Lakeview Huddle Coach, Missi Loe, has hosted a Bible study for high school and college aged girls for the past several summers. This year, the Lord moved her and her husband, David, to expand their summer study to include boys too!

I grew up going to church and understand God's calling on the life of a believer to make disciples. My position as a mentor, leader, and coach to these kids is something I take very seriously; it's a gift to be able to serve in this way.

Not all kids are exposed to scripture at home so we need to equip them, teach, and show them how to read and understand their Bibles. Faith grows with time spent reading the Word and in community with fellow believers and I'm happy to be a host for that.   

Summer provides a great opportunity to meet with kids as they have a little more free time to participate. These kids are coming to Bible study on their own accord; they want to be here with their peers learning about the Bible, about Jesus, and about how they can shine light in others' lives.

This summer we're studying "Know Your Enemy" based on the film, Nefarious, and we host anywhere from 10-16 kids each time we meet.

Due to the content of our study, we talk a lot about our culture, where we see the enemy at work, and what we can do to stand against it. We talk about how the Holy Spirit works in our conscience to lead us in the right direction and to make choices that honor God. We also talk about things we can do daily to strengthen our personal relationships with Jesus.

The more we can get like-minded kids, especially teenagers, together and in community with each other, the better they understand Biblical truth and how to build one another up in faith. 

I pray these kids leave this summer Bible study equipped with the truth and empowered to confront the lies of the enemy. -Missi L.

Sports ministry has taught Maddy Groff and Marah Hoffman how to honor God in sport, share the Gospel with teammates and peers, and create deep and lasting, God-honoring relationships along the way.

Maddy and Marah similarly both came to know the Lord in elementary school, but really started to make their faith their own throughout high school and college. These years of growing and learning how to live by faith were foundational for both Maddy and Marah in terms of their personal walks with Christ.

Leading a summer Bible study has given them the opportunity to walk alongside and encourage other young girls in those same stages of life.

We are studying "Elijah" by Priscila Shirer and host up to 30 girls at our study sessions each week! This Bible study started out serving high school girls but has since turned into a large group of girls from all different stages of life. We host current high schoolers, FCA alumni, SMSU student athletes, and other young adults; all of whom have been impacted in some way by FCA. It's so important to nurture and cultivate our faith walk in all stages of life. What a fellowship!

We are only halfway though our study and have already had so many great conversations about the Lord’s provision, abiding in the Lord when He calls us to wait, trusting in the Lord's timing, being bold in our faith, and being intentional in prayer. 

What a blessing it is to witness these girls grow in boldness and confidence. Our group conversations have broadened and grown more fruitful, even since last summer. This encourages us, as leaders, to continue to share our love for Jesus and show these girls His goodness through our own lives.

Our prayer is for these girls to walk away from summer Bible study knowing how to honor God and share the Gospel with peers so that they can create their own deep and lasting, God-honoring relationships. Mostly, we pray for them to fall more in love with Jesus.

To celebrate their committment to the study, and to each other as sisters in Christ, we host a brunch on the last day to honor the path we have traveled together. How beautiful it is to serve in this way! -Maddy G. & Marah H.

Tristen Groff leads the guys' summer Bible study in Marshall. He and his wife, Maddy (you read about Maddy in the story above) help lead the FCA Huddle for Marshall area high schoolers. This summer Bible study is so sweet for Tristen to lead as he recalls the Holy Spirit using scripture and fellowship to catapult his own personal relationship with the Lord. As he looks back on his life he can see how God was engaging, equipping, and empowering him with the tools needed to be a mentor to these young men.

I did not develop a love for scripture, or to be quite honest, a genuine love for the Lord until I was involved in a Young Adult Bible study that God used to transform my heart. It was the first time in my life that I had studied scripture intentionally with people who were not only studying it with me, but living it out themselves. I remember being amazed at the consistency of God's Word and then noticing evidence of its truth in my life. God used scripture and some very faithful people to mentor me and it completely changed my understanding of who God is.

Bible study groups are important for everyone, but especially for guys as we have a biblical calling to be faithful leaders. I believe God works through Bible study groups to equip us to be great leaders in our schools, sports, families, churches, and careers.

The guys' Bible study is reading through the book of James this summer. Our study operates by intentionally studying scripture from scripture. That means that we simply open up our Bibles to read and discuss what we've read, verse by verse. Questions are asked, connections are formed, and an understanding and appreciation for scripture is cultivated.

It's important for guys to read from the Bible themselves. Much of what we understand about God as young boys comes to us in very in-direct ways, each of which are definitely beneficial to our faith, but when we open our Bibles and simply read, we experience the consistency of God's Word for ourselves.

The book of James talks much about life's trials and how those trials are an opportunity for us to lean on the faithfulness of the Lord. These guys are coming up on transitions in their lives where they will face some challenging trials. My hope is that they can look back on the conversations had and the relationships formed in this summer study to help them through those times. I pray that this study encourages these guys to take ownership of their personal relationships with Jesus, to know Him to be the loving Father that He is, and to seek to live out their lives for Him.

This summer study has been such a blessing to me. These guys encourage me so much in my own walk with the Lord. It's a unique group of young men that I can see God working through in mighty ways. I'm reminded of Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend" (NLT). Sharing their faith with each other will be the norm in their friend groups, not the exception. Praise God! 

-Tristen G.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

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 ROBIN KNUDSON rknudson@fca.org

SW MN Area Director

WENDY GRAVEN  wgraven@fca.org

SW MN Administrative Assistant