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"How can I reach out to Public School Students, What Can I Legally Do?"

Have you ever asked this question?

If so, here are some ideas!

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Below you will find information on how to set up the following bible study groups/CLASSES for public school students.

BREAKFAST CLUBS (BEFORE SCHOOL HOURS)

STUDENT LED PRAYER MEETINGS (BEFORE SCHOOL HOURS)

BIBLE CLUBS (BEFORE SCHOOL HOURS)

CREATION CLUBS (BEFORE SCHOOL HOURS)

AFTER SCHOOL BIBLE CLUBS / OR, HOME BASED CELL GROUPS

RELEASE TIME PUBLIC SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY CLASSES (DURING SCHOOL HOURS OFF SCHOOL GROUNDS LEGALLY!)

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BEFORE SCHOOL BREAKFAST CLUBS

Before school breakfast clubs are a great way to start the day. Adults who have a desire to do so can start a Breakfast Club for students in their public schools. These clubs are generally held off school campus before the school day begins.

You would need to check around and find a local restaurant in close proximity to the school that is able to hold such a meeting. For example, one group in southern Indiana meets at the local McDonalds. You would need to contact the business owner or manager and make sure it is okay for you to do this.

Decide on a day and time to meet. Example: Breakfast Club meets every Tuesday morning from 7:00 - 7:45 am.

Transportation: Typically those who choose the Breakfast Club option ask the parents to drop their child off at the meeting place. After the meeting is over, the adults conducting the meeting are responsible for getting the students to school. A good idea for doing this would be to arrange for one of the school busses to make the restaurant part of its regular route on that particular day of the week.

4. Structure your time with the students well. You will only have a short time to do your bible study and will have to incorporate breakfast time into it as well. Here are a few ideas……. A) Allow the first 15 minutes of meeting time for eating and fellowshipping, and the last 30 minutes for bible study. B) Once everyone gets their food, allow them to eat during the bible study.

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STUDENT (BEFORE SCHOOL) PRAYER MEETINGS

Students who desire to do so may start a prayer meeting on school grounds before the start of the school day. Generally a faculty member needs to be present to ensure that school rules are adhered to. Here are some general ideas for a student led prayer group...

Choose a time to meet.

Choose a day to meet. You may decide to meet every morning, or once a week on a particular day. Generally these type groups meet once a week.

Get with your school principal to discuss what you wish to do. Make sure to be prepared BEFORE you approach your principal. A) Make a list of names of students who also wish to participate in the prayer group. Your principal may ask you to put in writing what your club plans to do, your agenda. If this is a general requirement of other school clubs, then you must also follow the same guidelines. Consider the following… B) Write out clearly what your group plans to do…i.e… "We are a group of students who wish to get together for prayer, fellowship and support. We will meet every Tuesday morning before school from 7:15 to 7:45 am. in the student lounge area (or what ever room is available to us). Our goal is to support each other through prayer, to be better students and to support our school faculty through prayer and deed. We will promote our club through word of mouth, handouts, posters and other advertisements as do other school clubs."

Structure your meeting time. Plan ahead what you will do during the meeting. Example: 7:15 to 7:30 fellowship (discuss prayer needs of the group, students and faculty). 7:30 to 7:45 group prayer time (pray over prayer requests). 7:45 end meeting - go to class. It may also be a good idea to give a copy of this to your principal as well.

Accountability! Don’t just run out there and start a prayer group without first praying yourself and seeking counsel from your church (Youth Pastor, Pastor and or Elders). Get the support and backing of your church so you will not be alone in your quest. Be accountable to them. Give regular updates of your progress and goals. Continually seek the advice and council of your church Pastors.

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BEFORE SCHOOL "BIBLE CLUBS"

BEFORE SCHOOL "CREATION CLUBS"

Bible Clubs and Creation Clubs can be put together in the same way as the "Prayer Club" above. You would need a faculty sponsor and will need to inform your principal of your goals, your plans etc. This may occur if other clubs are required to do the same. Your structure for these clubs would be different than the Prayer Club above. Example: A) Begin at 7:00 am with fellowship and prayer. B) From about 7:10 to 7:30 conduct bible study. C) From 7:30 to 7:45 question and answer time. Discuss the lesson.

*"CREATION CLUBS" Creation Clubs can be done before or after school, or even utilized during a ‘Release Time Program" during school hours.

Contact "Answers In Genesis" for Creation Club materials. http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/Tools/clubs.asp

It is important to remember that you may advertise your club to the same extent that other clubs are allowed to do. School News paper, loud speaker announcements, school radio program, posters in hall ways, flyers and other handouts, and word of mouth are just some of the ways you can advertise your club. **Any ‘advertising’ must be done during non-instructional class time or free periods such as lunch, recess, breaks and study hall, or any part of the school day where teachers allow students to have free time.

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AFTER SCHOOL BIBLE CLUBS / HOME BASED CELL GROUPS

After school Bible Clubs are great for students who have no adult supervision at home and require the services of an after school program. These clubs are also appealing to parents who are busy during the day but desire to reach out to the youth in their area during the after school hours. You would set these meetings up the same way you would for the before school clubs except in reverse. If you wanted to hold these club meetings on school grounds immediately following the completion of the school day, then it must be student led and the school would require a faculty member to be present to monitor activities. Adults not affiliated with the school (such as administration/faculty etc.) may not direct this program. It must be strictly student led. Students need to arrange their own transportation home. However, if you coordinate a bus to transport the students from the school to a local church or public place after school, then no faculty member needs to be there nor does it have to be strictly student led. Adults not affiliated with the school can sponsor the club as well as teach and direct it. You would need to consider transportation arrangements to get students home after the club meeting. Parents could pick up their children, or you can provide a bus or van to get them home.

Consider having parents sign a release form if you are planning to transport the children yourself. **Make sure you have adequate automobile insurance.

You would also need the parents to sign a permission form saying that they are allowing their child to be picked up after school for the club meeting. Always get written permission from parents to include their child in the club activities and meetings. Keep accurate records of permission forms and attendance.

*Some parents have started small cell group meetings with their child’s friends from school in their homes on weekends and evenings after school. These cell groups are a wonderful way to build relationships and provide a place where kids can discuss issues that concern them and get answers to their most troubling questions. These cell groups are appealing to teens of driving age. Cell groups provide a place for them to "hang out" that is both safe and beneficial.

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"RELEASE TIME" BIBLE STUDY CLASSES

Release Time may very well be one of the most appealing of all the options available for reaching public school students. What makes Release Time so appealing is that it is done during school hours at an off campus site enabling you to reach a larger number of students at one time. Before and after school Bible and Prayer Clubs are great, but have limitations. For example, many students will not attend the before or after school programs because of conflicting schedules or transportation problems. During school, however, all students are available and can attend because transportation is already taken care of. See "Steps to Starting a Release Time Program" on this web site for instructions on how to get a Release Time Program started.

MORE WILL BE ADDED TO THIS PAGE AT A LATER DATE

CONSIDER THIS THOUGHT…

"From just a small seed, a mighty tree grows."

Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (KJV)

Plant the seed of the "Word of God" in the hearts and minds of our youth…..teach them how to plant seed…..they will then plant more seed and teach others how to plant seed………and on it will go until the return of our Savior Jesus Christ!

KEEP THE RIVER FLOWING!

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