Today is Bring Your Bible To School Day. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Bring Your Bible To School Day is a Christian holiday dedicated to inspiring Christians of all denominations (Catholic and Protestant) to exercise their right to freedom of speech and religion by bringing their Bibles to school.
The annual event takes place on the first Thursday of October every year.
This year Bring Your Bible To School Day is Thursday, October 5th.
Here’s what you need to know and how to celebrate.
How Bring Your Bible To School Day Got Started
Bring Your Bible to School Day was founded in 2014 by American Evangelical group, Focus on the Family.
According to one site, “The history of bibles being removed from schools started in 1962 and 1963, when the U.S Supreme Court declared bible readings in public schools to be unconstitutional, and hence took bibles out of the schools.”
Bring Your Bible to School Day was founded to counteract this concerning trend of stripping the Bible out of schools.
It’s Purpose is to Allow Kids to Share Their Faith
According to the event’s host, Focus on the Family,
“Bring Your Bible to School Day is an annual, student-led celebration that empowers Christian students to live out their faith. All it takes are two simple steps—bringing your Bible to school and sharing what God’s Word means to you!”
The day is supposed to be student-led, but Focus on the Family provides plenty of resources to children and parents to make participating in the day as easy and impactful as possible.
Who Can Participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day?
Bring Your Bible to School Day is for students of all ages — from preschoolers to adult college students!
Focus on the Family does encourage students to register on their website (or have their parents register for them if they are under 13), but this is completely optional. Anyone can bring their Bible to school whether they register in advance or not.
Is it Legal to Bring a Bible to School?
Yes, it is legal for children to bring their Bibles to school, read their Bible during the school day, form faith-based clubs, or talk about God or the Bible with their friends. These rights are all protected under the First Amendment.
Schools cannot prevent students from reading, talking about, or practicing their faith during the school day, as long as it does not interfere or cause substantial disruption to the academic education. If it’s on their own time and not disruptive, it’s fine.
Can Teachers Talk About the Bible at School?
While students have a lot of freedom in sharing and expressing their faith during the school day, teachers and administrators have FAR fewer opportunities to share, since they are acting as government employees representing the school.
According to Focus on the Family, public school teachers can:
- Respond to a direct question from a student about their personal beliefs
- Participate in faith-focused events or groups with other teachers before or after school
- Teach “about Christianity and the Bible in a way that meets state academic standards and related curriculum requirements, especially when doing lessons about history, culture or literature.”
And, of course, private Christian school teachers are welcome to talk about their faith at any time, as long as it lines up with the school’s beliefs!
How Popular is Bring Your Bible to School Day?
According to Focus on the Family, 877,353 students participated in last year’s event. These students represented 5,000 churches and 50,000 schools spread throughout every state in the nation.
The event has grown substantially from the first year it was hosted and continues to grow as more and more people spread the word!
How to Participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day
Participating is easy! Simply bring your Bible to school and share with others, if you feel brave enough to do so.
You can also post pictures on social media with #BringYourBible to be encouraged and inspired by all of the school children participating all throughout the nation!
If you want to go above and beyond, you can even organize local participation with poster, t-shirts, and other promotional materials, though simply showing up with your Bible works too.
Important Reminders for Bring Your Bible to School Day
Don’t be the bad apple that ruins this fun day for everyone! If you choose to participate, here are a few things to keep in mind:
DO:
- Invite your friends
- Pray over the event
- Bring your Bible to school
- Be respectful
- Tell your church about the event.
Don’t Do These Things on Bring Your Bible to School Day
Alternately, here are a few big DON’Ts you’ll want to avoid on Bring Your Bible to School Day:
DON’T:
- Disturb class time
- Discriminate against others for their different beliefs
- Force others to listen to you talk about your beliefs
- Be afraid to share with those who are interested in learning more
- Wait until the last minute to decide if you’ll participate
Facing Discrimination?
While the majority of students should be able to respectfully participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day without trouble, if you do face significant discrimination or backlash, legal help is available for you.
Focus on the Family advises students: “If you encounter challenges or have trouble getting approval for Bring Your Bible to School Day, call 1-800-TELL-ADF. ADF, short for Alliance Defending Freedom, offers pro bono legal assistance as deemed appropriate for Bring Your Bible to School Day students who encounter unconstitutional roadblocks to their free speech rights.”
How to Read the Bible (Easy Instructions for Beginners!)
Want to learn how to read the Bible for yourself, but you’re not sure where to start or how to understand it?
Reading the Bible is a lot easier (and way more enjoyable) than you might think. You just need a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
How to Read the Bible (Easy Instructions for Beginners!)
20 Easy Children’s Bible Verses for Kids to Memorize
It’s important to not only teach our kids how to memorize Scripture but also, to show them how to put these children’s Bible verses to use.
That’s one of the reasons there’s so much value in memorizing Bible verses for kids.
When they’ve already stored children’s Bible verses in their memories, it makes your job easier as a parent when you’re teaching them how to live. They already know the why (i.e. God’s people treat others with kindness) so you can just show them the how (i.e. not screaming at your brother).
20 Easy Children’s Bible Verses for Kids to Memorize
Oops! These 10 Popular Bible Verses Don’t Mean What You Think
The Bible is full of inspirational verses that can encourage us, lift us up, and remind us of God’s goodness.
Yet, just because a verse sounds encouraging doesn’t mean that’s the way the original author meant his or her words to be understood.
Here are 10 popular Bible verses people love to take out of context, completely distorting their original meaning in the process.
Oops! These 10 Popular Bible Verses Don’t Mean What You Think
15 Famous Celebrities Who Embrace Christianity Despite Public Scrutiny
The morals and values of celebrities in Hollywood often stand in stark contrast to the Christian faith. Where the Bible says not to be arrogant or put your hope in wealth (1 Tim 6:17), many in Hollywood flaunt their expensive mansions, cars, and wardrobes.
Or when the Bible says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourself (Philippians 2:3),” it’s obvious to see how the cut-throat world of Hollywood makes this verse difficult to live out.
Thankfully, there are several celebrities who are successful actors AND followers of Christ. In fact, these men and women use their fame as a way to honor God and give back to others – exactly what the Christian faith is all about.
15 Famous Celebrities Who Embrace Christianity Despite Public Scrutiny
Things Christians Wish Non-Christians Knew About Their Faith
Christianity, a globally practiced faith, holds profound significance for its followers. It can also be misunderstood by those who do not practice Christianity, which can harbor some frustrations for practicing Christians.
Recently, on a popular social media page, we found some things Christians wish non-Christians knew about their faith.
Things Christians Wish Non-Christians Knew About Their Faith
