THE HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY OF CRU

Getting to Know Your School

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As you prepare to go hiking, whether in the Rocky Mountains or through an Amazon jungle, you must first know where you’re headed. Without a map and a compass, your trip is doomed to aimless wandering at best, and death at worst.

As you seek to influence your campus, you will want to make sure you know the campus and its people. Otherwise, you may just run aimlessly from one activity to another without really changing things on your campus at all.

  1. You must know the basics about your school.

    You may think you already know the school very well, but there are some valuable questions you can begin to answer that will help your ministry get started in the right direction:

    • Who are some other people who know the school very well? If I didn’t know anything about the school, what would I want to learn?
    • What do other people – adults and students – think of the school?
    • Who are the most influential students?
    • What groups are most influential on the campus?
    • These are good starter questions for helping you get oriented to the school.
  2. Now that you’ve got the basics down, become an expert.

    Like a private eye or a reporter in search of a story, dig a little deeper. To truly familiarize yourself with the campus, you need to find out more about the community and the school.

    Here are some of the many things you can do to get familiar with the school:

    Look through the most recent school yearbook. Notice students who appear often. Look for those in leadership of various groups. Try to use the yearbook to get a general impression of the school.

    Next you could look through local newspapers and publications. Ask yourself, “What kind of reputation does the school seem to have? Is it mentioned often? Are the articles positive or negative?”

    Also, find out who are the most influential students and teachers. Try to determine the key Christian students on your campus. Seek to meet them as soon as possible and share with them your desire to impact the campus. Meet supportive adults in the community. Talk with teachers, coaches, and administrators. Find out what makes the campus tick. What recurring problems are mentioned? What are the strong traditions?

    Attend sporting events, plays, or other performing arts events. These are great ways to get a feel for the school and the student body.

  3. Finally, start meeting students.

    Start with known Christian students, student leaders, and athletes. Your research of the campus will help you decide which students to go to first.

So, get to know the basics about the school; then become an expert on the school; and then you’ll be ready to meet the key students. When you’ve done these initial steps, you can confidently move ahead, trusting God to bring results through your ministry.

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PLEASE NOTE

  • If you are a student, do yourself a favor and get an adult to take on this responsibility! In most cases, they will enjoy it and have more success. But even if you are able to delegate this aspect of your ministry you need to read this and understand how valuable adults are to reaching your school.
  • If you are an adult, prayerfully proceed!

PARENTS

It is important to understand that in every community a group of adults exists who care enough about their young people to get involved in the solutions to their greatest needs. In most communities, parents are your greatest allies and potential resources. For just a moment, imagine what parents are facing when their sons and daughters are approaching adulthood. They are doing the best they can in raising their children. They are looking for significant others to take an interest in their kids. Most parents of students today feel disconnected with how their son or daughter is really doing. When meeting parents you need to let them know, without apology, what you and your ministry are all about. The most important principle in working with parents is being confident. Remember names of other involved parents and community people as you meet new parents. One name dropped at the right time is worth a thousand attempts at describing what you do. When a parent has shown an interest in getting involved, give them something to do as soon as possible. And remember to pray for the parents!

TEACHERS AND OTHER FACULTY

Christian teachers, coaches and administrators can be a tremendous resource in trying to reach a campus with the gospel,especially if they are well liked and respected among the students and faculty. Many entered the field of teaching because they wanted to make an impact on the lives of young people. So, with the “perceived”legal limitations, what can they do?

  • They can be involved in prayer,individual and
  • They can be “salt and light” in the classroom. They are within their legal rights by having and defending a biblical worldview. They can be an official advisor for your outreach if you decide to make it an officially recognized school club. They can open their classroom up for students to have prayer meetings.

Here are some ideas for mobilizing teachers to be part of ministry to teenagers.

  • Participate In Education Sunday

    This commissioning service for students and school staff would be a great way to help the teachers and students see that they are Christ’s ambassadors to their campus, to help them realize they are on the same team, and to help the church to see how critical the public schools are in God’s plan.

  • School Staff Prayer Breakfasts

    Organizing prayer breakfasts for school staff is another way to encourage the churches, students, and mom’s prayer groups to support the teachers in the school and to also encourage them to become involved in helping to reach the school for Christ.

  • See You At The Pole

    Encourage them to take part in it. It typically happens the third Wednesday in September.

  • Encourage Christian Faculty To Join CEAI

    Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) is an organization which provides a subscription to Teachers In Focus magazine, encouraging literature on being a witness in your school, and insurance comparable to NEA, with a philosophy that supports their Christian stand. (www.ceai.org; phone 1-888-798-1124)

  • Utilize Key Times for Students To Encourage Teachers

    Great opportunities for showing appreciation to teachers include:

    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • National Teacher Day (usually about May 7)Graduation (invite teachers to Baccalaureate)
  • Encourage Seniors to Witness To Their Teachers Before They Graduate

    The greatest need among educators is for appreciation, so encouraging cards sent to teachers (Christian and non-Christian) will go a long way in opening them up to Christ.

  • Help Inform Teachers and School Staff of Their Legal Rights

    Many school faculty have been intimidated into believing that they have no rights at all as Christians. Let them know that they do NOT have to check their faith at the schoolhouse door. A good resource for them is “Bible Clubs and Student Religious Meetings in Public Schools,” available in the Resource section of the 1x1x56k magazine.