Release time religious education of public school students during school hours is, in my opinion, one of the greatest if the not the greatest missed evangelistic and cultural impact opportunities by the church in the last seventy years. That’s a big statement, so here’s why. In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a release time religious program for public school students that was voluntary, off school grounds, and required parental consent. See Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952). I often hear Christians mark the moral decline of the United States by the removal of Bible reading and prayer from the schools, but many of those practices were generic or promoted a more civil religion. And there has been no sustained, national effort over the last seventy years to provide release time Bible education for public school students. Lifewise Academy is changing that, and here’s how.
Joel Penton is the Founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy, a program that provides Bible education to public school students during school hours. Since its launch in 2019, LifeWise has quickly grown to serve more than 317 schools across the U.S. each week. Nearly 14,000 students attend a LifeWise program and receive a Bible class as part of their public school day.
Key Takeaways:
View all episodes
By Joshua Hershberger: Attorney | Minister | Speaker
4.8
3131 ratings
Release time religious education of public school students during school hours is, in my opinion, one of the greatest if the not the greatest missed evangelistic and cultural impact opportunities by the church in the last seventy years. That’s a big statement, so here’s why. In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a release time religious program for public school students that was voluntary, off school grounds, and required parental consent. See Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952). I often hear Christians mark the moral decline of the United States by the removal of Bible reading and prayer from the schools, but many of those practices were generic or promoted a more civil religion. And there has been no sustained, national effort over the last seventy years to provide release time Bible education for public school students. Lifewise Academy is changing that, and here’s how.
Joel Penton is the Founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy, a program that provides Bible education to public school students during school hours. Since its launch in 2019, LifeWise has quickly grown to serve more than 317 schools across the U.S. each week. Nearly 14,000 students attend a LifeWise program and receive a Bible class as part of their public school day.
Key Takeaways:
8,536 Listeners
1,002 Listeners
4,349 Listeners
591 Listeners
821 Listeners
20,101 Listeners
28,094 Listeners
575 Listeners
644 Listeners
294 Listeners
38,676 Listeners
13,109 Listeners
26,552 Listeners
3,911 Listeners
20 Listeners