It’s that time of year again when parents and kids are checking their back-to-school lists twice before heading out the door:
Three-ring binder? Check.
Pencil sharpener? Check.
Lunch bag? Check.
The Bible?
Yes.
The Bible is now a must-have school supply for students like Ethan, who considers it essential for surviving the school day.
“When you have the Bible right out in front of you … when it’s sitting out on the corner of your desk, or in your backpack,” said Ethan, a 16-year-old student in Colorado, “it’s a constant reminder of what God has in store for you and to do what God wants you to do, rather than doing things off of your own selfish ambitions.”
Ethan was just one of the half a million students who participated last year in Bring Your Bible to School Day—an annual, religious-freedom event for students sponsored by Focus on the Family. The initiative provides a powerful visual reminder for students of their basic freedoms to freely live out their faith in public.
This year’s event is Thursday, October 4. And Ethan’s ready. One of his favorite verses is Romans 1:16:
“I hold that very close to my heart, especially living in a non-Christian environment in my school— I really shouldn’t be ashamed of who I am and of what I believe. You know, trying to stay strong and be rooted in my faith, it’s all about this, my Bible. … Especially when you’re attacked and when you’re at an all-time low, you can just pull those Bible verses out of the back of your mind and they give you courage, they give you strength and they give you the will to carry on.”
It’s no wonder that teens like Ethan value the freedom to take their faith to school. After all, there’s a lot on their minds these days, and it’s much more than just too much homework: As daily headlines make clear, students are also navigating weighty issues like drug-addicted parents, fear of violence and bullying, and social media “challenges” that promote suicide, just to name a few.
Ethan, for example, shared openly how he walked through an extremely dark period in his life after watching his father’s tragic battle with drug addiction. “My dad ended up getting into meth and passed away last December.”
Immersing himself in God’s Word and internalizing Jesus’ unconditional love helped him survive. And now he wants to share that hope with friends. That’s why he was so excited to learn about Bring Your Bible to School Day. After participating last year, “I’ve had a lot more people ask me questions about my faith and what I believe. It’s opened up a lot of opportunities for ongoing conversations.”
“You don’t know the person you’re sitting next to,” he said. “You don’t know their past, you don’t know what they’ve been through. Maybe they’re in a cry of desperation to try and find some hope.”
What if I’m the only Bible that these people see in their life?”
Want to be a part of empowering more students like Ethan to shine the light of Jesus’ love and freely live out their faith at school?
It’s easy! Just let them know how to sign up for Bring Your Bible to School Day. When they do, they’ll access free, age-appropriate activities for kids, teens and church groups. Also, when individuals sign up they’ll be entered for a chance to win a trip for a family of four to meet Sadie Robertson in person at one of her events!
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