For the last nine years, something very special has been happening the first week in October at the high school. Fields of Faith is an event that happens all over the entire country every year. It was started in 2002 by Jeff Martin in Oklahoma, and by 2004 it had spread to three different states and more than 6,000 students attended. The event has continued to grow like wildfire. Each year, hundreds of thousands of youth show up to Fields of Faith events throughout the entire U.S. There are approximately 425 different Fields of Faith events across the United States every year in the beginning of October.

Fields of Faith is organized by Students for the Majority. Troy and Christine Mangrich of Dysart have been a huge part in helping organize and plan the event for several years. So a huge thanks to them for all of their hard work and dedication to this wonderful event! The event would not be possible without the hard work and help of several different people so thank you to all students, adults, and everyone who has ever spoke or attended or helped plan the event.

Students from all across the area are invited to come and pray and share their testimonies with others in order to help encourage and uplift their fellow peers. The event usually draws in around a couple hundred people at the football field; this year was no exception to that as there were several hundred people from communities including North and South Tama, Wapsi Valley, Manchester, Waterloo East and West, Union, Center Point, Don Bosco, and more. Some school districts allow the use of a bus to bring people to the event while others get together and carpool.

The crowd was buzzing with excitement as the event began to start. There was a time of praise and worship at the beginning and you could hear everyone singing along. Then the event went into the speakers who were asked or volunteered to share their testimonies. Several people from Union including Tate and his cousin Brock Hadachek were among some of the students who shared their stories and testimonies. Brady Driscoll and Courtney Powell from Union also spoke at the event. There were students from visiting towns that spoke also, as well as some form Union students, Breann Bader and Wes Burnside. Each year a special guest of honor is invited to the event. This year it was Ray and Janet Clark who are a married couple from Orlando, Florida. They are a power lifting couple that travels the world to share the message of Christ, and what he has done in their lives. They performed extreme stunts and weight lifting obstacles, while teaching life changing lessons at the same time. They really knew how to capture the crowd’s attention and everyone was in awe of their strength, not only physical, but spiritual.

Many thanks again go out to all of the volunteers, students and adults alike who participate in helping this event come back annually! Fields of Faith is growing around the country every single year. With Union as a strong example of what the event can do for our youth, hopefully other surrounding towns will start hosting their own Fields of Faith, and it will continue to grow and touch lives for many years to come. Any one is welcome to the event; you do not have to be a student, so keep it in mind as next year rolls around, the more the merrier!