34 States Allow for Opening the School Day in Prayer

Millions of public school students can begin their day with an opening prayer in the classroom. Shocking, isn't it? It's called a moment of silence, and thirty-four states allow it (and some mandate it).

Gateways to Better Education is now encouraging and equipping students to ACTUALLY PRAY during that moment of silence. We've created a School Prayer Card that students can keep in their pockets or backpacks. During the moment of silence, they can pull out the prayer card and silently pray the prayer. Imagine millions of students silently reading the prayer on our School Prayer Card.

You can download the School Prayer Card for free. CLICK HERE.

Visit our School Prayer Card webpage to find out if YOUR STATE mandates a moment of silence and what to do if your school doesn't observe it. Tell your friends about the School Prayer Card and download the free card today!

Teach Your Children Discernment

Children need to see that God exists outside of their Sunday school classroom or youth group and beyond the pages of their Bible. He is connected with everything in their lives at school—including the academic subjects they are learning.

Predict and Pre-teach

Author and Gateways friend Linda Moran explained to me how she prepares her children for what they might learn at school. She calls it “Predict and Pre-teach.” Explain to your children what they may learn at school (predict). Then, before they encounter it, teach them God’s truth on the topic (pre-teach).

We’ve applied this technique with our own children. For example, when our daughter was in first grade, we noticed at a school open house that the children would be reading a book about nature that referred to Mother Earth. Rather than protest the use of the book, we explained to her that she may be reading books that mention Mother Earth (predict), and we talked to her about God being the creator of all things (pre-teach).

We made it the subject of joking (“Can you believe how silly it is that some people think the Earth is our mother?”). We read the Creation Story from the Bible and talked about how beautifully God made the Earth and everything on it.

One day she came home with a big smile on her face. “You won’t believe what we read today in class,” she said. “We read about Mother Earth!” We all had a good laugh. That was years ago, yet she still rolls her eyes when she sees something written about Mother Earth.

You can use this practical way of teaching discernment with any age. For example, parents are rightly concerned with their teenagers being taught evolution as a fact. Using the “Predict and Pre-teach” method you can arm them with the thinking tools they need. Look at their textbooks to find out how the topic will be taught, then provide them with access to helpful websites and books.

Have your children begin every day with this question in mind: “What will Jesus think about what I learn today?” This means applying 2 Corinthians 10:5, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” You can help your children think like Jesus while in class by helping them make the connections between their academic studies and God’s Word.

A Largely-Forgotten History of the Civil Rights Movement

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a pastor, or a Sunday school teacher, you should include teaching your children/students a mostly-forgotten part of the Rev. King's civil rights actions.

Below is an excerpt from a U.S. State Department website that reminds us of a largely-forgotten part of the non-violent protests for civil rights. I've linked the complete article, at our website. Click on the link below.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: You are not proselytizing for merely teaching your students about Dr. King's passionate insistence that his fellow protesters base their actions on Christian principles.

Excerpt from "The Martin Luther King We Remember" by Adam Wolfson and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan

The Christian springs of King's statesmanship are abundantly evident. With the successful end of the Montgomery bus boycott, King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in order to take the civil rights struggle and his nonviolent message throughout the South. One of his most trusted aides urged him to drop the word Christian from the new organization. It was argued that such an explicit religious reference would alienate white Northern liberals, whose support would be crucial in the years ahead. King was adamant, however, and the word Christian remained. He also insisted that civil rights participants be guided by Christian principles. For example, volunteers in the Birmingham campaign were required to sign a "Commitment Card" that read in part:

I HEREBY PLEDGE MYSELF--MY PERSON AND MY BODY--TO THE NONVIOLENT MOVEMENT. THEREFORE I WILL KEEP THE FOLLOWING TEN COMMANDMENTS:

1. MEDITATE daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.

2. REMEMBER always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation-not victory.

3. WALK and TALK in the manner of love, for God is love.

4. PRAY daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.

5. SACRIFICE personal wishes in order that all men might be free.

6. OBSERVE with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.

7. SEEK to perform regular service for others and for the world.

8. REFRAIN from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.

9. STRIVE to be in good spiritual and bodily health.

10. FOLLOW the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

To read the full article CLICK HERE.

How to Tell the Easter Story in Public School

Education leaders from around the country recognize the importance of students learning about the Bible. For example, California’s sixth grade academic standards expect that students will learn about "the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament" (History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, p.26)

In Massachusetts, seventh graders are to "describe the origins of Christianity and its central features: A. monotheism; B. the belief in Jesus as the Messiah and God’s son who redeemed humans from sin; C. the concept of salvation; D. belief in the Old and New Testament; E. the lives and teachings of Jesus and Saint Paul." (Massachusetts History & Social Science Framework, p. 90)

In Florida, sixth grade students are to, "Identify key figures and the basic beliefs of early Christianity and how these beliefs impacted the Roman Empire. Examples are Christian monotheism, Jesus as the son of God, Peter, and Paul.” (Florida SS.6W.3.13)

Objectivity

It is important when teaching students about a religion, that you remain objective. The best way to achieve this is by attribution. For example, when introducing this lesson on Easter, explain to students that it is from Luke’s account of the life of Jesus. Use phrases such as, "Luke wrote that...," or "The Bible says...".

When referring to beliefs about the story, use phrases such as "Christians believe...," or John Newton believed..."

Your goal should be to introduce students to the story and help them understand the influence it has had on history, literature, art, and music. The lesson is not designed to prove the story is true, nor question whether the story is accurate.

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s guidance on religious expression in schools:

“Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion. For example, philosophical questions concerning religion, the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible (or other religious teachings) as literature, and the role of religion in the history of the United States and other countries all are permissible public school subjects.”

As a teacher, you can be confident in addressing this topic. This story has had significant influence in world history and should be understood as such. You are not teaching Sunday school; you are teaching history, literature, art, music, and language arts.

CLICK HERE to download our free textbook-style lesson on Easter. Make copies and share it with your students.

When to Remove Your Child from an Activity at School

As the new school year begins, you may be concerned about books, topics, or activities your child might encounter in class. If you face such a concern this school how do you know if you should remove your child from something in class? Here are five questions you can ask yourself when thinking about opting your child out of a lesson at school. 

1. Is the activity truly that bad?

A very upset mother once called me concerning what her daughter was being told to read in class. The book was about Native American spiritual beliefs. The mother had already gone to the superintendent of the school district and told him to have the book removed or she would see to his dismissal.

I asked her three questions. First, in what course was the book used? Second, how old was her daughter? Third, had the mother read the book? To my astonishment, she answered that the book was used in an elective course on mythology; her daughter was a senior in high school; and, no, the mother had never read the book, but she felt the cover looked spooky. Obviously, she was overreacting. I explained how, since the daughter was certainly old enough, she could use the book as a teaching tool to discuss their family's religious faith in comparison to Native American spiritual beliefs. I pointed out that this could actually be an opportunity from God to strengthen the girl's faith, not an invitation from Satan to abandon it.

There are times when an educator may expose children to an inappropriate subject or handle a legitimate topic so poorly that you feel the need to remove your child from it. You know your child better than anyone and will need to make that decision. My advice is to get as much information as you can before making your decision.

2. How emphatically will it be taught?

You need to determine how strongly the teacher will promote a particular value. It is good to learn about the ideas and beliefs of others. However, sometimes a teacher's opinion is taught as the proper way to think when, in fact, it is in conflict with your family's beliefs. This is when action might be taken. However, your action might be to teach your child discernment rather than remove him from having to listen to the teacher.

For example, after visiting with our daughter's health teacher, Kim and I realized the teacher would be briefly talking about abortion and we had a hunch she was pro-abortion. However, from our conversation, we also felt that the teacher would not push her values on students. We talked about this with our daughter-predicting that the topic would come up and asking her to watch for it. It became somewhat of a game for her as she came home each day to report what was said in class. Rather than shield her from the topic, we prepared her to be discerning.

3. Will the lesson last a long time?

If the subject in question is addressed only briefly, it may not be a concern to you. Find out how long your child will be exposed to it.

4. Is it having a demonstrated effect on my child?

Does your child seem upset? Has he changed what he believes about a subject that you consider a core value of your family? List actual behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs you think might be linked to a particular classroom lesson, or that you fear my arise because of a lesson that will be taught.

Is it possible that your fears of what may happen due to the program are exaggerated? Certainly, young children may be affected more by something than older, more independent children. It may be helpful to share your concerns with your spouse or a friend to see if they also see a potential problem. 

5. Can I teach my child to be discerning in this situation?

Webster's dictionary defines the word discern as meaning to perceive something hidden or obscure and to perceive differences. Depending on the topic and the age of your child, you can help him be discerning rather than simply accept what is taught in class. To teach your child discernment, you will need to teach him what to look for.

In college, I took an astronomy course that met in a planetarium because part of the course involved learning to observe the constellations. The instructor would display the stars on the ceiling and point out various constellations. Only by knowing what to look for could we see a pattern of stars emerge from the night sky filled with little dots of light. Once I knew what to look for, spotting a constellation became easier. 

Being concerned about what your child might be exposed to is natural and healthy. But overreacting isn't productive for your child's development or for your relationship with your child's teacher. You may find it helpful to use the decision grid below:

5 Key Questions	Not at All	Very Little	Somewhat	Very Much
1. Is the activity or lesson truly that bad?
2. How emphatically is it taught?
3. Will the lesson last a long time?
4. Is it having an effect on my child?
5. Can I teach my child discernment?