FAITH
GIVING HOPE
First Priority celebrates 30th year in Birmingham schools
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FIRST PRIORITY
Club meetings consist of music, prayer, student testimonies, and creating peer accountability.
BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE School and the people children meet while they are there have major impacts on their lives. That’s why one nonprofit looks to ensure students have positive, godly influences both at school and beyond. First Priority’s mission is to instill the hope of Christ in every student, uniting local churches and those in the community with a plan of action to influence the schools with the gospel. Greg Davis, president of First Priority, first started with the nonprofit as a volunteer in the 1990s. At the time, he was working as a local church youth pastor when his students asked him 28 Bham Family May 2021
to get involved with the nonprofit. About a year later, he was asked to come on staff — and 25 years later, he’s still at it. “I haven’t found anything that works better than First Priority, nothing that has the same impact on students looking for hope,” Davis says. “It’s an amazing opportunity, and we’re glad we are able to take advantage of the open door to go right into schools where the kids are.” First Priority works with local churches and parents in the community to establish legal campus clubs in elementary, middle, and high schools. They provide training and support to help them make the clubs successful. CONTINUED ON PAGE 29
