Why Our Schools Matter

INTRO

The largest collection of unreached adults in any community intersects through the local school. Additionally, 1.4 million immigrants enter the US each year and this will increase 2.1 million per year by 2050 (according to the Population Reference Bureau).  The children and grandchildren of these immigrants predominately funnel through our local schools.

The nations are literally coming to America!

Our local schools become the strategic mission field to reach our communities and the unreached immigrant language groups. While the church and adults have no legal rights on the school campus, they
can mobilize, invest and serve the school. By engaging the local school, the church impacts the broader community through its family and networking relationships.

BIBLE REFERENCE

James 2:14-26 (Please excuse the mistake in the message that mentioned the Scripture passage was from James 6 … That’s an example of a simple typo making its way into the message)

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.

16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Reaching our schools requires passing the Faith Litmus Test:

  1. Authentic Faith ALWAYS mobilizes us towards others with confidence.
  2. False Faith ALWAYS does preaching with little reaching.
  3. Authentic Faith provides the church a GREATER platform in the local community.