) helped him change, he said. The club sponsor or the director's secretary should be able to tell you who's doing this at school and where to start. Additionally, clubs stay away from denominational issues that cause divisions (such as baptism and communion) in favor of preserving companionship.
