by Diane Gammill
THERE IS PRAYER IN SCHOOL
M
UCH HAS BEEN SAID and done sponsor such a club for students that me to pray for him and his family. Tear-
to reinstate a student’s right to involves prayer. fully the student told me that when his
pray in public schools since state- 3. Thousands of students nationwide father found out his mother was having
sanctioned prayer in schools was out- participate in the annual “See You at the an adulterous affair, he beat her beyond
lawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963. Pole” rallies sponsored by students before recognition. My student had spent the
While students and faculty are still not school hours begin. This year’s event is set previous two nights at the hospital taking
allowed to pray aloud in the classroom, for September 23 (www.syatp.com). care of his mother and trying to make
there is prayer in school. As a public Many schools have religious clubs, some sense of his family life. I prayed for
school educator, I know there are various and parents and students should research and with this young man.
ways students can pray in school. their local school’s involvement. Howev- Countless numbers of Christian teach-
1. Students are allowed to participate er, another opportunity for prayer in pub- ers have had similar opportunities to pray
in religious groups such as the Fellow- lic schools is silent prayer offered by stu- with students individually.
ship of Christian Athletes (www.FCA.org) dents and faculty. There is always the I believe we should continue trying to
and First Priority Clubs (www.firstpriori- opportunity for the Christian to pray advance the right for students to pray in
ty.org) before and after school hours silently for the world around them. For our public schools. Meanwhile, we will
and/or during other noninstructional example, my students have told me pray in cars and buses, we will pray
times that a school designates for club about praying silently concerning exams, silently in corridors and classrooms, and
meetings. According to the Equal Access asking the Lord to help them remember we will pray at club meetings. There will
Act of 1984, if a chess club or outdoors what they have studied. be prayer in schools until the Lord
club, for instance, is allowed to meet, a For faculty there is the possibility of returns for us.
religious club can also meet. If one such helping an individual student with their
meeting is allowed to be announced relationship with the Lord when asked Diane Gammill is a certified
on the school’s public-address system, for help by the student. A student who educator and sponsor of First
the others have the right be announced once asked to speak to me after school Priority at her local high school.
as well. had previously been making A’s and B’s She and her husband, A.D.,
2. Under the above guidelines, faculty on my tests, but suddenly had failed a pastor the Lakeview Church of
members are allowed the opportunity to test the day before. He began by asking God in Columbia, Mississippi.
EVANGEL • AUG 2009 21
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