The Bible in the Public School & How We Do It

The chairman of the religion department of Boston University [link=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-prothero14mar14,0,5385607.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail]argues that the Bible should be taught in public schools[/link]. Even though his in not Evangelical reasoning, he has quite interesting points.

Biblical illiteracy is not just a religious problem. It is a civic problem with political consequences...

But barren of the Bible is just what our public school curriculums are. According to a study by the Bible Literacy Project, which publishes a Bible textbook for secondary schools, only 8% of U.S. high school students have access to an elective Bible course. As a result, an entire generation of Americans is growing up almost entirely ignorant of the most influential book in world history, unable to understand the 1,300 biblical allusions in Shakespeare, the scriptural oratory of President Lincoln and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. or even the prominence of Ezekiel 25:17 (actually a mishmash of this verse and passages from Genesis, Psalms and other books) in the film "Pulp Fiction."

This past week some of our staff helped in piloting the domestic version of [link=http://www.charactersolutions.org/index.html] Character Solutions International's curriculum at the notorious Fremont High School of the Los Angeles Unified District. They taught over 30 kids for one full week, all day long this faith-based character curriculum. They shared their testimonies, prayed, discussed church, etc., all in a public high school with parents and staff in attendance.

These kids were somewhat of a captive audience this was part their first two weeks "off-track" meaning they are in year-round school and they are now on starting a two month break and they could come for two additional weeks and participate in this program to work off a $250 truancy debt.

However, our staff reported the students were lively, enthusiastic and excited about what they were learning.

Donna, one of our senior women staff heard a girl say, "I'm gonna keep being late if it means I can go to special classes like this one!"

In Compton, I (Mike) had a lunch time Bible study in a local middle school for years before I became the director. And it was at the administrations request! We had the former LA (and St. Louis) Ram Jackie Slater come in and he laid out the Gospel with every student and teacher present in the auditorium without anyone batting an eye.

Just a week and a half ago, I was just able to introduce the Compton Unified School District to the [link=http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/]Josephson Institute of Ethics (and their well known Character Counts program[/link]), whom I have admired from afar and providentially just recently met. Pray with us that these two organizations will continue to be as positive as they are now with each other about working together in some very significant ways.

In the inner city both the African American and Hispanic cultures in general hold spirituality in high regard, its almost an insult not to. So we can get away with a lot more than the suburbs can. And in the schools, principals will allow almost anything that can give them some extra help. But than can be good and bad.

As Christians, we must take advantage of these opportunities as much as possible, while the windows are open. In this post (or post-post depending on who you talk to) Christian society we don’t know how long we will have this window, even in the inner city.

Lord, Help Me to See

Every once in a while I catch something like what Thompson describes here. I want to slow down and catch more.

Do you believe that God is present in the smile of a child, in the tears of a parent's grief over a suffering adolescent, in the sudden breakthrough of understanding between quarreling spouses? Eternal truths can be learned by observing the most common elements of life: nursing an infant may be a window into God's nurturing care for each of us; bandaging a cut can help us know the healing desire of God; playing games may speak of the divine playfulness that knows our need for recreation; tending a garden may teach us the dynamics of growth. Families learn that they are sacred communities when they begin to name and claim the many forms of God's grace in their daily life.


- Marjorie J. Thompson from "Family: The Forming Center"

Recent Update We Sent Out

VICTORIES & PRAISES:
We have seen incredible unity and coming together of churches here in Compton. We hosted "Lift Up America", a huge food give-a-way sponsored by Tyson Foods in December and invited over 30 ministries from Compton, many of which we had not known before. This brought a renewed since of hope, purpose and camaraderie amongst the ministries here. Our church has brought between 150-350 volunteers every 2 months for the last year to help paint and rehab churches and homes in Compton. We work on 10-12 sites each work day. This has started an incredible movement that has sparked other churches, civic groups and even the city council to get out and “do good” as is the theme. People are being touched in Jesus’ name and I believe we are at the beginning of an amazing movement of God.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
• That this movement would continue and grow in Compton
• For Ramiro (19) who lives with us, as he goes to college and plays soccer – that he would begin to see himself as God sees him & make long lasting Christian friendships
• For our families health, we have been bothered by a lot of little things (sicknesses) lately
• Our main family vehicle (minivan) is having a lot of engine & transmission problems (again)
• Balance in ministry and life
• For Sydney & Zachary (all of us really!) to know Jesus intimately
• For our Compton United Soccer Club to reach lives and families

FINANCIAL REQUESTS/NEEDS:
We need to raise about $800 a month+ but finding/making the time to do it is very challenging

FAMILY NEWS:
We have really enjoyed having Ramiro in our home. He has been a delight. Sydney is doing VERY well in 2nd grade and has an excellent teacher (that could be teaching college) that has really pushed her and she has simply rose to the challenge. Zach was moved to a different school during the first part of kindergarten (a risk of being on an interdistrict permit outside of our district), so that slowed him down a bit. But he likes his newer teacher and things are going well. He is typical boy and never stops! Both Syd and Zach are playing club soccer with Compton United the soccer club we started as an outreach to our community. They are doing well and learning Spanish too!

We are meeting tons of community families, more than we ever have living here through the club. Compton United has opened so many doors and God has exploded the opportunities for it to grow. It’s been amazing and scary at the same time. We are going from one team last year to probably 12 teams this year! Pray for us!

2.56 Percent???

If Christians had given a 10 percent tithe to their churches in 2004, instead of the actual 2.56 percent, there would have been an extra $164 billion. And if churches spent $70 to $80 billion of that on missions and humanitarian works, the basic needs of every person on the globe would be provided.

(Relevant, Nov./Dec. 2006, p. 30)