Do you want to know where you can find the vast majority of teenagers in your community five days per week, nine months of every year? I can tell you exactly where they will be—on a school campus somewhere near your home, probably close to your church.
There is no place in the world like the high school and middle school campus. The energy is contagious. The campus is what we would call the marketplace, or the hub, of youth culture. For teenagers, it is where the exchange of ideas, forming of values, and shaping of lives takes place. This powerful culture is changing students every day—for better or for worse. For a lot of teens, much of the direction of their lives and their thinking on many important topics is formed on this school campus.
This is why it is so vital for your church and youth ministry to commit to having an impact in schools. Consider that there are approximately 67,000 schools in America with more than 30 million middle and high school students in grades 6–12. That is why every church and Christian youth organization must band together as the body of Christ to have an influence on these campuses.
Campus Alliance is an organization that is fully committed to leading the charge to get the gospel to every student on every campus. The Alliance is not one single organization—it is a group of more than 70 church and parachurch organizations committed to seeing a sustainable prayer-care-share ministry in every school, giving every student the opportunity to know and follow Jesus Christ.
The words “every” and “all” are central throughout Scripture. One verse that comes to mind is
Colossians 1:28 (NASB 95): “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” This is God’s heart. By focusing on school campuses, which are magnets gathering the teens of our communities, we can pray for every student, care with the love of God, and share the great news of freedom and forgiveness in Christ.
To do this well, we need each other. It is for that reason that we invite you to join leaders from across the nation for the National Campus Summit livestream on Thursday, September 29 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (EST). Would you consider joining the movement to reach every school? You can start by joining the Summit and registering today at www.everyschool.com/campussummit.
The task is enormous, but so is the body of Christ. The collective vision, strategy, and resources of leaders like you are what drive us to the finish line of a ministry to every school. You will be super encouraged by the progress we are making together toward the goal of ministry to every campus and student. You will connect with ideas and relationships to advance campus outreach in your sphere of influence. And you will have the opportunity to share your best practices that will help others in our shared mission of getting the gospel to every teen in America.
There is no time to waste. We all know how deeply the last two years have impacted students. Now is the time to act and introduce students to Christ. Together, we can accomplish what no one can do alone. Register for the Summit today at www.everyschool.com/campussummit.
Chuck Klein is the national director of the Campus Alliance.