While there is much going on that suggests young people in America are in dire straights and not doing well, particularly in terms of both conservative complaints about the way young people behave and in terms of their mental healthy, there is some good news. For example, an October faith event in Arkansas that flew under the radar at the time it occurred managed to bring in over 3000 people, most of them teenagers.
That event was called Fields of Faith, and it occurred in a high school football stadium, Lakeside High School Stadium, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. One of hundreds of “Fields of Faith” events across America that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organized, it managed to get about 3,000 people, the vast majority of them teens, to attend.
Speaking to the Christian Post about the incredible October event and how they got so many young Americans to attend, FCA South Central Arkansas multi-area director Micah May said, “We believe God goes before us as we prepare for an event like FOF. We run a social media campaign, hang posters at every campus and distribute promotional T-shirts through our local FCA huddles on each campus.”
Continuing, May added that one thing helping make the event both possible and a success is that generous donors underwrite it, making it free for college kids to attend, something that encourages them to invite friends. May said, “We have generous sponsors who underwrite the event so that the event is completely free for students to attend. Ultimately, it comes down to friends inviting friends. They influence each other. FCA simply provides the venue, food and band.”
And the Fields of Faith event which those students attended was a wonderful one, with May saying that it led hundreds of the attendees to Christ: “Luke 1:37 tells us that God’s Word never fails. Truly, there was an unmistakable move of the Holy Spirit. Hundreds of students prayed seeking the Lord, God was present and lives were changed.”
May added that the music played during the event helped tie it all together after students had allowed Christ into their lives, saying, “At the end of the event, after the students had spoken and a call to action was presented to the group, there was a sweet spirit of worship that broke out as the band Crutchfield led in their final songs.”
Another individual, Michael Hennessy, posted about the event on X, saying, “An amazing scene as thousands of Arkansas High School students gathered at a football field to celebrate and worship Jesus Christ. The event known as Fields of Faith took place in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Thursday Night, October 12th. The event took place at Lakeside High School, and you just have to see it to believe it. ‘Fields of Faith tonight in Hot Springs, AR. Thousands of students come to worship the lord. Hundreds responded to the gospel presentation. It was so amazing.’💢”
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Describing the Fields of Faith event on its website, the South Central Arkansas FCA says that it is a spiritual movement meant to spark cultural change by pushing kids toward the Bible and its principals rather than the evils and temptations of the modern world.
It says, “It’s time to spark a spiritual movement for God. Christianity needs a change in momentum—students who will stand together against the pressures and temptations in our world and be a generation that is committed to reading the Bible and applying it to their lives. It’s time to Get in the Game and Get in the Book!”
Check out some photos of the event from the Fountain Lake School District:
Fields of Faith last night at Lakeside School. Over 3000 kids! Our very own Sarah Gilleran shared her story pic.twitter.com/iiG7uCiDeQ
— Fountain Lake School District (@FountainLakeSch) October 9, 2014
Featured image credit: Fountain Lake School District X