Ignite Bible Study at CHS
Watching God Open Doors

When Ignite Bible Study first started at Coventry High School, I was simply grateful for the chance to be there. A public school had opened the door and invited us in, and I knew that opportunity was special. We met during the students’ advisory period on Wednesday mornings, a short window in the middle of the week when they could have chosen plenty of other things. At first, a small group came. Even that small group encouraged me.

Then something unexpected happened. The group kept growing. What started with around 35 to 40 students eventually grew to well over 100, with some weeks reaching 160. We had to move from a computer lab into the theater just to make room. I had to adjust the way I taught too. What had once been a smaller, more personal discussion became a room full of students turning to the people around them, talking through questions, and engaging with what we were learning together. It changed quickly, but it felt like God kept providing what we needed at every step.

What encouraged me most was not just the size of the group, but the hunger behind it. We asked students what they actually wanted to talk about, and they gave us the topics that mattered most to them—things like forgiveness, faith, the life of Jesus, and how to live with love and character. So we built the Bible study around those questions. We tried to make each week simple, thoughtful, and interactive. We prayed, read Scripture, talked honestly, and sent students back into their day with something meaningful to carry with them.

I saw God’s hand in so many details along the way. He opened the door at the school. He brought students in greater numbers than I expected. He provided practical needs, even through people from our church who stepped up to help cover things like doughnuts each week. I also started seeing small but meaningful signs of change in students’ lives—the kind of growth that showed up in their character, their words, and their desire to represent Christ well. One of the most encouraging moments came when middle school principals asked if we could begin an Ignite Bible Study there too. For me, that felt like a reminder that God was doing more than I could see. I was just trying to scatter seeds, and He was the one making them grow.

Joseph Furno