DAPHNE, Ala.—Nearly 150 Daphne High students Wednesday gathered at Jubilee Stadium to participate in “Fields of Faith,” a Christian rally sponsored in part by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Students shared how they’ve relied on spirituality to cope with peer pressure and temptations such as drugs and alcohol; some shared how they’ve struggled with staying atop their studies and how praying for help has guided them through troubled times.

Chris Piercie, a junior, said he was distraught by his grandmother’s death, and was challenged by loneliness; but after praying for help, he felt relief and found understanding.

“I was like, ‘God, what am I going to do?’ ” he said. “I felt alone. My message is God does stuff for a reason.

“The door to heaven will be open to you if you knock.”

Andrew Castillow, a junior, said distractions like cell phones and mp3 players had consumed his free time, but gaining a firm spiritual foundation gave him more fulfillment than could electronic gadgets’ instant gratification.

“We have let little gods completely consume us,” he said. “I challenge you to, instead of answering a text message, pick up a Bible and read a verse.

“There’s only one God that can give you hope—only one.”

Hope, the teens said, could fuel strength to overcome peer pressure.

“We are confronted with temptations every day,” Sydney Petite, a senior, said. “You have to be able to stand strong in your faith.

“If you don’t have a plan, you aren’t going to say ‘no.’ ”

Fellowship of Christian Athletes—the largest Christian sports organization in America—has helped promote the annual event since its 2004 inception.

“It’s one of the few opportunities we have to share the glory of Christ to people who don’t have it,” Piercie said. “With FCA, we’re given an opportunity to.”

Unashamed—a Christian rock band comprising six Daphne High students—provided the evening’s soundtrack, performing, evidently, contemporary Christian favorites, as the crowd’s majority sang along.

“It’s a good opportunity to play for our peers instead of the people at our church,” Will Sanders, drummer, said.

Jordan Landers, vocalist, recognized the assembly’s impact and what it means to be a part of it.

“It shows that kids our age are out there trying,” she said, of the event that attracted about 11 percent of the student population. 

“There’s still hope.”

Fields of Faith began in 2004 with 6,000 kids gathering on 23 fields in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Last year, an estimated 75,000 students assembled on 386 fields across the nation, according to a news release from the Southern Alabama fellowship office.

Jeff Martin, an Oklahoma fellowship area director, conceived the idea while seeking a way to reach out to students struggling with spirituality.

“Throughout history, God has sparked great spiritual awakenings through young people,” Martin said in a statement. “And that is the power of what we are trying to accomplish through Fields of Faith.”

‘Fields’ is different from many Christian rallies because it’s structured around students giving testimonials about their beliefs, challenging their friends to read the Bible and accepting—or reaffirming—Christ in their lives. Many Christian gatherings and worship services focus on one, or just  a few, people leading a sermon.

“Athletic fields provide a neutral and familiar spot for students to assemble,” Les Steckel, fellowship president and a former NFL coach, said in a statement. “Many nights are spent on those fields cheering on local teams, but on this particular night the praise belongs to God.”