Compass Focus: Educators - Families - CHURCHES
Starting a Compass Ministry in your Church
Compass Public School Ministry is a church based, gospel centered effort to connect, equip and mobilize the Christian community within our public schools. For any missions-minded church, it is impossible to ignore the "across the street" mission field of the public schools. 50 million students in our nation (and many within your church) attend public schools and, during their school years, will spend 16,000 hours walking these hallways and sitting in these classrooms. Every church also has educators and families God has called into our public schools who are “on-mission” and desire to navigate this journey in an intentional, God-honoring way. As the local church, we have the opportunity to meet the needs of this group of people, supporting them as the church, connecting them within their schools, equipping them with resources and working alongside them to cast a vision for impact. At Compass it is our prayer that local churches across the nation will recognize this opportunity and , as they take steps to pray, care and share within their schools, the culture will be impacted and many will come to know the hope we have in Christ.
IS GOD CALLING YOU TO START A PUBLIC SCHOOL MINISTRY IN YOUR CHURCH?
STEPS TO CONSIDER:
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Identify a core group of public school parents, educators and/or students and church staff to start a prayer effort seeking God's guidance in starting a public school ministry within your church.
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Approach church leadership, sharing the vision of the role of the church in coming alongside those called to the mission field of the public schools. Facts to consider:
> The public schools are the largest "across the street" mission fields in our nation. For any "mission-minded" church it is an important one to support.
> 50 million students across the nation spend close to 16,000 hours in school K-12, compared to the maybe 1300 hours they may spend in church related activities. These years are critical in the spiritual developments of these students.
> Of the 3.1 million public school educators, close to 650,000 of these claim to be Christians..
> Share what God is doing through Compass to help church leadership to envision the "could be."
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As a church feels called to take the first step to embrace and support the mission field of the public schools, pastors can corporately lift up those called to educate our children. During a church service early in the school year, pastors can pray for and commission these missionaries off to their mission field of the public schools. This step can have a huge impact as you work to raise awareness of this mission field and encourage the educators and families called there. See a recent commissioning service at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN HERE.
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> Hold an event (breakfast or luncheon) and personally invite educators within your church and throughout your community for the purpose of connecting and equipping Christian educators across districts in your area. Fill this time with worship, testimonies, corporate prayer and a keynote speaker.
> Create a space for public school families at your church by kicking off Public School Family Connection meetings. Use this time to build community and cast a vision for ways this group can intentionally unite arms and discover ways they can pray, care and share within their schools.
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> Consider hosting an AWAKE Experience at your church. Compass partners with Christian Educators to host AWAKE Experiences for our educators. AWAKE is a one day transformational experience for Christian educators that will open their eyes to how God is using them as an ambassador in their public school. During this time they will have intentional time alone with God, connect with other Christian educators, dig into God's Word and apply biblical truths to their life, receive training in legal freedoms for public school educators, and discover truths that will transform the way they see their job as an educator. For more information click here.
> Religious Liberties Seminars - Our First Amendment protects our rights to live our faith authentically within our public schools. Although educators have certain limitations due to the Establishment Clause, students have complete freedom to read their Bibles, share their faith and pray at school. Few understand the freedoms Christians have, leading them to believe they need to check their faith at their public school doors. By providing training on these rights, Christians are empowered to live out their faith boldly and authentically allowing His Light to shine in our schools.
For resources on how to share this information, contact us at compassinfo@compasslink.org.
For more information on religious liberties, click here.
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> Develop a monthly newsletter to develop an effective form of communication with educators and families.
> Utilize www.compasslink.org and Compass social media to build community.
> Encourage educators to begin forming prayer groups and Bible studies with other staff members in their schools outside of contract hours.
> Look for opportunities to connect educators across districts, building district wide groups.
> Encourage parents and teachers to connect to form before and after school student Bible studies in elementary schools like Good News Clubs and similar programs in order to provide opportunities for students to study God's Word and connect with Christian community at school.
> Encourage student-led Bible studies and prayer groups in middle schools and high schools supported by educators at these schools. Train educators on how they can come alongside these students to support and disciple them.
>Encourage parents to connect in prayer for their students and schools, through church based or community based prayer efforts. Encourage moms to prayer through local Moms in Prayer groups.
> Encourage Christians to plug into existing Christian Communities in your schools (FCA, Young Life, CRU, Moms in Prayer, Good News Clubs, Campus Faith Clubs, etc)
> Look for opportunities to come together to serve generously within your schools, showing the love of Christ by meeting your school’s most basic needs.
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Compass Team Email - compassinfo@compasslink.org
Compass Website - www.compasslink.org
Compass Facebook - “Compass Public School Ministry”
Compass Instagram - “compass_ministry
If you are interested in starting a Compass Public School Ministry in your church and need additional support, please contact us at compassinfo@compasslink.org.
Upcoming Events
At Compass we strive to impact our public schools through intentional PRAYER, CARE and SHARE efforts:
Prayer
Compass educators and families understand the power of prayer and work to be intentional in how they pray for their schools, students and staff. They know that it is only through prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit, that they can positively impact their schools.
2 Chronicles 7:14 - “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Care
At Compass we strive to be the hands and feet of Christ by meeting our schools’ most basic needs. We make extraordinary efforts to show His love to others by finding practical ways to serve generously.
Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”
Matthew 5:16 - “Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Share
At Compass we are open to opportunities God brings for us to legally and authentically share the hope we have in Christ. God calls each of us to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have. We are compelled by compassion and love to share our faith with gentleness and respect and in a way that draws others to Him.
1 Peter 3:15 - “Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have but do so with gentleness and respect.”