(North Greenville) Alex Dodd, a rising junior at Travelers Rest High School, begins the upcoming school year with a new title of honor and responsibility. Recently, at an event of approximately 600 guests, the CLC organization inducted Alex into its Josiah League membership. Only seven other individual have receive such an honor in the organization’s eighteen-year existence.
The son of Murray and Tonya Dodd, Alex is one of the leaders of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Travelers Rest High School. He participates in football and track while maintaining a 4.0 grade average. Alex attends Monaghan Baptist Church in Berea where he is a leader in his youth group and thought highly of by his Senior Pastor, Barry Dilworth. Alex’s goal is to reach as many people with the gospel with service and integrity in FCA, in every aspect of his daily activities, and later in sports broadcasting.
Alex attended CLC Released-Time Bible classes during his middle school years, and he participated in the organization’s accredited Bible school class for Travelers Rest High School students during the 2013-14 school year. These classes “encouraged me to walk more closely with Christ through Scripture study and prayer,” says Alex. “I learned many practical tools to help me study the Word and share God’s love with others. I would recommend the Released-Time Bible classes (at the middle and high school levels) to any student looking to grow closer to Christ and desiring to follow Him better.”
The Josiah League is a way to honor current and former Released-Time participants who display Christ-like conduct, evangelistic passion, and a heart to serve others. CLC seeks ways to support the spiritual and professional development of these students and, in a way, support any aspirations they may have to enter Christian ministry. And too, CLC established The League to show the Greenville community the outcome of their investment in the Released-Time program that helps students to become honor graduates, honest professionals, godly leaders, God-honoring citizens, and more family-focused.
Josiah League membership is a life-long honor and serves as a way to challenge the members to grow as Christian leaders, remain true to their Christian faith, and inspire other Released-Time students to become Josiah League members.
“The members of the League are a special group of young people. They are the Fire of the Lord; thus, the reason for the name of League. They exemplify a strong passion to know God and live as He would have them to live in word and action,” says Janice Butler, Executive Director of Christian Learning Centers of Greenville County (CLC). “The Word of God takes priority in their lives: they study, live, and share it on a regular basis. Through outstanding Christian leadership, they influence others in their families, schools, and communities for Jesus Christ.”
Butler continues, “In the absence of such an initiative, things that threaten our society (i.e., broken families, poor school performance and low high school graduation rates, dying churches, dishonesty and apathy among employees, and community leaders who do not serve as good role models for future generations, etc.) will only worsen.”
Released-Time Christian Education sponsored by CLC takes place during a period of the school day. At the middle school level, students who have parental consent are released from a relative arts class to attend Bible classes at off-school campus sites once a week. High school students are enrolled in a Bible class with parent permission and are transported to a nearby church every day for a semester for the CLC accredited Bible courses: Bible 101 (Why and How to Study the Bible) or Bible 102 (a study of Religions/Cults as compared to Christianity). Students receive a social studies elective Carnegie unit for each high school Bible class completed successfully.