Cali stood in front of her peers with a steady voice and a courage that felt far bigger than the moment.
The room was loud just minutes before — backpacks dropping, side conversations buzzing, the normal rhythm of middle school life. But when she began to speak about having a bold faith, a faith the size of a mustard seed, something shifted. There was a quiet strength in her words. Not loud. Not performative. Just sincere.
She shared what it looks like to trust God when all she has to offer is a mustard seed faith in the face of the mountain before her. To live differently, not for attention, but because Jesus has changed her heart and identity. She didn’t pretend it was easy. She talked about real pressures, real fears, and real moments of choosing obedience over approval.
What made the moment so powerful wasn’t just her confidence — it was the foundation beneath it.
Cali is a young woman being discipled faithfully at home. Her mom has planted deep roots of Scripture and prayer in her life. She has been taught the reverence of scripture and those who teach it. She is anchored in a local church that doesn’t just preach truth but walks alongside students in it. And week after week, she shows up to Campus Life — where she is known, encouraged, challenged, and reminded that her faith is meant to be lived out boldly.
Moments like this don’t happen by accident.
They are cultivated in living rooms and gym rooms. They are strengthened in small group conversations in the halls of the school and Tuesday afternoon small group gatherings. They grow because faithful adults keep showing up, keep investing, keep believing that students are capable of more than the world expects of them. — Adi Ferguson, Zionsville Campus Life Director