Pearsall youth has green light to host Bible study group after school hours

By Breyana Segura - Chief Staff Writer | September 11, 2024

“I want to talk about God to all my fellow classmates…”

11-year-old Riley Carrizales never imagined a spark would be ignited that burned so strong the young boy would soon be spearheading a student-led Bible study group at Pearsall Junior High.
The tween was inspired to start a Bible club after attending a leadership conference with church parishioners this summer.
Although the idea had been planted during the conference, Riley knew it was something he needed to pursue after attending youth camp a few weeks later.
“I have been working on getting this going for a few months,” he said proudly.
Riley says he felt the calling to spearhead such a group becoming stronger. He sat down and wrote down all his plans and visions.
“I chose to call the club Kids at the Cross or KATC for short,” he says.
His mother, Isabel, realized she is her son’s biggest advocate and vowed to support his cause from day one. After Riley had a game plan, she contacted the school principal, who directed her to the superintendent.

“He [the superintendent] told me no, due to certain laws about religion in schools,” Isabel says. “However, he did ask me to send him some more information about what Riley was proposing.”
This provided the pair with some promising hope.
Isabel says she provided the school district administration with the students’ bill of rights and documentation of Riley’s protection under the Equal Access Act.
Riley was tenacious in his quest to bring the word of God to his fellow peers and addressed school board members on the topic at their meeting.
A few days later, Riley received a phone call that KATC had been approved.
The young boy was beside himself.
“I love God,” he beams proudly. “I want to talk about God to all my fellow classmates so that they all know about him.”
The Young Ambassadors (YA) is a ministry that specifically focuses on the reaching and equipping of youths ages 12-18. Geared towards “returning Christ to local public school campuses for the honor and glory of the Lord,” Riley aims to use ministry as a tool to unite a generation for a cause they truly believe in.
The sixth grader says the purpose of Bible club is to give a clear presentation of the Gospel and an opportunity for children to trust Jesus as their savior.
“We will have Bible stories, songs, and verses to help in developing good character and citizenship,” Riley says.
Since the age of nine, Riley has regularly attended church at Templo El Olivar, where he can be found praising the Lord through music.
Riley says KATC will meet once a week on Mondays for an hour immediately after school. Anyone interested in attending the club meetings can contact Riley or his mom at [email protected] or (830) 444-7724.