Disciples Making Disciples: God Is Moving at Armstrong High School

At Armstrong High School, students aren't just gathering to learn about Jesus. They're being equipped to follow Him, grow in their faith, and lead others to do the same.

“Yes, God is moving in a public school.”

Those words from Armstrong High School math teacher and FCA Huddle Leader Bill McCloskey capture something incredible happening within the walls of Armstrong High School.

Through FCA, students are experiencing the power of discipleship, growing deeper in their relationships with Jesus Christ, and boldly sharing their faith with their peers. And they're doing it through a model that goes all the way back to Jesus Himself.

It's the power of multiplication. Disciples making disciples.

At Armstrong, FCA is following a discipleship model where FCA staff invest in coaches and volunteers, who then equip a core group of student leaders. Those student leaders go out and disciple their peers through weekly small groups, creating opportunities for meaningful relationships, biblical teaching, accountability, and spiritual growth.

Rather than simply gathering a large group of students once a week, Armstrong FCA is intentionally creating an environment where students are known, challenged, and equipped to grow in their faith and lead others.

“We're really trying to model what Jesus did with His disciples,” shared Armstrong senior Anna Smelser. “We have McCloskey and Evanson discipling us, and then we're going out to disciple others, and then they're hopefully going out into their real world and discipling others.”

Each Thursday, Armstrong's core student leadership team gathers with their adult leaders to study Scripture, prepare for their small groups, and grow in their ability to lead others.

“My goal is to pour into them, to train them to lead their groups, to train them how to study their Bible, how to ask good questions, how to reflect, and how do we apply that to our daily lives,” explained McCloskey. “Then they're going to their small group and they're doing the same thing.”

And the impact is remarkable.

As many as 120 students have been consistently participating in Armstrong FCA, showing up week after week to grow in their faith and encourage one another.

For students like sophomore Kyson Wanjara, whose small group meets on Friday mornings at McDonald's, these gatherings have become an important part of everyday life.

“It's just a great opportunity to go and hang out with people your peers, your age, and just talk about God,” Kyson shared. “It's a great way to start my morning.”

But the beauty of this discipleship model goes beyond the students being reached. The student leaders themselves are growing as they invest in others.

“Having people in my FCA group that I'm sort of mentoring also helps hold me accountable and pushes me deeper in my faith,” Anna explained. “They're asking me questions, and then from that overflow, I'm looking deeper and they're looking deeper ... and you can grow together.”

That's what makes discipleship so powerful. As students pour into others, God continues to work in their own hearts, deepening their faith and strengthening their walk with Him.

And that growth is reaching beyond the small groups and into the hallways, classrooms, and athletic teams at Armstrong.

“These kids are just so on fire for Jesus that it just gets infectious in the school,” McCloskey shared. “People want to come, and people see that Christ in them. So I'm just simply trying to pour into those few leaders as much as I can, and then they're pouring into their small groups, and God does the work.”

For junior Hunter Hollinbeck, sharing the Gospel within his school is more than an opportunity. It's a calling.

“Impacting the school is a call from the Lord,” Hunter shared. “We're in a public high school, and Christ is not taught here, but we still can be the light in the dark place. That is our call. That is our purpose.”

This is the heart of FCA ministry.

We believe that when we faithfully invest in a few, God can use them to reach many. By equipping coaches and volunteers to disciple student leaders, and empowering those students to disciple their peers, we're seeing the multiplication of ministry happening right before our eyes.

Armstrong High School is a beautiful example of what can happen when students aren't simply invited to attend FCA, but are equipped and empowered to live out their faith and make disciples.

And the potential impact extends far beyond their high school years.

As McCloskey put it, “When we keep just equipping these kids, I don't think we can even put a ceiling on what they can do.”

God is moving at Armstrong High School. And through faithful discipleship, He's raising up a generation of young leaders who are ready to make Him known.