It was the summer of 2006, and Stephen Carpenter, a pastor and resident of Fayette County, was dreaming of ways his church, Christ’s Church at Whitewater, could serve in the community.

Looking across the street to Whitewater High School, the idea of having an event that served high school students seemed the perfect option. Carpenter quickly hired a staff to coordinate the event and encouraged the student minister at the time, Joey Potter, to use his influence as team chaplain of the Whitewater football team as a way to make sure plenty of students were invited.

From there, staff member Lukas Fortunato made contacts all over town to recruit sponsors and located local musical talent. Over the course of several weeks a band was lined up, large inflatable toys such as a joust and a slide were reserved, popular video games were set up on big screens, and thousands of chicken wings were ordered for the first home game of the season.

At around 9:30 that first Friday night was the beginning of a wonderful and fun tradition. The staff at Christ’s Church was overwhelmed by the response of the students. On the night of the first event there were over 250 students in attendance.

Since that night over 13 months ago, many things have changed. Fortunato has moved to Chile to be a campus minister and Potter has taken a position with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Despite a rollover in staff, 5th Quarter continues to be a success throughout the community.

Today, Jesse Dukes, a Fayette County native, is the student pastor at Christ’s Church. Despite the rising costs of pulling off an event of this magnitude, Dukes and the church as a whole remain committed to the vision originally set forward by their pastor.

If you were to drop by the church at 9 p.m. this Friday night, you would look across the street and hear the cheers of teenagers rooting their team to victory. You would see the bright lights that shine down on the stadium and a sea of vehicles filling the parking lot. This Friday night, over 1,000 of those students are expected to make their way through the doors at Christ’s Church.

“The greatest challenge is really just the organizing of it all,” said Dukes. “It takes a lot of work to get it together, but it is certainly worth the effort.” That effort consists of organizing a great body of volunteers, checking sound for the band, cooking the meal, getting the blow-up games set up, making signs, making raffle tickets, taking photographs, buying gift cards for raffling items such as iTunes and Chick-fil-A gift cards and much more. Dukes added, “If it were not for the commitment of the families in this church, this event could never happen.”

The people at Christ’s Church see the 5th Quarter as a way to serve the greater community of Whitewater without seeking anything in return. They want it to be a pure gift of kindness, not all only to the students, but to the parents as well.

“The main idea is to provide a safe and fun event on a Friday night where teenagers are given the opportunity to enjoy each other without having to make difficult and potentially harmful decisions,” explained Dukes. “We want people to know that this church is here to serve and love people, regardless of where they might be coming from in life.”

For that reason, the two-hour event is without any kind of programmed sermon. “We want the event itself to be our message,” said Dukes. That message has been well received. Since the premier night, the event has grown from 250 students to over 1,000 at the most recent event, held on October 5, which followed Whitewater’s homecoming game. With Whitewater going up against arch rival Starr’s Mill this week, Christ’s Church is expecting a record-breaking night this Friday.

“Some of the guys that are doing the parking are beginning to get nervous. They are wondering how we are going to park all of these people,” Dukes stated happily. “We’ll manage, one way or another.”

One of the great aspects of 5th Quarter is the way that so many people have the chance to interact outside of school, yet be in a safe and controlled environment. “My favorite part of 5th Quarter is all of the people that I have the chance to meet,” Dukes remarked. “I would never be able to meet this many students if it were not for 5th Quarter. Fifth Quarter is a place where the social constructs that are build within the walls of a high school can be removed.” It is this reason that the 5th Quarter continues to be a success.

Dukes has made it clear that Christ’s Church would like to continue to host 5th Quarter as long as possible. Currently, he is working on an idea of taking 5th Quarter beyond the football season. He also would like to see the entire county sponsoring a 5th Quarter in the future.

“It [5th Quarter] continues to be a good thing for everyone involved. I hope to see churches throughout the county that are situated close to a high school to pick up the vision of 5th Quarter and make it available to their students on Friday nights,” said Dukes.

The benefits go beyond just having fun on a Friday night. “We are beginning to see the growing of a great youth culture in this area. Youth that are free to have a good time yet remain within the limits that keep them safe and healthy,” explained Dukes. From the dream last summer to the reality it is today, 5th Quarter remains a dynamic force in the Whitewater area.

If you would like to see 5th Quarter in action, drop by this Friday night after the Whitewater game. The festivities usually begin around 9:30 p.m. and clean up begins around 11:30 p.m. Christ’s Church at Whitewater is located at 1577 Ga. Highway 85 South, Fayetteville, Ga. Christ’s Church is a not for profit 501(c)3 organization and they welcome contributions toward the funding of 5th Quarter. For more information on what is happening with Christ’s Church’s student ministry, please visit www.livethelimelight.com.

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