Greetings!   

 

Meet Dana, a senior Bible Club president who just graduated from Bell Senior High. Stepping out in courage during her senior year, Dana felt called to lead a Bible Club that was small in number. Partnering with CSP mentors and local churches, Dana was challenged to lead a fledgling group in her last year of high school. Read about her experience as president of a small Christian Club in the Q&A below. 

 

Dana at the annual CSP GO Conference

When did your journey with the Lord begin? 

 

My whole life journey I have had God with me; there was a time where I strayed away and was "playing church" for a long while, it wasn't until November 2010 where I decided that my life truly was going to be for God, there was no more time to be playing games with Him. He just got me and jumped me on a huge roller coaster and I am still

enjoying the ride.

 

Share a little bit about your high school experience:

 

I was the average teenager at Bell Senior High, just trying to pass my classes with high grades and spending time with my friends, trying to fit in but knowing deep inside that I wasn't in any particular group. For a long while I started feeling like I was wasting time. I was in the school marching band for two years but then it wasn't fulfilling anymore. I knew that God was calling me out, I would think aloud to God and ask, "What is it?!"

 

How did you get involved with the Bible club?

 

I saw a band play and one of the members said a testimony. I found out the New Hope Bible Club was the one responsible for inviting that band. I decided to check the club out, I was Christian so I knew that I'd enjoy some scripture in my daily high school time. I saw how the club ran and found out that Judy (club leader at the time) was going to graduate and God put a passion in my heart to keep the club's heart beating by becoming the next leader..kind of like Moses when he was dying and Joshua knew he had to take over.

 

What was it like to be alone in leadership, knowing God was behind you 100%?

 

I  was determined at first, thinking of all the neat things I'd do with the club and knew that with God's help I would make a footprint. I asked

for prayer at church and I remember distinctly the bench I was standing in when I asked for it. I then started becoming beaten down because I felt like nothing was happening to the club, there was no fire or passion to seek God in my school, it was only my sponsor and I sometimes  and I felt like there were no Christians at my school anymore. I was freaking out. At the same time still hoping God would just start working in me and molding me.

 

Was CSP helpful to you and your club?

 

Dana studying a Gospel Tract at the GO Conference last fall

CSP was not only helpful but challenged me to get out of my comfort zone... I would have been a nervous wreck without them. I got a personal feel of Biola students in action and felt like Megan, Ryan, Jose, Grant, and many others were such a huge help; they are an insight to what kind of different world us Christian students really live. They all in a way inspired me to be a better Christian...Jesus of course is the main one to inspire them.

 

Could you share about any outreach events you had this year?

 

Until I had members in my second semester was when I felt confident in planning outreach events. "See You at the Pole" was one of my first events I did, my church group helped me on that one. We had free hot chocolate and Life-books. I was so nervous, never in my life would I have been able to do that. God challenged me about giving my testimony in my school but I always thought "No way I don't think that would happen." Boy was I wrong, I was there, my vision being done before my eyes and I just took a couple of deep breaths, held the microphone and the rest was The Holy Spirit pouring out words that soon gathered a crowd. I didn't care anymore, I didn't receive any rude comments which was something I always feared.

 

What did you see God do in your senior year?

 

God showed me that I cannot do things on my own.... I felt like I was doing things wrong because no one would show up to club meetings. Soon enough it started becoming a burden because I felt useless. God showed me people who were curious about Him, I began to feel good...God showed that to everything there is time, and He taught me that I need to wait and that it is not easy but its not impossible either.