They skate, ride, rollerblade and talk Bible

Each week hundreds of teens and young adults visit the Farmington Skate Park to skate, ride their bikes or rollerblade. While they are there they also enjoy the company of friends, hopefully stay out of trouble, and surprisingly, participate in a Bible study.

On Tuesday nights 15 to 25 students attend a Bible study led by Todd Varhalla and Sherry Kissinger. For an hour the students are divided into girls and boys studies groups. Each group’s focus and direction is different, but both get more one-on-one time to discuss difficult issues facing teens and see what the Bible has to say about the topics.

The girls choose a topic each week and Kissinger helps them study and discuss it. The boys are currently reading through Matthew’s gospel, and then Varhalla focuses on school issues. While at the study both groups enjoy free pizza from Little Caesars and soft drinks supplied by the Farmington Ministerial Alliance.

The teens grow spiritually as they learn to trust the leaders and the Bible, while working through any troubles they bring with them each day to the skate park.

“These studies provoke thoughts toward Godliness in the kids that they aren’t getting elsewhere, and then we try to cultivate that growth and help point them in the right direction. We’re changing a culture, which isn’t always easy, but is worth every effort,” said Greg Dickinson, Skate Park manager.

Varhalla challenges each of the teens to come for 10 weeks straight to make a real decision on whether or not they enjoy reading the Bible and talking about Jesus. Some of the teens have taken this challenge and are showing positive growth and change with each week they attend.