ProJesus

“Dear JESUS, I have a problem...It’s me” “Dear child, I have the answer.....It’s ME”

Christian Clubs in Public Schools
by Carrie Chase

God calls us every day to new challenges and blessings. After a short break from teaching, I was rehired by a public middle school to teach 7th and 8th grade science. One of my teaching methodologies on the first day of school is to give candy to those brave students who raise their hands to ask me a question.

One of the questions was "what is your favorite band?" and I replied "Third Day and Jennifer Knap". After class one girl came up to me and told me that she loved Christian music too and then she asked me if I was a Christian. I told her that I loved Jesus and she smiled back at me confirming that she loved Him too.

It was then that she told me she had been trying to start a Christian club at our school for the past two years but no teacher would volunteer to be the advisor. She asked me if I would help her start this club and I replied that I would have to ask the principal first.

Praise God that my principal loves the Lord and told me to go ahead but to make sure I followed the rules. I researched the requirements and learned that there are a few limitations.
1) I may not personally recruit children into the club.
2) I may not lead prayer.
3) I may not talk about my faith while class is in session.
4) The club has to be run by children and not by me.

After researching further, I learned that the students have rights. First, they can use the school facilities to run their meetings.

Second, they are free to advertise and fund raise like any other club at school.

Third, they are also allowed to use the schools resources for their clubs like, paper, ink, PE. equipment, the facilities and transportation.

The first year they named their club The Bible Believer's Club and over 80 members. The children meet every Friday after school in my classroom.

It is such a blessing for me to see these children serve the Lord with such enthusiasm. They faithfully plan the meetings before school and at lunch time. They advertise over the loud speaker in the morning bulletin and they make lots of posters to advertise.

The meetings are different every week but they generally last about an hour. Some weeks the students teach a lesson from the Bible and have fun follow up activities after the Word is have taught to help reinforce the lesson. Other weeks they play Bible Bingo or some other fun game to learn more about Jesus.

There are times when they will ask their youth pastor to come and teach them and other weeks they perform a skit. They are creative and innovative in their approach to spread God's Word.

Last year the officers in the Bible Believer's Club were on fire for the Lord. The went to the Rose Bowl and Candle Stick Park to participate in Lou Engle's "Call", which included prayer and fasting faithfully for 40 days.

These youth were serious about their faith and they took every opportunity to witness to others. Their theme last year was to be a living sacrifice unto the Lord and they passionately pursued Him.

We ended our year together with a Christian retreat that focused on holding one another accountable through High School. Then we went to Spirit West Coast (a Christian music festival) and camped out for 3 nights. Now these children are in High School and they are still meeting as a club.

The Bible Believer's Club at my middle school is in its fifth year. I am always amazed to watch the Holy Spirit work in the lives of these precious youth.

God has called me to this public school as my mission field and I want to give Him all the glory. The students at my school know that I love the Lord and they come to me for prayer before class, in between classes, at lunch and after school.

I have seen many lives touched by the love of Jesus and as a result they are changed lives. I encourage every Christian teacher to ask God if He has called them into a similar ministry.

In the Love of Jesus,
Carrie Chase