While faith is often an issue for students at a Christian school, it is not a prerequisite for attendance.

Weekly chapels and classroom prayers may cause some to think high schoolers are familiar with the Word of God.

?Even though we have chapel every week, sometimes I feel I need more,? Taylor Shaffer, ?11, said. ?Most of my friends do not like to pray or sing worship songs, so I think it would be great if we could have chapel a couple times a week. It would keep me revived.?

Additionally some students yearn for their fellow classmates to attempt to stop taking certain aspects of the Christian faith for granted.

?I definitely think that students that attend Fresno Christian use the name of the Lord for their advantage, so fingers won?t be pointed at them,? Tyler Combs, ?10, said. ?For a Christian school, it is hard to believe that there are students that attend here that don?t believe.?

Combs suggests campus changes are needed in order to draw more students to God.

?I think that we need to have a stronger message during chapel,? Combs said. ?Maybe we can have more people share their testimonies. Overall, I like chapel. The worship is good, and it gives you a time to pray for your friends.”

Religion is a personal discovery, yet faith is often spread through the actions of others. Though many students confess a close relationship with Jesus, encouragement is sometimes needed to help others through questions and struggles.

?The main thing that students need to do is encourage one another,? Principal Gary Schultz said. ?There is so much drama at school, and without one another, there is no easy way to get through the year.?

The amount of students without the Christian faith can vary from year to year.

?I would say that out of the nearly 300 high school students here at Fresno Christian, 10 will actually admit they do not believe,? Schultz said. ?I am almost positive that there are more than 10 without the Christian faith, but it is up to the students to admit it.?

While campus curriculum includes the educational foundations neccesary to all, teachers use unique ways of teaching to get the message of God through the minds of students.

?What I try to do is just open the Word and let it do the convincing,? Tom McEntee, Bible teacher, said. ?This has worked before. I used to have a self-confessed atheist in my class, and at the end of the year, he gave his life to Christ.?

McEntee helps students through misunderstandings of being a Christian.

?People always have questions, especially when we are studying the Old Testament,? McEntee said. “I tell them to get back to me the next day with the same question. I go home, and take time to find the answer. Then I give them the answer the next day.?

Some people do not notice the struggle of students having the Christian faith on the high school campus.

?I have not noticed that we have ?non-believers? here at our school,? Abel Carreon, ?11, said. ?To be honest, it is hard to point out believers from non-believers. Actually, very few people actually come out with their belief in Christ. Most just keep it to themselves.?

Though Carreon has never been a student at a public school, he can point out differences that can be clearly recognized.

?This school provides us with a Bible class,? Carreon said. ?We pray, we have to memorize Bible verses weekly, and we have chapel on Tuesdays. This school is stricter than public schools, and it is easier to get in trouble. But I think that the main difference is the fact that we pray when other schools aren?t allowed to.?

For more information, visit Elise Aydelotte’s Oct. 1, 2004 article, Founding churches desire educational excellence.