Sunday, August 25, 2013

Prayer Foundation



I love this time of year because so many Christians around the nation gather to pray for our schools. It takes many different forms: church groups, Moms in Touch, teachers and staff prayerwalking their campuses, individual teachers praying over the desks of their students and more.  Prayer is vital to the success of any school year and is such a natural part of being a Christian educator. Do you have a unique way of praying for the school year? Do you have a group of educators who pray for the schools in your community? Please let us know so we can share the stories.  You can comment here on this blog or our Facebook page or by email.

One of our most successful Christian Educator networks in St. Johns County Florida has a very doable and effective plan for the year. They gather for a prayer breakfast in the first month of school. In fact, yesterday was their annual prayer breakfast provided by Calvary Baptist (the above church). The participants pay $10, which is reserved for their 3rd event of the year – Honor the Grads. This ceremony gives 14 students in their district (2 from each high school) the distinct honor (from their peers) of walking their walk with integrity. The students come to a formal ceremony are given sashes for graduation, an integrity medal and $100 scholarship.  The St. Johns CEAI group also meets in January for a luncheon provided pot luck style by the members, collects another $10 toward Honor the Grads and pray again for the St. Johns County schools.

This pattern is very effective, not overwhelming and allows local churches to assist educators in their quest to bless their schools with educators and students who are legal and graceful Christians in the public schools. If you are considering building a network of praying educators who can make a difference, I would encourage you to consider this simple and incredibly effective model:
·      Prayer Breakfast in the beginning of the school year.
·      Luncheon with guest speaker in January.
·      A ceremony of honor of the students of integrity in your community in May.

Please consider asking different churches in your community to assist you with any initiative. The youth of Calvary Baptist served us the breakfast and joined our tables during prayer time. It’s a model worthy of replication.  Please let us know if you need any help. We are more than willing to serve.

Prayerfully dependent,
K


PS. Don’t forget to spread the word about the 1:16PM Prayer Movement.
      Go to www.one16pray.com for more information
      Go to www.ceai.org for more information (which will point you to the above address!)
      Visit,  "like", and add comments the 1:16PM Facebook page.
      Sign up for text message prayer prompts from Remind 101 (we have 205!)
      Follow us on Twitter for the prayer prompts @one16pray
      Look for the prayer prompts on the 1:16 PM website or Facebook page.

May God bless you with success His way this 2013-2014 school year.



Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

Christian Educators Association International is the only professional association in the United States specifically for Christian educators in public schools.  CEAI protects our members first in prayer, next with excellent professional liability insurance and other benefits while helping them live out their high calling as a Christian in the public school.  


Sunday, August 11, 2013

Back To School






Ready or not, here they come! Schools are opening up at so many different times across the nation. Our northeast friends typically begin after Labor Day and our southwest and southeast friends are beginning this week or have already started. No matter when you start, let’s commit to a year of prayer. Let’s be intentional in our focused prayer for our students, colleagues, administrators, parents and school community. To have an audience with the God of Creation is an unbelievable privilege. To not call out to Him for wisdom, protection, grace, mercy, peace and more is a sad loss.

Pray the minute your eyes open. Pray when you start getting ready and ask God to give you words that are soothing to the children. Pray the minute you take your first step on your campus. One of my prayer friends taught me to do the “First Step Prayer.” The minute I take the first step onto any campus, I pray and ask God for favor for that particular school. Pray as soon as you get in your classroom. Consider sitting in the desk of a difficult child or quiet child and pray specific prayers on their behalf. Praying FOR your school and FOR your students was never removed from schools. Praying in front of the class and leading the children is what was disallowed.

One of the most effective prayers for this school year is the 1:16PM Prayer Movement. It begins tomorrow on Monday, Aug. 12th and will continue through Friday, June 20th.  Can you imagine if every Christian in the public and private schools across the nation petitioned God daily? I can only imagine.  Please consider copying and pasting the message below and sending it to your church community and your closest prayer friends.

Help us spread the word in any of these ways below:
      Go to www.one16pray.com for more information
      Go to www.ceai.org for more information (which will point you to the above address!)
      Visit,  "like", and add comments the 1:16PM Facebook page.
      Sign up for text message prayer prompts from Remind 101 (we have 205!)
      Follow us on Twitter for the prayer prompts @one16pray
      Look for the prayer prompts on the 1:16 PM website or Facebook page.

May God bless you with success His way this 2013-2014 school year.

Prayerfully dependent,
K


Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.

Christian Educators Association International is the only professional association in the United States specifically for Christian educators in public schools.  CEAI protects our members first in prayer, next with excellent professional liability insurance and other benefits while helping them live out their high calling as a Christian in the public school.