Before the sun rises over Poplar Level Road, young men at St. Xavier High School gather to study God’s Word.
Every Tuesday, about 40 students from all grade levels pour into the Ryken Engagement Center on the high school’s campus for a morning Bible study, which launched in early 2025.
The 30-minute Bible study — which formally begins at 7:15 a.m. and ends around 7:45 a.m. — is an opportunity for students to “dig into Scripture” before the school day begins, said Nathan Stemle, a St. Xavier teacher and coach who serves as one of the faculty facilitators.
The Bible study is not a class, and it doesn’t fulfill any requirement, he noted.
As students begin to arrive around 7 a.m., they enjoy fellowship with one another over coffee and donuts. Then, a senior leader offers an opening prayer and a five-minute reflection to the group, sharing anything from “what God’s revealing to them personally” to a “recap of what we learned last week,” said Stemle.
After the senior reflection, one of the four faculty facilitators presents a 15-minute lesson relating to the series or topic the group is studying. Then, the students discuss the topic for 15 minutes with their classmates at their tables before heading to their first class.
The fruits of the study are visible in the students’ consistent attendance and their discussions, said Stemle.
“I hope to take this, that I’ve learned here, and either join a community that is just like this or help create one if there’s not one that’s already there.”
— Eli Mayes
Students are coming back to the study again and again, he said. And “more people are showing up from being invited by other students” on their sports teams or at their lunch tables, he said.
And the students have become more willing to share in small-group discussions and stay “a little bit longer each time” before heading to class.
For David Joynt, a senior, the discussion portion of the study is an opportunity to “hear other people’s perspectives.”
“I like talking to my friends about my faith,” he added.
Freshman J.C. Medley said the study has helped him “to think about life in a different way.” He hopes the study helps him develop “a relationship with God that will last my entire life that I can trace back here.”
Senior Eli Mayes, who began attending the study this fall, said it has challenged him to read the Bible on his own during the week. He enjoys starting the day with Scripture, he said.
As he looks ahead to life after graduating from St. Xavier in the spring, Mayes said he hopes to find a similar faith community.
“I hope to take this, that I’ve learned here, and either join a community that is just like this or help create one if there’s not one that’s already there,” he said.
Similarly, Joynt said he hopes he finds a “good faith community” at college.
“I hope that I can find a good church community and people like this at (the University of) Kentucky next year, where I can do the same type of stuff — dig deeper into the Word, or go to church and just find a good faith community — because that is important to me,” he said.
What an opportunity for these young men!