I dropped my daughter off at school this morning and I was overjoyed to see the kids around the flagpole. I was saddened that this year I couldn’t join them. What a great event, a great stride for Christians having prayer in public school, which is 100% legal if you do it right.
There is great opportunity for Christian activity on public school campus if it’s done correctly. Items like the Equal Access Act give Christian students a right to have Christian clubs if the school allows any other clubs. It opens the door for great opportunity. We need Christian students who will stand up for their faith. Those students need adults who will stand with them.
I am not saying that every pastor needs to go to a high school campus and try to start an organization, because you can’t. What I am advocating and encouraging is for adults to support, pray for, pray with, equip and encourage Christian students who attend secular, public schools. If you home school your kids, and that is right for you, that’s great. Don’t change, but know there are things you can do. Open your home to Christian students, public, private, Christian and home schooled for Bible Study. Encourage those students to be on mission, where ever they are. Pray for the students and encourage them.
Our students have a great mission field before them. If we stand behind them and help them stand together, they can do amazing things.
Dan, I am at a crossroad with SYATP. I’ve encouraged it every year since it began. My crossroad with SYATP is that it appears to be a dead work that many, if not even most participants are doing with a damning effect on the unconverted. Isn’t there a reason we are to pray in the secret (home, church house, place of prayer) place? I wonder if the eternal effect of SYATP will produce more damned than saved. I wonder how many of those who show up every year for SYATP actually show up to pray with their church family? Are… Read more »
Paul, I think in cases there is lots of validity to what you ranted about. I think there are pros and cons. In my opinion, best case scenario is a school that has a Christian club or group with a constant Christian presence. In that way, syatp is often less “showy” and has more opportunity to create dialogue that is productive and can have some great fruit.
Agreed.
Paul, we come to this crossroads often. If we train our children to be good little boys and girls, are we subtly teaching them to rely on fleshly works? By enforcing laws are we denying grace and the gospel?
I guess I understand where you are coming from, but I don’t really see the threat that you see.
Dave, The treat I see is mostly in the disconnect of most who attend a SYATP type event but rarely if ever gather with their church to pray. Yet many churches will brag about how many of their teens were bold enough to ‘pray’ at their school. I see that disconnect as a serious threat. (And, I do see a gathering of seriously devoted young people as a good thing among disciples.) Why the greater concern for me? Does it bring delight to the Lord that many (not all) of those students would later that same day cheat on a… Read more »
An ‘outward’ show of faith is here compared to ‘a strong Christian presence’ but I am wondering if this is something that needs rethinking . . . especially when the hearts and minds of our school children are involved. If I am wrong, please let me know what you think. I am concerned for the teaching of a more integral Christianity to our young where their interactions with one another in the community show forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit to others as witness. Nothing wrong with hands-held-around-the-flagpole praying, no. I’ve joined it myself at my old school before… Read more »
An example of ‘a more integral Christianity’: A GLIMPSE INTO THE KINGDOM: I had always wondered about something: Our school where I worked was the kind of place that was not ‘sought after’ by teachers coming into the system. It was known, that the children there ‘did not have good support systems’, which is a euphemism for: grandmother cares for them, maybe mom is in prison, and ‘dad’ ???, well, we won’t even go there. So our students did not have much, or so people thought. The strange thing is that during the times when the School System sponsored contests… Read more »
I had no idea it was approaching (bad youth minister 🙁 ). I’ve been to SYATP once with my daughter last year. I can see how it could easily become a show for the lost, but I like to think of it as a call to believers to act and think like believers all the time. I agree with Dan that it should be AN event that existing Christian groups on campus should be doing so that it is part of the year, not a shot in the arm show. But, we’ve got to encourage and equip our youth to… Read more »
Dan, I agree with the information in post for the most part, but would like to offer an alternative to going to a “public school to start an organization.” I taught in public school and lived under their rules. Let me say that what the law says and what schools practice (that is the administration) are two different things. Just because you have “legal” rights does not mean you can practice them in the environment of public schools without impunity. Even when a teacher (or student) stays perfectly within the guidelines, many administrators will punish them for openly practicing Christian… Read more »
Been involved on campus in Public Schools, in Christian groups, as a Youth Pastor, Substitute teacher and doing some work on state college campus over the last 10 years in 3 states. I never experienced what you are talking about Franks, but we often don’t agree.
The questions that I have in regards to SYATP are…
Is this in the spirit of political statement or a genuine appeal to God? Why does it have to be “at the flagpole”? Why not in the gym or hall or auditorium? Does God hear our prayers wherever we are? Do we believe that? Who are we actually appealing to here, men or the Lord?
Of course I cannot speak for all those participating in SYATP, but I can tell you that our youth are indeed earnestly appealing to God. Frankly, in the many years I’ve been involved, as a pastor and as a public school teacher, I’ve never heard a group pray to man. The flagpole was chosen because of the connection to national revival for which SYATP was initiated. The gym would not have this significance unless we are looking to have a revival in American athletics. Yes, God hears our prayers where ever we are: including at the flagpole. I gather from… Read more »
Frank, Never heard anyone actually pray verbal words to “man” either, but thats not at all what I am implying. More on the lines of “to whom are we trying to convey a message?” Is it the God who sees us wherever, or the people who watching us at the pole or reading about it in the news? Why is the location important at all? Does God expect us to go to certain relevant places to appeal to him? This seems like further evidence that it leans toward man’s eyes that God’s eyes. I dont think that there is a… Read more »
Personally, Adam if I have youth in my church that want to hold hands and pray for God to invade their hearts and campus with His glory and power, I’m going to encourage them. If the world watches and takes note, personally, I don’t view it as a bad thing. “”””Ten truckloads of political reform couldnt do what faith in one single drop of Jesus’ blood can.”””” So what is a “light under a basket” or a “city on a hill” if not a call for the church to be active politically — meaning active among people? Again, I don’t… Read more »
“So what is a “light under a basket” or a “city on a hill” if not a call for the church to be active politically — meaning active among people?” Frank, your are essentially correct with this statement, however only in so far it is applied in light of Matthew 6:1-6. If not, it becomes a dangerous appeal toward men instead of God. I really dont have a problem with kids praying anywhere. At the pole, at wherever. Its just when that public act of prayer begins to lean toward making a political (as in “politics and government” not “out… Read more »
I thought it was just more convenient to meet at the flagpole since they generally try to start it a little earlier than many students typically show up for class, and the flagpole is typically right at the parking lot (of course, for high schoolers that drive and park in student parking, this may be opposite).
Stephen, the parking lot would be more convenient.
Except for all the cars trying to park. The original concept for syatp was students praying for themselves, their families, teachers and country. That was the essence of the original prayer in school before 1962. Students asking God for His hand again on our country. It’s us coming before God around something that represents our nation and asking for His hand to be with us. Maybe syatp has gotten away from that, but I think a public gathering at a flagpole to ask for God’s power to be poured out is what our nation needs. I am actually a little… Read more »