Founded by juniors Ally Hammonds and James Green, the Rooted in the Word Bible Study has already amassed around 20 members, growing with every meeting. Hosted on Wednesdays after school in room 403, the club spends time reading through Scripture, praying, and sharing stories with one another. So the question is, what inspired Hammonds and Green to create this club?
“I’ve always wanted to start a bible study here at Oak Hills…I decided not to do baseball this year. Through a lot of thought and prayer, it just dawned on me,” Green admitted. A large part of his decision to not continue baseball was due to a major injury in his arm that required surgery, leaving him unable to play. Where most people would have been discouraged by such an injury, Green saw it as the opportunity he had been waiting for. “I felt called to do it, I went to Ally asking if she wanted to do [the bible study], We talked to Mr. Conners, he helped out a lot,” though he also admitted that “Ally did most of the work to get it done.” While Principal Brian Connors was more than willing to be the supervisor for the club, as the principal there are limitations as to what he can and cannot be involved in, especially with religious matters. As a result, Hammonds and Green ended up turning to Mr. Shawn Sowders, Green’s old baseball coach, to become their new supervisor. Sowders was happy to be the supervisor of the bible study, and meetings have been held in his room (403) ever since.
Oak Hills is home to multiple different Christian groups, hosting a chapter of Fellowship of Student Athletes (FCA) every other Friday morning along with having a thriving YoungLife. However, Green and Hammonds believe their club is different from others. “FCA is a great community. The only difference between us and FCA is I feel we are a little more student inclusive…we don’t even necessarily lead it. Everyone comes together if someone’s confused,” Green said. Whereas FCA and YoungLife often have speakers who guide the discussion and questions, Rooted in the Word is very much a group effort. They are currently working their way through the Book of Mark, pausing to bounce ideas off of each other, asking questions, and sharing personal stories. Not to say that FCA or YoungLife isn’t welcoming, but FCA specifically targets just a portion of the student population. “I know it says if you’re not an athlete you’re still invited, but I felt awkward going because I’m not an athlete at all…I feel like some people are intimidated by that,” Hammonds admitted. “I feel like [Rooted in the Word] is more for everybody, if you’re not an athlete at all.”
Rooted in the Word has been growing at a very rapid pace, which has been encouraging for Ally and James. “I hope we can get to FCA’s population,” said Green. If the Bible Study ever does reach the same population as FCA, they’ll probably have to find a new room to meet in. Another goal for the club is to expand outside of the school. “We want to do things outside of Wednesdays so people can still feel included and feel like they have us no matter what.” Hammonds said. Coffee shop hangouts, yard games, and other forms of meet-ups would make the group feel less like a club and more like a family.
While these goals would be nice, they aren’t the main goal. James shared that “We just want to be the light for people here.” If you’re looking for a good bible study to go to, or if you’ve never been to one and are curious, Rooted in the Word is a great place to go. Everyone there is super welcoming, and there are even some spare bibles that can be shared if you don’t have one. If this peaks your interest, feel free to reach out to Hammonds and Green!
