Example letter to the Pastor of a church requesting permission to use their building for the Release Time Program…

[place letterhead with names, phone numbers and date here]

Dear Pastor,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am writing you with a very unique proposition that you and your congregation may find exciting!

We are looking into starting an off campus bible study program this fall in a few of our schools here in the area. This is an awesome opportunity for the church, and the community as a whole. Because you are so close to the schools we will be working with, we wondered if you and your congregation would like to open your doors to the children and be our host church this year.

To briefly give you an idea of what this program is all about, I will explain……

. . . Release Time is a constitutionally permitted program in which every student of all grade levels can be released from school (by written request of a parent or guardian) to attend one hour per week of bible study at an off campus site (during school hours). This program is legal and a very effective tool in reaching out to a hurting generation of children who are crying out for answers!

Release Time got its start in 1914. A school Superintendent by the name of William Wirt started the program in the classrooms of the public schools, but it was later ruled in 1948 to be unconstitutional in a case brought before the court by a parent in Champaign Illinois. Later in 1953 the Supreme Court decided the programs were legal if held off school property. Even though faculty led prayer and bible reading were legally voted out of our public school classrooms in 1962, that did not hinder in any way the Release Time Off Campus Bible Study Programs from operating and flourishing.

Will you and your congregation join us in casting our nets into the public schools here in our county?

As a host church you will not only be providing a place to hold these classes, but you will have the opportunity to reach out to these wonderful kids and even have the opportunity for church growth as well.

Please let us know if you would like to help us in this very important outreach. If you have any questions just call one of us at the above numbers.

In Christian Love and Service,

(Your Name & Signature)

Example of a letter to a school board member…

[place letterhead with names, phone numbers and date here]

Dear School Board Member,

If you are unfamiliar with the program, here are a few facts…

A School Superintendent started release Time in Gary Indiana in 1914; his name was William Wirt. At that time the classes were held in the school classrooms, but in 1948 were ruled unconstitutional in that setting. In 1953, however, the program was ruled constitutional if held off school grounds, and that is where we stand today.

I have enclosed a copy of a memorandum that our (then) president put together outlining religious expression in public schools. There is a portion in the memorandum that speaks directly about Release Time that should be helpful.

We know and understand the meticulous job the educators in our public schools have of helping to grow and nurture our children. We would like to aid them in this most important and worthwhile task. A Release Time Program offers biblical guidelines to the children for behavior and respecting those in authority over them, and offers to the school a helping hand in preparing our children for adulthood.

We look forward to the opportunity of working together for the good of our children!

Please let us know when a good time to meet is available. Thank You so much for your time and attention to this matter.

In Christian Love and Service

(Your Name and Signature)

Example of a letter to the school Principal…

*Note – bear in mind that, depending upon your individual circumstance, you may not need to address the school board at all, rather you would only have to go to the principal of the school or schools you are wishing to start a program in. You may already know and have a good relationship with the principal(s) in your area. This would be a huge plus! With that in mind, try using the following ideas for a letter to the principal…

[place your names, phone numbers and date here]

Dear Mr. (Principal),

I would like to see if there is a time we could meet to discuss an awesome opportunity for the school. The opportunity I am speaking of is a program called Release Time. If you are unfamiliar with the program, I will briefly explain…

Release time is a legal constitutionally permitted program in which each school student of all grade levels can be released from school for an hour per week of Bible Study (upon written request of a parent or guardian) at an off campus site.

Release Time was started in Gary Indiana in 1914 by a School Superintendent by the name of William Wirt. At that time the classes were held in the school class rooms, but in 1948 they were ruled unconstitutional in the public school setting. Later in 1953 the Supreme Court decided the programs were legal if held off school property.

A Release Time Program can offer to the student biblical guidelines for behavior and for respecting authority over them. The program can offer to the school faculty a helping hand in preparing our children for adulthood. We both know and understand the meticulous job our educators have in helping to grow and nurture our children. It is for that reason that we would like to offer a helping hand in the area of preparing and equipping our children with solid morals, values, and ethics as taught in God’s word. This approach has proved to be very effective, it works!

Please let me know when we can get together to discuss this matter further.

Looking forward to meeting with you soon!

In Christian Love and Service

(Your Name and Signature)