What Are Your Legal Rights at a Public School?

Suppose you are on campus visiting some of your Cru students when a teacher stops you and takes you to the principal’s office. Do you know your legal rights and freedoms? Is this teacher infringing on those?

Or what if you are a high school junior who wants to start a Cru club at your school, but the school board tells you that all clubs must be curriculum-related and denies your request. As a high school student, do you have any legal rights and freedoms that the school board is denying you?

These are both real-life situations that actually happened at one school!

It is not easy to know what you can and cannot do on a high school campus when it comes to issues of faith. High schools are not spiritually off limits; however, there are some limits to campus ministry and who can do what. Knowing these limits will help you effectively reach the campus without damaging relationships or creating deep divisions.

Students Have Protected Freedoms

In the United States, students have amazing rights and freedoms to express their faith as defined in the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Equal Access Act. To briefly summarize: these laws allow for meetings during non-curriculum time that are voluntary, student-led, and student-initiated, with non-students not directing, controlling, conducting, or regularly attending.

Public school students have the right to express their religious beliefs in public school under the First Amendment right of free speech. “Congress shall make no law … abridging (diminishing) the freedom of speech.” The law is well settled that religious speech, even prayer, is protected free speech under the First Amendment.

Here are ten specific examples of the freedoms students have:

Pray, read their Bible, and talk about their faith.
Lead prayer or Cru clubs and announce these opportunities.
Express their faith through classwork and homework.
Share their faith (as long as it does not disturb instructional time).
Express their faith at school events and graduation ceremonies.
Wear clothing or jewelry that expresses their faith.
Share literature about their faith.
Celebrate Christian holidays.
Meet with administrators about Cru or other Christian clubs.
Opt out of activities or class content that contradicts their faith.

Teachers also have protected freedoms. For more information about those freedoms, check out A Teacher’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools.

Student Groups

Remember the high school junior who wanted to start a Christian club? Cru leaders met this confident, friendly girl, and soon she got involved in the local Cru ministry. Cru was not an on-campus club at her school, and all the local gatherings took place off campus. At the start of her junior year, she had a desire and vision to start a Christian club that would meet on campus at her school.

However, when she went to the school principal, she found out the school board had added an additional requirement for all clubs and groups. It stated they would only allow curriculum-related groups whose “function is to enhance the participants’ educational experience and supplement the course materials [at school].”

The student strongly believed the school board was wrong to deny her the rights given by the Equal Access Act. So she started to push back against the school board.

After several meetings with the school board, a few news media interviews, and some perseverance by this young lady, the policy was changed.

In the process, however, the school board and leadership were publicly portrayed as “the bad guy.” This created a strained relationship between the school and the new student groups that began to spring up. While the policy was changed, it unfortunately created a difficult atmosphere surrounding what should have been an exciting opportunity.

If you are a high school student whose legal rights and freedoms to express your faith are being denied, you get to choose how you will step out in faith. Whatever choice you make, remember your rights and freedoms are important, but they neither limit nor enable the spread of the gospel. God is the one who changes hearts, not the law.

There are many examples of Christians who have seen God move in amazing ways under authorities who work directly against them. We can read about God moving this way in many places throughout the book of Acts in the Bible, and He is still doing this in many places around the world today.

Students on a high school campus have some amazing freedoms to live out their faith.

Adults Who Want to Help

Students themselves have amazing freedoms, but many of us reading this are not high school students. We are caring adults who want to minister to high school students. I am one of those caring adults, and as a Cru leader I was taken to the principal’s office twice in the same week and I had no legal rights to which I could turn.

I was visiting students at school when a teacher I had not met saw me walk into the lunchroom. She looked at me suspiciously and started to walk toward me. I could tell she was going to ask me who I was and what I was doing. After a series of questions it was clear to me that she was not pleased to see me visiting students at her school. She led me to the principal’s office, but he was not in, so I was asked to leave.

Later that week I was back at the school and that same teacher saw me, pointed at me, and marched me right to the principal’s office. This time he was in, so she explained why she brought me into his office. Then he asked me to tell my side of the story.

I had previously met with this principal several times. He knew who I was and all about the work we do with students. After I told him what I was doing at the school and the unfriendly teacher had left, he apologized for the misunderstanding and asked me to try to avoid that teacher if I could.

Because I am not a student or school staff, they would have been within their rights to kick me out, maybe even permanently. However, when we cannot rely on legal freedoms, we turn to building relationships in the school with trust and faithfulness. The principal has the authority to grant me access to the campus and my relationship with him was key in keeping that access.

When opposition surfaces (and it will), we must have the credibility and good reputation that says we are reliable, trustworthy adults. We are people who will do what is best for the school and what is best for students.

Your rights and freedoms are important, but they neither limit nor enable the spread of the gospel. God is the one who changes hearts, not the law.

Building Trust

Starting a ministry at your school is like building a foundation made of several blocks. Your foundation includes prayer, dependence on God’s Spirit, and evangelism–but that is not all. One important block of the foundation will be building trust with key leaders on the campus. This will create opportunities to make a difference at the school.

We have personally seen some amazing things happen for the Lord on high school campuses:

A varsity baseball coach sat down with one of his players in the middle of practice and told him how God loves him and that He was there for him.
A vice principal was talking with a student who was failing several classes and found out the student had a home life that was in crisis. The vice principal stopped and asked the student how they could pray for his family.
A Cru leader, who volunteers each week as a math tutor, had a student ask a spiritual question during a tutoring session. For the next 20 minutes, the tutoring session was transformed into a short Bible study to answer the student’s questions.

In each of these cases, it was a deep well of relational trust, rather than specific legal rights, that allowed these caring adults to proclaim Christ on the campus.

Leading With Respect

In this perspective of campus ministry, we depend on consistency and care for others, rather than legal rights, to open doors on campus. Our example is Christ, who had all the rights and authority in the universe, yet in many situations He set His rights aside to change hearts and meet people where they were.

Once you are on campus, begin to build a resume of trust. Treat the leaders of the school with respect, even if they do not always respect you. By leading with respect, we show the school’s leaders that we care deeply. Once again, this should sound a lot like what Jesus taught.

The apostle Paul also chose to appeal to a relationship rather than rights. In Philemon 1:8-9 Paul asked Philemon to show kindness to Onesimus as a brother in Christ when he said, “That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me- Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.”

As you reach out to your local campus, ask God to open up relational doors with leaders and students at that school. It may not be easy. There could even be conflicts and disagreements, but we believe that reaching students is worth the effort.

Next Step

Evaluate your resume of trust and consider one thing you can do in the next month to build relationships with the school. As well, consider how you can encourage students to stand on their freedoms on campus.

5 Key Features of the Claim Your Campus App

Pray Now:
This section is designed to lead any student through a daily 15-minute prayer time for their school. The format is simple: Listen, Thank, Ask. Each day students read a passage of scripture, thank God for something specific He is doing in their school, and ask Him for help at their school and schools across the country.

21-Day Challenge:
Habits take time to build. The 21-Day Challenge can help you and your students build the habit of praying together daily.

Share Your Story:
Students from all over the country are using Claim Your Campus at their schools. This video feature gives students one minute to capture what God is doing at their school and then share it.

Groups:
Use the Groups section to form your own prayer group and/or join other groups. Students praying together in community for their school(s) is the foundation of CYC. The group feature keeps students connected, motivated, and encouraged to keep pressing on!

Prayer Walk Your Campus:
This feature describes how to prayer walk a campus in three easy steps. Invite. Pray. Report. It includes a brief tutorial and a downloadable prayer walk guide.

Social Media:
Stay connected through Tik Tok, Instagram, and Youtube pages; News and Updates can also be found in the app.

Cast the Vision: Prayer Equals Change

Use these videos to get excited about how God could change your campus through prayer and how He could use you to build a prayer movement at your school.
General Promo video
Marion School video

Invite Students to Be One in the Million

Students download the app using the QR code graphic & claim their campus!

We encourage all campus movements to emphasize prayer and the Claim Your Campus app is a great way to engage students in prayer.

4 Different Ways Students Can Claim Their Campus

Start a Weekly Prayer Group. The CYC app provides prompts that change weekly.
Host a prayer walk around your campus. The CYC app features a Prayer Walk Guide.
Embed 5-10 minutes of Prayer into Your Weekly Cru Club Meeting. Build a CULTURE of prayer. CYC has done all the work for you. Click here for the Leader’s Guide and here for premade slides for up to 20 weeks. That is enough for an entire school year. CYC’s GRAB-N-GO resources make praying EASY.
Participate in Annual National Events such as SYATP.

Invite the adults in your community to support SYATP by signing up for The Prayer Walk Project. This project offers a way for caring adults to join hands in prayer on the Saturdays before and after SYATP.

Prayer is the real power in any campus movement. Make it a non-negotiable in your ministry to emphasize prayer with adults and students and see how God moves.

Next Step

Download the Claim Your Campus app and consider how you could use it on your campus today. Do you have a prayer strategy for your plans? If not, send the app to a few student leaders and invite them to start praying for their campus!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

4 Ways to Prepare for a Prayer Walk

Prepare Your Heart

Surrender the Prayer Walk to the Lord. Ask the Lord for one or two scriptures to help prepare your heart. Jot them down. If you like, use them to inspire the people you invite, or share them with your team the day you meet to prayer walk. Pray for:

Divine appointments with people.
Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help.
God to guide your steps.
Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Team

Pray for Names. Ask the Lord to bring to mind specific names of students, volunteers, parents, pastors, and/or faculty you can ask to join your prayer walk. Keep in mind, this is not about numbers. Even one prayer partner is enough. Matthew 18:20 says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.”

Invite the People that He brought to mind. Decide what mode of communication is best: text? social media? phone call? Give them a brief description of what a prayer walk is and what they can expect that day. Share what has motivated you to gather a team to pray. Be sure to tell them the date, the start and end times, and the location. Give them an RSVP date.

Send them any final details on the day before. Remind your team what time you will begin and end and the location to meet. Let them know what to bring and any adjustments needed due to weather or other factors.

(During a Prayer Walk) Pray for: Divine appointments with people. Connections with insiders at the school who are like-minded and willing to help. God to guide your steps. Open eyes to see the spiritual needs of the campus.

Prepare Your Campus

Check with an Insider at Your School. Once you choose your campus and gather your team, you may want to check with an insider at the school to see if there is anyone you need to notify ahead of time. Most likely, it will not be an issue if you are prayer walking after school or over the weekend on the parts of the campus that are open to the public. Avoid prayer walking on campus during school hours without permission.

Prepare Your Details

“WHO” DETAILS: By now, you know WHO is coming. But here are some other “WHO” questions to think about if you have a larger group. Who will…

begin the prayer walk (introduce/explain it)?
end the prayer walk?
lead smaller groups (if your team is large)?

“WHAT TO BRING” DETAILS: You may want to bring copies of the Prayer Guide and the Leader Guide.

“WHERE/WHEN” DETAILS: Make sure everyone knows the date and time you will meet. Include starting point (address of meeting spot) and ending point (time and meeting spot).

“HOW” DETAILS: For your convenience, this Campus Prayer Walk Leader’s Guide provides a general flow and includes sample scripts of what to say from start to finish. If you can read it, you can lead it. But you may need to think through the unique needs of your prayer walk.

Would you like the prayer walk to be more casual or more organized? Do you have people who are comfortable prayer walking or more new people who may need more instruction?

You have prepared your part. Time to grab your walking shoes. Let’s do this!

Next Step

It is time to get on the campus to pray. Text one friend today and ask them if they would be willing to go to the school to prayer walk with you this week. Get your feet on the campus and pray together. Once you have done it yourself, it will be a lot easier to gather others to do it with you.

Prayer Walking

After the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert, God called Joshua to bring His people into the land He had promised them. The commander of the army of the Lord appeared to Joshua with instructions essentially for a prayer walk around the city of Jericho. And let’s just say the Israelites’ obedience to his words, made history. (If you are unfamiliar with this incredible story, you can read the whole story here.)

What is Prayer Walking?

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk. And you can do it anywhere: around your neighborhood, through your city, or even on your daily commute. Invite others to join you! As you walk together, let the Spirit of God use what you see to guide your prayers. Then, trust God to respond in His perfect way and timing.

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you. It puts you right where the students are—like God’s boots on the ground—allowing you to connect your heart to that specific location as you pray. And who knows? It might even lead to a chance meeting with a key person on campus. Many ministries have started with a simple “Hey there!” to a student or administrator during a prayer walk. A casual stroll can open unexpected doors!

If you have never done this before, no worries! Joshua—the young leader from the Bible—had not done it before either. It was his willingness and availability to God that mattered most. And the same goes for you—no experience required!

Prayer walking is just what it sounds like—praying as you walk.

Prayer Walk in Three Easy Steps

Meet Up (5 minutes)

Grab a friend or two and meet on campus- ideally after school or on the weekend. Select and read a meaningful passage from the Bible together. Take a minute to pray a blessing over this time, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.

Walk & Pray (10-20 minutes)

Start walking the perimeter of the campus and let the Holy Spirit use who/what you see guide your prayers. Here are 5 ways you could begin praying:

Ask God to move by His Spirit on this campus and be glorified.
Pray people here would hunger and thirst for God.
Pray for the believers here to live wholeheartedly for Jesus and make others feel seen, known, and loved by God.
Pray for leaders in this school’s community (students, parents, administration, faculty, coaches, etc.)

Wrap It Up (5 minutes)

Select a spot to close your time together. Talk about how it went. Was there anything that stood out as significant or meaningful? Take a few minutes to thank God for this time. Express your love for Him and your confidence that He will respond to the prayers He heard today.

Other Prayer Walking Guides

If you would rather have a more specific guide to help you in your prayer walk, try one below:

CYC Prayer Walk Guide
Locations on Campus Prayer Walking Guide
The Launchbox Prayer Walking Guide
Make a list of prayer requests to pray about your specific campus
Just invite people to pray for things that come to mind as they walk

One of the most impactful places for a prayer walk is around a school campus that means something to you.

Why Do It?

Prayer Walking Knocks Down Walls

What effect did Joshua’s and the Israelites’ obedience have on the fortified and powerful ancient city of Jericho? Well, the God of the Universe infused their faith-filled feet with power, causing the otherwise insurmountable walls of the city to collapse. That’s how they fought and won the battle of Jericho—without ever throwing a punch!

Now, maybe you are not planning to tear down any physical walls around your school—in fact, let’s definitely avoid that! But in the spiritual realm, every school is a battlefield for souls. On every campus, there are barriers to the gospel that need to be broken down. Inside every person, there are walls that separate us from God or keep us from fully experiencing the abundant life He wants for us.

Looking for a more current example of a battle fought and won with prayer? Check out this powerful story of what happened when a group of students in Marion, Indiana consistently and prayerfully put feet to their faith and watched God win the battle for their campus. If you want to read about more victories won with praying feet, check out Exodus 14 and 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

Some Other Great Reasons to Prayer Walk Your Campus

It is a place to gather other believers who have a heart for the campus.
It is a way to be on campus with a purpose.
Sometimes God uses these times to introduce us to key gatekeepers on campus.
It might surface some needs on the campus with which you could help.
It helps your team become more familiar with the campus and less fearful of going there.
It is better than doing nothing. Sometimes God moves when we take action.

Within the campus ministry of Cru, prayer walking has actually been shown to be the single most effective strategy in seeing new gospel movements started.
– Dan Allen, Director of Mission Expansion

The powerful presence of God always has and STILL does mix with our prayers and supernaturally connects us more deeply to God, ourselves, and others. Prayer breaks down barriers that lie between us and wins the battle for souls.

Prayer walking can be your lead foot on any campus. Ready to grab a friend and step into the unknown with Him? Prayer walking is something anyone can do.

Next Step

Plan 15 minutes this week to stop at your local high school, walk around, and pray for the school. Bring a friend or do it alone; just get your feet on the campus and pray. Ask God to show you what next steps He would like you to take.