St. John says God speaks the loudest when His people aren’t distracted
In his four years at Worthington Christian, Ian St. John has probably listened to over 4,000 classroom lectures. One of the most powerful lessons came when his teacher said nothing.
“Every Wednesday, Mr. (Jake) Ferrier talks to us during our leadership class,” St. John said. “One Wednesday, he came in and told us, ‘Just be silent for a few minutes. God is speaking to us.’
“It was really weird at first, but towards the end of it, I thought, ‘Wow, this is really good. I actually need to do this more.’ I’ve been dwelling on that since that day.”
It seems so simple. St. John, who will study business and run track at the University of Findlay next year, said trying to put that into practice is often difficult.
“I think it’s nearly impossible for this generation (to be silent),” he said. “A lot of us don’t know what silence is. We’re always scrolling on our phones or listening to music. Few of us put everything away for a second and just listen.
“We need to take time to eliminate all the noise in our lives. Put the electronics and the books away for a second and just sit there with God and listen to Him speak into your life.”
Ferrier, the Director of Spiritual Formation at WC, wasn’t surprised that St. John took the challenge seriously.
“Ian is one of the strongest and most faithful leaders I have ever worked with,” he said. “His heart for Christ and his desire to multiply his faith into everyone who comes into contact with him is palpable.”
When you listen, according to St. John, you hear others more clearly. Last year, he remembered being in a chapel where the seniors spoke about their experiences during the school’s missionary trip to the Dominican Republic.
Matthew Morganski (WC ’25) gave a message that is forever imprinted on St. John’s heart.
“I thought Matthew was a normal kid, not really quiet but not super talkative either,” the senior said. “He goes up to the podium and starts sharing his passion for the Lord. He had this energy about him that I’ve never seen in anyone else.
“He had no script; he just spoke from the heart. It was amazing.”
After experiencing the trip himself this year, St. John understood why Morganski was so eager to share. But of all the moments, it was something simple that affected him the most. Every morning, students and teachers would go for a run, providing a unique opportunity for genuine conversation.
“Teachers at Worthington Christian don’t just want us to get good grades and learn the content they’re teaching. They want to know who we are as students and show us who they are as followers of Christ.
“That’s what is cool about Worthington Christian. It’s a community. You genuinely build relationships with teachers and classmates. You care about them, and they care about you.”
St. John was a late-comer to WC, having been homeschooled until ninth grade. He said he never felt like an outsider.
The senior knew classmates Graydon Little and Cody Thomas through club soccer. Those two introduced St. John to some other students.
“My first day of school, I felt like I had already been there before,” he said. “It just felt normal.
“It’s funny — the last two years, students ask me, ‘Hey, remember when we did this thing in elementary school or in middle school?’ I remind them that I got here in my freshman year. They say, ‘Oh my gosh, I forgot. It’s like you’ve been here forever.’”
Sports helped St. John make the transition to Worthington Christian. He was the captain for the boys’ basketball team and the boys’ track team this spring. Last year, St. John won the high jump (5-10), while graduate Cam Robinson captured the long jump as the Warriors’ only two district champions.
His first two years, he played wide receiver for the football team, but switched to soccer in his senior year. He scored three goals and added two assists as a defender last fall, helping the Warriors (19-3-2) defeat Bay Village 2-1 in overtime to capture the Division IV state championship.
“That’s the best team I’ve ever been on — not because we were the most talented, but because it was truly a brotherhood,” St. John said. “We all loved being around each other, and when we went out on that pitch, we just had fun.”
The experience, he said, also reinforced something he is still learning off the field — how to stay focused and block out distractions.
“Trying to balance (academics) can be difficult sometimes, but it has helped me grow a lot,” St. John said. “You learn discipline in track and field, so that helps me when it comes time to getting (schoolwork) done.”
However, every now and then, St. John chooses to slow down and sit in the quiet — learning that in a world full of noise, silence might be where he hears the truth most clearly.