Every year on the first Thursday of October, students all around the country participate in “Bring Your Bible Day,” a nationwide celebration encouraging Christians to publicly practice their faith. Participants are encouraged to discuss the importance of the Bible in their lives at this Focus on the Family-sponsored event. In 2023, over 5,000 churches and over a million kids from over 50,000 schools took part.
This year, it’s on October 3. A cross-generational statement of faith, adults participate in the celebration by taking their Bibles to work.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry emphasized the event’s relevance in assisting youth in realizing the value of demonstrating their faith.
According to Pry, “Bringing a Bible to school teaches children and their peers about the importance of God’s Word and living out their faith in everyday life while showing how God is an integral part of their lives,” he says. “CEF fully supports this wonderful event, which fits in perfectly with the mission of our Good News Club.”
On the Focus on the Family website, parents can register children under the age of 13 for the event, while teens and young adults can register independently.
“Christians are called by our Lord to share the Gospel with the world, and this is a great way to do it,” Pry said. “It can lead to children finding out about the Bible-based Good News Club.” He encourages that children need the Gospel because they face an increasingly dangerous and hopeless world. “Unchurched families have no legacy of faith to pass on to their children. They do not know the reason for our hope.”
A worldwide mission of CEF, The Good News Club provides children in families, schools, community centers, and churches with Bible lessons and chances for discipleship. Each group encourages kids to lay a solid moral and spiritual foundation by clearly presenting the gospel. More than 25.2 million children heard the Good News in 2023 thanks to the work of CEF, and more than 577,000 teachers received training throughout the world.
One example of how it is changing lives is second-grader Deshawn. In a CEF video, a school administrator told Deshawn’s story and described how the club improved his academic performance and behavior.
“We saw the [behavioral] pattern in first grade, so we paired him with an outstanding second-grade teacher,” explains a school administrator in a CEF video on YouTube. “As a school, we jumped in and tried other things to engage and encourage Deshawn in the classroom, but after a few more painful weeks in class, his teacher was just about done. During another conversation about how we could help Deshawn, she asked, ‘What is this Good News Club® that meets after school? Do you think it could help? I’ll try anything.’
With parental approval, Deshawn began attending a Good News Club.
The administrator pointed out that Deshawn’s improvement in his academic performance was another way the club’s influence went beyond his spiritual development.
“Programs like the Good News Club provide valuable support to both students and schools,” the administrator said.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice