Windham High student creates school's first-ever Bible Club

By Jolene Bailey

Across the world, many different people hold many different beliefs, making it a beautiful place full of diversity and uniqueness. Taking that message to heart, Windham High School freshman Clayton Johnson has used his voice to advocate for the importance of spirituality to high school students.

Members of the new
Windham High School 
Bible Club gather outside
the school after the club's
first meeting on Oct. 21.
The club is open to all
WHS students.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Since the beginning of his school journey this fall, Johnson has used his opportunities and creativity and well-known passion for life to help create Windham High School’s first-ever Bible Club. The club’s first meeting was held in Room 302 at WHS after school on Oct. 21.

“I believe that my motivation comes from the lack of understanding in our school of any religion. I see all these kids in our school who are searching for a higher understanding, and I believe that it is a calling to do something like this,” said Johnson.

While Johnson is tackling a leadership position in running the new Bible Club, he is also participating in an Extended Learning Opportunity in religious studies.

ELOs take a passion or an idea and transform it into a hands-on way for students to gain knowledge, community connections and high school credit. ELO’s are out-of-classroom experiences that are highly personalized.

They tackle a mix of academic instruction with weekly reflections and are rubric-based but are also conducted by students completing internships, project-based learning, or job shadows with topics they would like to pursue.

Johnson says he is excited about the potential for the new WHS Bible Club.

“Everyone is invited, all are welcomed. The biggest thing I hope students take away from this club is just the higher understanding of who and what greater good is watching over them,” he said.

According to Johnson, the WHS Bible Club’s main mission is to band together to build stronger connections with high school peers and their inner beliefs.

He says that the point of extra-curricular high school clubs is to allow students to build their own skills and create new ones based on interests that are beyond the focus of a typical academic classroom environment.

“I am looking forward to finding out who, like me, is a Christian in my school and who is searching for that understanding that I’ve mentioned,” said Johnson.

Students who are interested in joining the WHS Bible Club can expect to hang out reading passages of the Holy Bible and then discussing what members take away from the story told. Students are encouraged and welcome to bring their own bible to club meetings but can also be provided with one if needed.

“Religion means worshiping God and studying the word. However, there are common misconceptions that go unaddressed with Christians all around the world,” Johnson said. “Jesus came down from heaven so he could have a relationship with you, that's all he wants.”

For more details about the new WHS Bible Club, send an email to Clayton Johnson at cejohnson2028@rsu14.org or to WHS club advisor Melissa Dubois at mdubois@rsu14.org <