Spiritual Disciplines

What are your spiritual practices? How are you growing in faith? Spiritual disciplines are those practices that help nurture spiritual growth. This blog defines the spiritual disciplines, provides a foundational Scripture passage, describes twelve representative disciplines along with a selected Bible passage for each, and lists recommended resources for those who may want to pursue the topic further.

The Spiritual Disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the habits of devotion and experiential Christianity that have been practiced by the people of God since biblical times (Whitney, p. 46, Kindle edition).

The disciplines are spiritual activities that are practiced, not as prescribed procedures, but that emerge from a voluntary, internal desire to grow in Christ. They are expressions of loving and personal discipleship, not to be thought of as legalistic or as required practices. They come from a joyful heart that has a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

One key Scripture passage for thinking about spiritual disciplines is 1 Timothy 4:7-8. Paul writes to Timothy, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The challenge here is for Timothy (and for us) to be training himself in godliness. This training is contrasted with physical training. We do well to ask, “How are we training ourselves in godliness?” “What are the practices that we currently follow, how can we do them better, and what new practices might we consider?”

Unlike Spiritual Gifts or the Ten Commandments, there are a seemingly unlimited number of spiritual practices in the Bible. This blog describes the twelve disciplines identified in the classic work by Richard J. Foster, The Celebration of Discipline. Other resources that were used include Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Calhoun), Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Whitney), and The Spirit of the Disciplines (Willard). These include additional disciplines.

There are three avenues (or movements or categories) of spiritual discipline. They are “Inward Disciplines” that promote self-reflection, quiet contemplation, growth, and renewal; “Outward Disciplines” which are for making a positive impact on others and the world; and “Corporate Disciplines” for strengthening our relationships with others and God. Let us now identify each discipline in greater detail along with a representative Bible passage for each.

Meditation is a long, ardent gaze at God, his work and his Word. It involves slowing down and giving one’s undivided attention to God (Calhoun, p. 10).
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 98).
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

Fasting is the self-denial of normal necessities in order to intentionally attend to God in prayer. Bringing attachments and cravings to the surface, opens a place for prayer and is a reminder to turn to Jesus who alone can satisfy (Calhoun, p. 245).
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do… put oil on your head and wash your face… your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:16-18).

Study gives priority to in-depth study of Scripture for purposes of observation, analysis, evaluation, and application. Study should also include other resources that help us understand life and God’s world.
Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Simplicity is living according to the knowledge that all that we have is a gift from God, that we are cared for by God, and that what we have can be made available to others when it is right and good.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

Solitude involves scheduling enough uninterrupted time in a distraction-free environment to experience isolation and being alone with God. Solitude is a “container discipline” for the practice of other disciplines. - Calhoun, p. 128
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35).

Submission is freely yielding to God’s word and will and to one another out of love and reverence for Christ (Calhoun, p. 134).
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority (Hebrews 13:17).

Service is a way of offering resources, time, treasure and expertise for the care, protection, justice, and nurture of others. Acts of service give hands to the second greatest commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Calhoun, p. 167).
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Confession embraces Christ’s gift of forgiveness and restoration while setting us on the path to renewal and change (Calhoun, p. 101).
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Worship happens whenever we intentionally cherish God and value him above all else in life. Worship reveals what is important to us (Calhoun, p. 49).
God is Spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Guidance. God guides groups as they seek to understand and act on God’s will and way for their life together. This guidance is informed by the written Word, the Holy Spirit’s presence, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the dignity of each participant.
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question (Act 15:5, 6).

Celebration is the engaging in actions that orient the spirit toward worship, praise, and thanksgiving. It is delighting in the reality of a Trinity-fueled life (Calhoun, p. 28).
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy (Psalm 47:1).

This has been a brief overview of twelve spiritual disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. The books used for this post provide greater clarity, depth, and tools for practicing the disciplines. These may be purchased by clicking on the related links or from Virtual Resource Center.

Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
Foster, Richard J. The Celebration of Discipline.
Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.
Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines.

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Older and Bolder: Reflections on Ageing Outrageously

The book, The Gift of Years, by Joan Chittister offers a perspective on ageing that invites the elderly to live outrageously. While ageing is often viewed negatively and is associated with limitations, withdrawal, uselessness, loneliness, purposelessness, and illness; author, Joan Chittister, provides a life-transforming perspective that shows how being an older person can be one of the most meaningful and exciting stages in life. This blog provides one paragraph summaries of 10 of the 40 chapters in her book.

Newness
Life is full of changes and transitions. It is a personal choice to have an attitude that looks at life as “accepting the old” or “discovering the new.” We can find fresh and glorious experiences at any stage of life, and especially as older persons, if we seek to make new discoveries.

Meaning
In the past we have ascribed meaning and even our self-worth through accomplishments, jobs, income, and titles. Living meaningfully more rightly springs from cultivating life-qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Joy
We can allow ourselves to be mired in the muck of anxiety, bitterness, and doubt of our past. Or we can, rather, look for reasons to be grateful for each day, being intoxicated by the beauty of life and celebrating its serendipitous moments, however large or small they may be.

Possibility
Getting older and being retired opens opportunities for new adventures. Instead of withdrawing from social experiences, there is a freedom to launch into new encounters. Tiredness breeds more tiredness. Activity, even when forced and done reluctantly, awakens the spirit, provides fresh insights, gives birth to new ideas, and stimulates creative thoughts.

Forgiveness
Only forgiveness can free us to rise above many of the pains in our past, even if this forgiveness is not acknowledged, requested, or accepted by others. Forgiveness is more important to the wellbeing of the one who forgives than the one being forgiven. Because it is not possible to make amends for all of our past failings, we do well to claim the forgiveness offered by Jesus, reflect it in our relationships with others and self, and start each day afresh.

Dreams
Essential to vibrant living, dreaming (daydreaming, aspirations, hopes) helps us move beyond resignation and into anticipation. Dreaming about what could be is the first step in achieving it. Our dreams can help us achieve what must yet be finished in our lives, and even in the world. The older we get, the stronger is the foundation for imagining and acting on possibilities for a better future.

Relationships
Some stay locked into and limited by relationships in their past. Others, as they get older, withdraw and disengage from social involvement. However, it is never too late to begin new relationships and cultivate new friendships. Older adults are rich in experiences and can be happily enriched by sharing these with one another. The efforts of caring for others as we do for ourselves provides mutual blessings.

Wisdom
Wisdom comes from time and experience. It is a development of life-understanding that is earned by the old who, with it in their possession, have responsibility for sharing it with those who are younger. It is the privilege of those no longer in the “normal” workforce to be thinkers, insight-givers, and encouragers of others in what they have found to be good, and true, and right.

Outreach
Many of the elderly live in isolation from society. They stay in their homes or are in retirement communities or in assisted living facilities. The choice of the elderly is that of staying in (their homes or rooms) or stepping out. Will we withdraw, or will we reach outside of ourselves to manage the life that we have in ways that benefit and bless others? And, wonder of wonders, those who give to others find themselves being blessed!

Future
Older people generally have a state of mind that fits into one of two categories. One is, “I’m getting older. I just can’t do that anymore.” The other says, “I am free from many of the responsibilities and obligations of the past. This my big chance to live outrageously free, outrageously involved, outrageously fun-loving, outrageously adventurous, and outrageously alive!” Treasuring the time that remains, now is the time to, in faith, imagine the impossible, attempt the unthinkable, and plan the incredible.

Conclusion
This has been an overview of selected topics from the book, The Gift of Years. It has summarized the areas of Newness, Meaning, Joy, Possibilities, Forgiveness, Dreams, Relationships, Wisdom, Outreach, and the Future from a positive, life-transforming perspective. Following is additional information and a link for those who would like to purchase the book.

The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister
“Joan Chittister, one of our most celebrated spiritual writers, invites us to embrace older life age as a natural part of life that is both active and contemplative, productive and reflected, and deeply rewarding… and shows us that this is a special period of life – maybe the most special of them all.” Quoted from the book jacket.

This book may be purchased by clicking here. This blog is also available as a narrated YouTube video by clicking here.

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Discipleship: Foundations, Definitions, and Selected Resources

Dan and Debbie have recently become followers of Jesus. Almost everything about church is new to them. They say, “We have so much to learn. There are so many ways that we want to be involved in the life of this place. We love it here.”

Let us think together about Scripture and other resources that we should consider as a foundation for discipling them and assisting with their spiritual formation? What will be the next steps for them?

This blog includes the discipling-related topics of Scripture, definitions, and foundational resources with special attention to the book The Master Plan of Evangelism.

There are many Scripture passages that speak specifically to discipleship. Several of these follow.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”… Matthew 28:19-20).

”Follow me and I will send you out to fish for people” (Mathew 7:19).

“Whoever serves me must follow me” (John 12:26)

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Two descriptions or definitions of discipleship are helpful to me. The first describes disciples as

a. beginning with a profession of faith in Jesus Christ,
b. developing by involvement in a process of spiritual formation and
c. finding expression in acts of Christian service ( www.maninthemirror.org. Morley).

The second defines discipleship as the nurturing of Christ-followers who are growing as learners; practice biblical behaviors or habits that enable them to live the Christian life effectively; display behaviors or habits such as prayer, sharing faith, Bible study, and serving; and multiply Christ-likeness in the lives of others (Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches. p. 281).

Following are some of the foundational resources in discipleship literature and a brief quote from each book. I will give extra attention to the last featured book, The Master Plan for Evangelism.

Bruce, A.B. Training of the Twelve (1871).
“Jesus gave His disciples lessons on the nature of the divine kingdom, on prayer, on religious liberty, on the nature of true holiness, on humility… on self-sacrifice… on the mission of the comforter, to convince the world and to enlighten themselves.”

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship (1949).
A contrast is made between cheap grace and costly grace. "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."

Ogden, Greg. Discipleship Essentials. (1998).
The book is divided into four parts: Growing Up in Christ, Understanding the Message of Christ, Becoming Like Christ, Serving Christ. Each chapter contains a core truth, memory verse, inductive Bible study, and additional readings. An appendix describes how to build a discipleship ministry.

Coleman, Robert E. The Master Plan of Evangelism (1963).
“…a study in principles underlying His ministry-principles which determined His (Jesus) methods.” Chapter headings: Selection, Association, Consecration, Impartation, Demonstration, Delegation, Supervision, and Reproduction.

Selection: Jesus chose a few faithful, available, teachable disciples. (Luke 6:13-17, Mk 3:13-19). They weren't scholars, or individuals with special talents, just ordinary people whom he could shape and mold into leaders.

Association: He devoted his time to them, even in the midst of ministry to the masses. They were with him in all sorts of situations -called to simply "be with him" and "follow him."

Consecration: Jesus called these disciples to obedience- to turn away from sin and sacrifice their own personal interests- to turn to him and his teaching. He called them to commit themselves not to a doctrine or program, but to his person.

Impartation: He gave himself to them and for them. The foundation of their relationship to him was his love and self-denial. His commitment to them and giving of himself for them was the motivation of their giving themselves totally for him.

Demonstration: Jesus taught them by showing them. All the disciples had to teach them was a teacher who practiced in front of them what he expected them to learn. So they learned to pray by hearing him pray, learned how to use the Word by observing his handling of it, learned how to minister by watching him ministering.

Delegation: He put them to work (Mk 6:7, Mt 10:5, Luke 9:1,2). They assisted Him as He ministered, gradually he sent them out two by two. The instructions he gave them are most interesting, revealing how even this was a part of their preparation as his disciples.

Supervision: Jesus kept check on them and used their experiences to instruct them further (Mk 6:30). This was “on-the-job training” at its best. They were given adequate room to work and learn, yet never without his concern and guidance as it was needed.

Reproduction: It is clear that he intended them to become disciplers. The church is like the mustard seed; it starts out small- yet we expect it to grow bigger than the crops around it (Jn 15:1-17), for the branch abiding in the vine must bear fruit.

In summary, this has been an overview of Biblical foundations, definitions, and selected resources for discipleship. It has focused on the command of Jesus to make disciples and has provided a few classic resources. For those interested in further readings on discipleship, consider the following resources.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship (1949).
Bruce, A.B. Training of the Twelve (1871).
Coleman, Robert E. The Master Plan of Evangelism (1963).
Ogden, Greg. Discipleship Essentials. (1998).
Stetzer, Ed. Planting Missional Churches. (2006).

The books listed here are personal favorites of this writer. Placing them here is like providing the names of good friends, individuals who have influenced my life and ministry. A small commission may be provided to me for books purchased. Church and School Education (CASE) Resources is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Line drawings are from the following web site https://www.rotation.org/topic/public-archive-of-annie-vallotton-bible-images-400px-wide-archive and appear in the Good News Bible.
  

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Curriculum Basics

If you don't know where you are going, any road with get you there. - Lewis Carroll

This blog identifies several basic curriculum terms and processes to help educators know the path or road to construct in their planning. These terms include
-- Defining the word “curriculum,” 
-- Identifying four key curriculum questions,
-- Describing what is meant by “scope and sequence,” and
-- Defining the term “spiral curriculum.” 

Curriculum is defined as a course or path of study. The curriculum of an organization answers the questions: what, why, to whom, and how to accomplish the learning goals of an organization or group. These four questions help us move along the teaching-learning pathway.
1. What should we teach?
2. Why should we teach this topic or topics?
3. Who will we be teaching?
4. How are we going teach?

 What should we teach? This a question about the content or subject matter to be taught.

“What” is interrelated with “why.” These two questions should be dealt with simultaneously. If they are not, we may find ourselves teaching content without reason or having reason without content for accomplishing our purposes.

Why teach this topic or topics? “Why” is a question for identifying objectives, or goals (intentions). Why addresses the rationale for teaching a topic.

Goals are generally understood to be general purpose statements that apply to a thematically grouped number of lessons or units. Objectives are typically defined as behaviors that can be identified as a result of a specific lesson.

Who will we be teaching? This question asks us to identify a specific group of learners. Are they children, youth, adults, or a multi-generational group? What are their cultural characteristics?  Do they have an advanced or beginning knowledge of the subject matter?

How are we going to teach? The “how” question asks about the methods, procedures, environment, and conditions by which we plan to teach. Will teaching-learning methods be directive or participatory? Will we be giving a lecture (information giving), leading a discussion (discovery learning), telling a story (imagination), or something else? Where will this teaching take place?

Curriculum planning also deals with “scope and sequence.” Scope and sequence refer to the “what” and “how” of teaching. They are part of the curriculum planning process.

Scope refers to topics that are to be taught; specifically, how basic or difficult will the content be from beginning to the mastery levels? Sequence is the order in which topics are to be taught over time.

Another component of is referred to as the “spiral curriculum.” The term “spiral curriculum” refers to concepts being repeated throughout the curriculum, repeated with increasing depth and complexity according to the prior knowledge and development level of the learners.

This presentation has been an introduction to several basic curriculum topics. These include defining curriculum, four curriculum questions, scope and sequence, and spiral curriculum.

These areas are key to planning teaching and learning experiences in any educational organization.

Following are references on which this material is based.

Bruner, Jerome. The Process of Education. Harvard, 1960 and The Spiral Curriculum

Tyler, Ralph W. Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction. University of Chicago Press, 1949

Ward, Ted. Curriculum: The Path to High-Worth Outcomes. Common Ground Journal. v10 n1 (Fall 2012) 43

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The Seven Laws of Teaching

How would you begin your book about teaching if you were one of the most famous educators of your time…

If you were President of two major universities;
If you were State Superintendent of Education;
If you were founder of a major journal on education;

If you were Dr. John Milton Gregory (1822-1898)?

This author began with a quote from the Bible: Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it. 

That is how the educational classic, The Seven Laws of Teaching (1886), begins.

John Milton Gregory was founder of the Michigan Journal of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Michigan, President of Kalamazoo College, and President of the University of Illinois.

What follows are Gregory’s “Seven Laws,” or rules, for teaching. Each one also has a brief explanation. The “Laws” are:
1. The Law of the Teacher
2. The Law of the Learner
3. The Law of the Language
4. The Law of the Lesson
5. The Law of the Teaching Process
6. The Law of the Learning Process
7. The Law of Application and Review

Here they are in greater detail.

The Law of the Teacher
“A teacher must be one who KNOWS the lesson or truth to be taught.”
Teachers are to have a firm and thorough grasp of the material that they plan to teach.

 The Law of the Learner
“A learner is one who ATTENDS with interest to the lesson given.”
There is no learning without attentiveness and interest.

The Law of the Language
“The language used is a MEDIUM between the teacher and learner and must be COMMON to both.”
The words used by teachers are to be understood by both teacher and learner in the same sense. The language must be clear and vivid to both alike.

The Law of the Lesson
“The lesson to be learned must be explained in the terms of what is already known by the learner — the UNKNOWN is to be explained by the KNOWN.“
Begin with what is already well-known or mastered about a topic, subject, concept, or skill. Then proceed to the unknown by single, easy, and natural steps, letting the known explain the unknown.

The Law of the Teaching Process
“Teaching is AROUSING and using the learner’s mind to form in it a desired thought, attitude, or skill.”
Use the learner’s own mind, exciting their self-activities. Keep their thoughts, as much as possible, ahead of your direct input, helping them discover that which is to be learned.

The Law of the Learning Process
“Learning is THINKING and BEHAVING into one's own UNDERSTANDING and ABILITIES a new idea or skill.”
This requires learners to reproduce in thought or action the lesson being learned—thinking it out in its parts, proofs, connections, and applications until they can express it in their own language or behaviors.

The Law of Application and Review
“The test and proof of teaching done is a finishing and fastening process that requires RE-VIEWING, RE-THINKING, RE-KNOWING, and RE-PRODUCING of the material taught.”
Review in order to reproduce correctly the old, deepening its impression with new thoughts, correcting false views or behaviors, and completing correctly what was taught and learned.

Summary and conclusion
You have been introduced to the “Seven Laws.” These “Laws” give us a way of thinking about education. They help us look at teaching and learning from seven different, but interrelated, perspectives – i.e., teacher, learner, language, lesson, teaching process, learning process, and review and application.

Each of the laws is developed in detail in Gregory’s book. You can find a free downloadable copy by clicking on “Free ebooks…” in our Virtual Resource Center. The book is also available in print by clicking “Recommended books to purchase,” also in the above Virtual Resource Center. This blog can also be viewed on our YouTube channel by clicking here

The Bible: A Beginning Introduction

This blog contains a summary of the message of the Bible, description of how the Bible is organized, and suggestions for Bible reading.

If someone who had never seen or read a Bible asked you, “What’s that book about?,” what would you say?

The Bible is about redemption (deliverance) through Jesus Christ. One early Christian leader described four states of Redemptive history (Augustine, 354-430 AD).

·       Creation: able to sin, able not to sin (posse peccare, posse non peccare)

·       Fall: not able not to sin (non posse non peccare)

·       Redemption: able not to sin (posse non peccare) – again

·       Consummation: not able to sin (non posse peccare) 

Another way to identify the purpose of the Bible is to see what the Bible says about itself. Note the following verses.

·       “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

·       “When you received the word of God… you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).

·       “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man (person) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

·       “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 

The Bible is a library of different types of literature, rather than a single book (Greek biblia—books [plural]).

•        66 Books total

•        Old Testament: 39 books

•        New Testament: 27 books

Old Testament Structure

New Testament Structure

The Bible is meant to be read and if you are interested, you may want to begin by reading selected passages or having a daily reading or listening plan or even starting with any place that looks interesting.

1. Selected passages to consider could be the following five Bible books.

•        Genesis: early history

•        Psalms: poetry

•        Mark: life and ministry of Jesus

•        Acts: early church

•        1 Peter: letter to churches 

2. A daily reading or listening plan is helpful for many. The following link is an example of one plan. You can read the Bible in a year with a printed plan like this.

My wife and I listen to the Bible each morning with the Daily Audio Bible.

3. You could also begin with any topic that is of personal interest. Think of a topic and Google it with the word “Bible” in the search line (e.g., faith, hope, joy, temptation, encouragement).

This blog has contained beginning thoughts about introducing the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is to tell the story of redemption through Jesus Christ. This is called “redemptive history.” The Bible is a book containing 66 books that are divided into the Old and New Testaments. You are encouraged to read the Bible for yourself and decide how its message applies to you.

To learn more, you will find free e-books, videos, and articles as well as recommendations for purchasing books and other products in the Virtual Resource Center at the top of this site.

If looking for a Study Bible, click here.

Church and School Education (CASE) Resources is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

To view this presentation on my Youtube channel, click here.

For a free e-book, The Beginner's Guide to the Bible, click here.

 

Prayer at the Beginning of a New School Year

God of new beginnings, we pray for the start of a new school year.

We pray for our teachers. We thank you for the heart that each of them has to invest in the lives of young people and pray that they are encouraged in their work. At a time when so many teachers are burning out, we pray for renewed strength and energy. May the teachers of our community know how deeply you love them and desire for them to experience the fullness of life in you.

We pray for our school administrators. We pray for wisdom for the decisions that they must make to guide the schools of our community. We pray for healthy relationships between faculty and administration.

We pray for school staff members, paid and volunteer. We pray for the important logistical work they do to ensure good education. We thank you for their selfless service and ask you give them strength and perspective in the work they do..

May the administrators and staff of our schools know how deeply you love them and desire for them to experience the fullness of life in you.

We pray for students. We pray for the students who are starting school for the first time and for those at new schools. Calm their nerves, and soothe their fears. For students who feel left out and alone, we pray for a welcome embrace. We pray for the many pressures our students will face - pressure to conform and pressure to perform.

May the students of our community know how deeply you love them and desire for them to experience the fullness of life in you.

We thank you for the gift of knowledge and the opportunity to better understand your world and who we are within it. We join our prayers with those around our communities and pray a canopy of support, protection, and love over the teachers, students, and schools in our community.

We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

This prayer is a slightly modified version of that used by Pastor Nate Schipper on Sunday, August 28,2022 at Fellowship Church, Holland, Michigan. He edited it from a group called Movement West Michigan.