As the bus pulled up to school, Brian’s stomach felt weird. His principal had told him that bringing his Bible to school was allowed, but that didn’t settle his nerves.
His mind started to race with thoughts of what could go wrong. What if my friends make fun of me? What if my teacher yells at me? What if I’m the only one?
As kids started filing out of the bus, Brian prayed under his breath. “Dear God, please give me courage to talk about You today. Amen.”
Brian didn’t make a big show, but he read his Bible at recess. He also joined a couple of friends to read their Bibles at lunch and share their favorite verses.
During free time, his friends Thomas and Mike sat next to Brian.
“What are you reading?” Thomas asked.
“This is my Bible,” Brian said. “It’s my first time bringing it to school!”
“What’s it about?” Mike asked.
Brian smiled, silently thanking God for helping him be brave.
Stand Up for Truth
While it may seem scary to stand up for your belief in God at school, you are not alone!
Last year, more than 510,000 students participated in Bring Your Bible to School Day. Some carried their Bibles to class. Others planned times to read God’s Word over video. And thousands posted photos and encouraging words about God’s love online.
Heather was one of those courageous kids, and she was shocked by how many kids had never seen a Bible.
“Many of my classmates asked, ‘Is that a real Bible?’” the 11-year-old from Illinois said. “It felt good to talk to them about what I believe. But it made me sad how many people don’t even own a Bible.”
Jacob also took a stand for his faith. He brought his Bible, even though he knew there weren’t a lot of Christians at his school in Kentucky.
“I participated because I love Jesus,” Jacob said. “I read my Bible on the bus and had it in my backpack.”
Lucas likes reading his Bible, so it was natural for him to participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day in Texas.
“I thought it’d be a good idea to share the Bible with people,” the 10-year-old said. “I also talked with kids who asked me about it.”
These students, and many others, discovered that you don’t have to travel to another country to tell someone about Jesus. By bringing their Bibles, they were able to start conversations with kids who didn’t know about God’s love.
Chloe from Iowa may have said it best when she described why she loves Bring Your Bible to School Day: “I want everyone to know about Jesus so they can be saved.”
Bibles at School
Focus on the Family sponsors Bring Your Bible to School Day to encourage students to show their faith in a fun and easy way. Be a part of it!
1. Go to BringYourBible.org to sign up. You can get a free guide, T-shirt designs, information and tips.
2. Let your principal know what you’re doing. As long as you don’t disrupt class, you have the right to hand out cards and put up posters before the event.
3. Encourage your friends to join you. You can also pray for your school and friends who don’t know Jesus.
4. On October 7, take your Bible to school. Even if you’re not able to go to school or you’re homeschooled, you still can participate! Post a picture with your Bible and your favorite verse and tag us @BringYourBible.
5. Be prepared to answer questions and share verses that are important to you. You may also want to bring extra Bibles to give away!
6. After you participate, tell us about it. Have a parent email a photo and your story to [email protected].
What Are My Rights?
As a student in public school in the United States, you can:
— respectfully state your personal religious beliefs.
— invite other students to voluntarily join you in praying, reading the Bible or talking about faith. But you can’t force them.
— pass out religious materials if other kinds of materials are also being passed out.
— start a student-led and student- initiated religious club.
— pray at lunch, in class or before tests.
