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Mission
Culture CHANGERS Mission Statement
Matthew 5:13-16
Culture CHANGERS is a domestic missions organization that exists to help Conservative Holiness Churches change our culture through involvement, influence, and interaction with local public schools by the following ways:
LIFTING in prayer,
LEADING by example,
LOVING as Christ loves.
LIFTING in prayer:
(John 17:15)
1. Commit to pray weekly as a congregation for the local school district.
Remind your congregation with announcements, in the bulletin, and in sermons to pray for your local school district.
2. Have quarterly Prayer Walks around the schools.
Have someone from your church coordinate prayer walks around the school four times a year – starting before school begins – and have them pray specifically for the school board, superintendent, administrators, teachers, and students. If possible, give everyone a list of the names of those who are leading your school district. This can be a special bonding time for your church family as you pray together for the salvation of these in your community.3. Join a Moms In Prayer (MIP) weekly prayer group.
Moms In Prayer is a very active and effective prayer ministry designed to get Moms praying for their local school district. Find out if your school district has a group by clicking on the following link. If your district does not have one, go to the link to find out how to start one!
4. Have a Church Pray for Me Campaign to pair empty-nesters with public schooled families for daily prayer support using the Pray For Me book.
This is a great way to provide prayer support for those families in your church who have placed their children in the public school district! Choose a coordinator of the Pray for Me Campaign program to pray over and pair empty-nester individuals or couples with public schooled children in your church. Some churches start the program in September when school starts, and some start in January for the calendar year. You can even start the program off with a special dinner to introduce the Prayer Champions to the children! Then use this book throughout the days and months to guide how to pray for the children (Prayer Champions will need to reread it at least 3-4 times a year to cover the whole year.) So many times we know to pray, but don’t know how to SPECIFICALLY pray for our children. This resource is a power tool to help you.
LEADING by example:
(1 Peter 3:15)
1. Teach or Substitute teach in the local public school.
A Christian teacher in the public school can bring light and salt to the school district in powerful ways. This is obviously the best way to directly impact the students in the public school. If you are feeling called to be an “undercover missionary” in the public school and would like to be trained in one of our conservative holiness colleges, please click on the links below to find out how to go about becoming a public school certified teacher. We asked all of our Bible Colleges to send us information on how to become a public school teacher. These are the ones who provide the necessary pathway to do so. If you are looking for licensure in a specific state, please make note of that accordingly.
God’s Bible School and College:
More information/resources for Christian public school teachers:
2. Run for and serve as a school Board Member.
One of the most effective ways Christians can change our culture is through becoming a school board member of the local school. Every public school district has a team of school board directors who make decisions for the district – everything from setting the budget to approving the curriculum that is taught and accepting books that are placed in the libraries! In order to become a school board member, you will need to check into your particular state and local community procedures for doing so, but usually it involves getting citizen signatures, filling out paperwork with the local courthouse, and possibly campaigning to get your name out there before an election. It can be intimidating to think about, but is actually a pretty straight-forward process and is easily done. Check out the link for more information!
3. Have a student-led Bible study or club in the public school.
Christian students who want to start a Bible study or club in their local public school are legally allowed to do so, providing that the same school allows for other student-led clubs of other kinds at the same school. Read more about it and encourage the Christian public school kids in your local school to step up! Churches can provide support by helping the students with lesson-planning, providing snacks, offering to come in as a special speaker, and most of all, praying for their efforts.
4. Run or help an After-School Bible Program or Release Time Bible class.
Another way Christians can effectively change our culture is by running or helping a Bible program for their local public school district. There are many school districts that have what is called “Release-Time” Bible teaching programs. By law, local churches can adopt their public school and provide Bible Classes DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, with agreement of their school district! Check out the link provided on this portion of the website to see what your particular state allows and how you can start a Bible class or club today!
https://www.cefonline.com/ministries/goodnewsclub/
https://gogateways.org/articles/2018/1/31/starting-a-bible-club-in-your-local-elementary-schools
5. Promote Religious Freedom in Public Schools
This website helps to equip public school educators, leaders, parents and students to protect and promote religious freedom for all students.
They also help educators teach about the Bible and Christianity as it relates to the curriculum and shows them how to do this appropriately and legally, within existing constitutional boundaries, current laws, and state academic standards.
Check this resource out for more ideas to help you!
LOVING as Christ loves
(John 13:34-35)
1. Participate in student-led See You at the Pole, promote Bring Your Bible to School Day, and attend other special events for public-schooled students in your congregation.
“See You At the Pole,” is an event that is student-led, occurs in September every year, and gathers Christians (students as well as teachers, administrators, and other community people) to pray around the school flag pole for the school leadership, teachers, students, and the school year. For more information, go to the link below.
“Bring Your Bible to School” day is an event sponsored by Focus on the Family which encourages all public school students to carry their Bible visibly on that day and read it during free time. It is a way to get awareness out to other students that they have the right to read their Bible in the public school, and to exercise that right. Check out the link below for more information!
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/bring-your-bible/
Statistics tell us that an average of 10% of public middle/high school students have a regular or meaningful relationship with a local church. Many homeschool students have the support of co-ops, and Christian school students have a ready-made support for Christianity in their schools. It would be so helpful if the pastors of our Conservative Holiness Churches would look for ways to support the students in their churches who attend public schools. Here are some ideas and ways to do it:
- Have specific gatherings/or Bible study support groups so public school kids can share their unique struggles.
- Attend concerts, plays, and other events to support students and assure them of your love.
- Have special prayer over students before school starts and assure them regularly of your prayer throughout the school year.
- Offer to be a guest speaker at your child’s school for career day or speak about the Bible in the public school Bible class. (There really are such classes! See link below.)
https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/more-than-300-public-schools-nationwide-learn-bible-this-year
2. Volunteer in classrooms or tutor public school students.
Public schools usually love to have volunteers and community tutors to help them! Check with your local public school as to their requirements for help in the classroom. At the very least, volunteers are usually required to get a Child Abuse Clearance and Background check before being allowed to enter the school to help. This is a wonderful way to show the love of Jesus to students who may not have anyone in their lives who knows Jesus.3. Have Church Youth Ministry Training for all students.
Students who attend public schools face many issues that should and can be addressed by the local youth pastor. From bullying, to navigating social media, to evolution, to gender identity, to how to defend their faith, students in our Holiness churches should have a safe place to find answers and be trained how to live a Christian life in the world that they face every day. The links below offer some help in these areas!
4. Other areas of sharing God’s love to public school students.
Drive a school bus.
Fix food for school events.
Donate items for needy public-school kids.
Be a school nurse.
Work in the cafeteria.
Volunteer to read or tutor in classrooms.
Work as a translator for parents/school personnel (great for former missionaries!).
Know someone who is spreading salt and light in our public schools?
Nominate a Culture CHANGER
Submit a nomination for an individual or a church to be highlighted “In the Spotlight” on our homepage. Provide details about their efforts to create a positive impact in schools.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16