COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP) — At least a million students are on track nationally to take their Bibles to school on the 10th annual Bring Your Bible to School Day Oct. 5, event sponsor Focus on the Family (FOTF) told Baptist Press.
“We are on track to have this year be the biggest year ever,” FOTF project manager Emerson Collins said of the event that launched in 2014 with a participation of 8,000 students. By 2022, participation was up to 877,353 students, more than 50,000 schools and 5,000 churches.
Students in public, private and homeschool settings are encouraged to take their Bibles to school and to promote conversations by gifting Bibles to classmates, sharing Scripture or hosting Bible studies.
“I hope that Bring Your Bible to School Day would be the beginning of a faith movement in every school (where) students are participating,” he said. “Yes, you can bring your Bible to school every day, and that’s my hope, that this would just be a launch into the beginning of a Bible study club, of a group that brings their Bible to school regularly and has conversations with students consistently throughout the year.”
John 17:17 is this year’s Scripture, encouraging students that God’s Word is truth.
Freedom of religion and the freedom believers have in Christ are spotlighted through the event. Students have the right to distribute Bibles and hold Bible studies during study periods, after school and at other times that don’t interfere with school-day activities.
“Partially we just want to show people that you can bring your Bible to school,” Emerson said. “We want to keep the momentum of Bring Your Bible going all year round.”
FOTF offers activities and resources to help families create a legacy of faith, such as praying for non-believers, honoring parents and using talents for God’s glory. More than 120,000 families are enrolled in the challenge, according to focusonthefamily.com.
Students are primely positioned to influence culture with the Gospel and interact with their peers, Emerson said.
“It’s important in all of our lives, but especially for our students right now,” he said. “In many ways, they’re the frontlines of the Gospel advancing with young people. And they’re also down there in the war that’s happening in our culture today.”
FOTF offers a free guide for students at focusonthefamily.com to help students participate in the event, with additional resources for students, parents and churches.
Downloadable resources including posters and social media art are available here.
