Texico Feature

Nourishing Hearts: Connections at School

During the pandemic, Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque sought activities to engage its students. That’s when Oscar Calderon, a teacher at the school, saw an opportunity to minister to high schoolers.

Today, the student-led Bible Club meets in person during the high school’s lunchtime. One student member is an Adventist, others are Christians, and some who attend aren’t connected to any church.

“It’s something that’s been on my heart for years to do for students,” says Calderon. A typical club meeting includes testimonies by Joslen Lache, the associate youth pastor of the Albuquerque Spanish North Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church, other church members or the students themselves. In addition, the club organizes drives for toys, clothing and hygiene products for those in need.

But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the club or those supporting it. On occasion, the school administrators have resisted the idea of a Bible club on campus. Other times, there has been no place to meet on school grounds, and the club has been forced to meet at someone’s home. Calderon and the student leaders found it difficult to move locations constantly. After the pandemic ended, sports activities started back up, and that competition led to only two or three students coming at a time, challenging the requirement that a school club needed at least fifteen members.

Calderon noticed that students often came when they had no lunch or money for lunch. Rather than let them go hungry, Calderon often paid for students’ lunches out of his own pocket. As it turned out, this compassionate act became the secret for the club's growth. Today, as many as 70 students show up to each club meeting. As the group grew, Calderon’s sister began helping with lunches, and a couple of local restaurants helped with either donations or discounts. The Albuquerque Spanish North Valley church supports the club with donations.

Lache sees the Bible Club as an essential part of the church ministry. “We want our churches to grow from our youth,” says Lache. He teaches, preaches, does Bible studies and visits the families of the students in the Bible Club. “Many of the parents see that the kids are doing better in school as a result of the club, and so they end up coming to visit our church.”

Calderon sees the difference in each student who attends the club. “When kids have bad days, they come and feel a difference in their lives. The kids who come learn to be super respectful. They pay attention. It’s a difference you can see in them.”

Lache considers Calderon more than just a church member, more than just a church elder. “He’s my bro,” he says. “We meet up and discuss what’s next.” Lache and Calderon are currently in the process of planning to start another Bible club associated with the school’s soccer team.

“I thought about doing this for years,” says Calderon. “With time, I realized that this was God’s calling.” Calderon encourages those who have wild ideas for ministry not to wait. “At first, you might be afraid of failure,” he says. “Be patient. Start off small, one or two people. God will take care of you. God will bless you.”

“Don’t think twice, just do it,” adds Lache. “Don’t take too long, or you might not try. We didn’t have a budget or support. We started with nothing. God saw our desire and He got us the support. As I tell the students, ‘Don’t be a worrier, be a warrior.’”

By Glen Robinson. Robinson is a freelance writer in Texas. Oscar Calderon is a member of the Albuquerque Spanish North Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Texico Conference.