You are equipping students and families to shine the light of Christ
As I travel across the country, I’m often asked: How can we bring America back to faith in God? The answer is by equipping children and families to be the light. Every effort your gifts support shares the hope of Christ. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes . . .” (Romans 1:16 ESV).
In addition to the biblical resources you make possible — podcasts, programs, articles — you are investing in faith through Bring Your Bible to School Day, scheduled for October 1.
Janine shared how her family participated! “My 9-year-old son took his bible to school and was so excited to share it. When he came home, he couldn’t stop talking about how far he read and told us the stories he read about. I also brought my Bible to work and was able to squeeze in a few pages in between my work. I really love this event and was so happy to see how excited my son was about it, too. He brought his Bible to school again today.”
Your prayers and support make this happen. Thank you! Please pray for Bring Your Bible to School Day this month. Ask God to empower children, parents and entire families to shine the light of Jesus Christ.
Boldly share your faith!
You can help prepare children and families with a bold faith through evangelism efforts like Bring Your Bible to School Day.
Your gifts will help reach into the darkness with the brilliant light of God’s love through every broadcast, podcast, article or event you make possible. Your support will help parents build up a strong faith in children through biblical resources and events like Bring Your Bible to School Day, set for October 1 this year.
As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the donations and generosity of friends just like you to make these efforts possible. Please give today to help empower the next generation to live a bold faith and lead others to Christ.
Backpack Faith
If you are feeling apprehensive about the new school year, this brand-new book is for you. In Backpack Faith, author Kori Pennypacker offers ideas and examples for equipping your child to share God’s Word with confidence and within their rights at school. Get your free copy of this recently released book for your ministry support of any amount today. Just click this link.
Jim's Heart
Greetings from everyone here at Focus on the Family! As we think about all God has done through our ministry thus far in 2026 and look forward to the ways He will continue transforming lives in the coming months and years, we’re filled with gratitude for your partnership. Our efforts would not be possible without the generosity of those who have chosen to stand with us.
I hope you understand that your support doesn’t “just” help marriages thrive, empower parents to raise thriving children, and defend the sanctity of life — as vitally important as those things are. At an even deeper level, your partnership with us brings the Gospel itself to those who desperately need to hear the Good News. Think of it this way: through your sacrificial giving to FOTF, you are supporting missionary work!
Friends like you are committed to building strong families, but it is evangelism that bolsters everything you help accomplish here at FOTF. Our organizational Mission Statement makes this clear: To be led by the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and affirming the God-ordained institution of the family and proclaiming biblical truths worldwide.
This evangelism mindset is also reflected in our ministry’s Core Principles, the first of which is “Be there!” We believe there is nothing more important than encouraging people to respond to the Gospel, ensuring they will “be there” in heaven, beginning first in our families and reaching beyond to the rest of the world. [1]
And not surprisingly, family challenges are often a gateway for the Good News. When you help reach people at their point of need concerning marriage and parenting challenges, you’re also able to point them to the deeper spiritual realities upon which families are built. Consider this testimonial from a longtime broadcast listener:
“After going through a painful divorce, I found myself wondering how I ever ended up where I was in life. I began listening to Focus on the family on my way to work back around 1995.I could hardly get out of my car….I wanted to hear every testimony. After some period of time, I gave my heart to Christ thanks to those testimonies by Focus on the Family… my life changed forever. Thank you.”—Mary, North Carolina
The love of Christ is the foundation upon which healthy families are built, and the power by which broken families are healed! Because of your support, listeners like Mary, along with thousands of others, will “be there.” What could possibly be more important than that?
This is why all of FOTF’s family strengthening initiatives are infused with Gospel truth. We want families to be healthy, of course, but more than that, we want them to know Christ and then share His love with other families. The beauty of this objective is that those who benefit from the ministry you make possible are, in turn, empowered to introduce others to Jesus. When a family is thriving, people see the Lord reflected in marriage and parenting in a tangible way, and it opens doors to communicate the Gospel.
Did you know that in the past year:
- FOTF resources and outreach efforts helped more than 173,000 people make decisions for Christ. That’s 473 people each day who made the most important decision of their lives: making a commitment or re-commitment to Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- FOTF played a role in about 13,000 first-time salvation decisions, about 9,000 of which were made by children. On average, about 22 children make a decision for Christ every day as a result of FOTF’s ministry!
- FOTF helped more than 830,000 people grow stronger in their faith.
This is the power that is unleashed when you partner with FOTF in family ministry. Behind every marriage saved, every parent equipped, and every family strengthened, there are individual souls in search of purpose, meaning, and a relationship with their Creator. Because of your generosity, thousands of men, women, and children every year will “be there!”
Sharing the love of Christ isn’t just about pastors or missionaries or even parents. We especially love seeing children share their faith with their peers! With that in mind, and with the help of generous donors like you, our ministry launched Bring Your Bible to School Day back in 2014. Since then, on the first Thursday of every October, children across the country have been carrying their Bibles to school in order to “let their light shine” (Matthew 5:16) in the gymnasiums, hallways, and classrooms they inhabit.
This event has been growing year over year. Last year alone, more than 1.3 million students took part across over 10,000 schools! What a powerful showing — and just imagine the many kids, teachers, and school staff who were able to witness these courageous participants living out their faith through the simple act of carrying God’s Word with them to school.
This year’s theme verse for Bring Your Bible to School Day is found in Psalm 119:9: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”
In this day and age, I can’t think of a more fitting passage for young believers to bear in mind as they confront the challenges our culture is throwing their way. And as our kids venture into their schools equipped with God’s Word, there’s no telling how the Lord will work through them!
This year’s Bring Your Bible to School Day observance takes place on October 1. For more information, visit www.focusonthefamily.com/live-it/bring-your-bible/. I hope you’ll encourage the children and teens in your life to get involved!
Thank you for supporting and multiplying our efforts to bring the light of the Gospel to hurting families through initiatives like Bring Your Bible to School Day. We are deeply grateful to all those who have joined hands with us, and I hope you’re encouraged to know that your investment is paying eternal dividends. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to serve you and your loved ones. Have a terrific fall!
Sincerely,
Jim Daly
President, Focus on the Family
[1] https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/foundational-values/