According to a Center for Bible Engagement study, people who read Scripture at least four times a week are 228% more likely to share their faith than those who don’t.
Good News Broadcasting Association Inc. research shows “most children do not read or listen to the Bible regularly. Even among children who identify as born-again Christians, one-quarter to one-third do not read or listen to the Bible at all in a given week.”
Focus on the Family realizes the importance of children being exposed to God’s word and is supporting this year’s “Bring Your Bible to School Day,” held annually on the first Thursday of October (October 7 this year).
Even the website “Days of the Year” recognizes the event’s importance.
‘Supporting their faith’
“Christian faith has been around for hundreds of years, and in the United States, freedom of speech to express your religion has been one of the most important ideologies that have made America so diverse and successful,” states www.daysoftheyear.com/days/bring-bible-school-day. One holiday that aligns with this ideology is Bring Your Bible to School Day … that convinces students to bring their Bibles in support of their faith.”
Similar to the annual “See You at the Pole” in September, Bring Your Bible to School Day is student-led, meaning it’s up to the students to organize and carry out the event in their schools.
Prior to the 2019 Bring Your Bible to School Day, Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, wrote an opinion piece for Fox News, sharing one story of the power of Scripture on a young person’s life.
“Take Perry, for instance, a 17-year-old high school student in Colorado,” Daly wrote. “He has brought his Bible with him to school every day since he was in middle school. ‘I want to be real at school, and at church and with my friends.’
“But the real test of his faith came when his mother was suddenly diagnosed with cancer during his junior year in high school. He said reading just a few Bible verses a day brought peace and emotional stability. ‘That’s what really got me through that — just practically digging into God’s word.’
“And now he wants the freedom to talk about that spiritual strength with other classmates.”
More than 514,000 students brought Bibles to some 50,000 schools during 2019’s emphasis, Focus on the Family reported.
“This event empowers Christian students of all ages to speak God’s grace and truth into the culture around them, starting with two simple steps — bringing their Bibles to school and sharing what God’s word means to them,” Focus on the Family said.
Resources
Their website includes a video from Christian band Skillet’s John Cooper, quizzes and activities for children, information for parents about religious freedom, a guide on how to empower students in your church and other resources.
“The ultimate implication of our findings is that in order to help children grow spiritually and be prepared to face the temptations they encounter in the world, both now and as they move into the teen and young adult years, is to get them engaged in God’s word,” Good News Broadcasting Association’s study concluded.
After all, as Daly said in the Fox News article, “Bring Your Bible participants are walking into their schools with a message of hope and an effort to begin conversations. It’s vital to empower the next generation with the understanding that they don’t have to hide their faith or compartmentalize it to the ‘private’ sphere.”
To sign up for “Bring Your Bible to School Day” visit https://www.focusonthefamily.com/bring-your-bible and scroll down to the bottom of the page. For those interested in participating year-round go to the “Live It Challenge” page on the website, https://www.focusonthefamily.com/bring-your-bible/live-it, to can sign up for monthly Live It Challenges — “specific, tangible actions you can take to live out your faith and strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Updated information can also be found on the group’s Facebook page.
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