On Campus Christian Club Support

One of my favorite things to do in ministry is “On Campus Club support”.  However, I find that people don’t know what that is or why it is needed. 

On Campus Christian Clubs are official school clubs that are initiated by student interest and leadership.  In other words, the Spanish teacher can decide that he would like to do a Spanish club.  He calls a meeting, students show up.  The Spanish teacher may even decide what activities will be done.  He can invite his students and even give them extra credit for coming to the Spanish club.  The Spanish teacher can be very comfortable in his role as a Spanish teacher and the Spanish Club sponsor.  The roles are quite compatible.

The on campus Christian Club functions with a different set of rules.  No teacher can decide that she would like to sponsor a Christian Club and announce that she will have meeting in her room.  She cannot decide the topics or activities or give anyone extra credit for attending.  The only thing she might be able to do is announce that she would be interested in sponsoring a Christian Club and see if any students follow up and ask her to be their sponsor.  Maybe at the beginning of the year in her all about your teacher talk. 

It is almost like there is one set of rules for all the other clubs on campus and whole another set of rules for the Christian Club.  When there is a meeting of faculty for all club sponsors, the Christian Club sponsor – first of all, is likely to not be included and if she is, she is the exception to every rule.

To start on campus Christian Club, a student has to go to the teacher sponsor and ask if they would sponsor their Christian Club.  It takes a whole another level of leadership to start a Christian Club.  Sometimes, students think and wonder about starting a club for a while before they do anything.  Can you imagine the student side?  You have 5 to 7 teachers.  There might be 100 teachers in your school – Teachers would be hesitant to announce matters of faith – who would you ask?  How would you figure it out?

If you go to your principal, if she is supportive, she might refer the student to a teacher she knows attends church.  If the principal is unsupportive, she might tell the student:  Separation of Church and State – you can’t do that here.

Principals are sometimes unsupportive for a variety of reasons.  The primary one seems to be the potential hot bed of political correctness and possible parent complains.  It is just easier for a principal to not have a Christian Club on her campus.  Or any other controversial club for that matter:  A Satanic club, a Future Pole Dancers Club, a Pro Life Club.  All of those are legally possible in our public school system and frankly, the Christian Club will get lumped in with this list.

On the other hand, a wise principal knows that a Christian Club will be an asset to her school.  That this club will encourage students to do right, follow the rules, stand up for what’s right, be good citizens.  It will encourage the kind of students she wants more of.  But, a Christian Club is still risky.  Those kids could want to pray before the football game,  share Jesus with their peers, put risky words on their club flyers:  pray, bible, Christian!, pray at the flag pole!

However, an astute principal also knows who will organize the school food drive or the clothing drive for the hurricane victims in Haiti.  She knows who will lead in the good.

Let’s go back to our Christian Club sponsor.  The Christian Club sponsor has to be asked by the students.  A school is a system where teachers do the asking and the leading.  To sponsor a Christian Club, the teacher has to be asked by the students to be a team member:  the sponsor – a necessary team member.  The teacher who is use to leading now has to let students lead.  She also answers to the principal for the conduct of the club, so she will have to maintain the status and involvement to cancel the fundraising plan that involves mud wrestling or other student ideas that are silly, unsavory or just downright dangerous or ridiculous.  This role as a team member is in contrast to anything a teacher probably does on her campus.  The students have a lot more freedom and are expected to show a lot more leadership than probably any other place on their campus. 

So, this on Campus Christian Club system is in direct contrast to the normal operating methods for both teachers and students.

Can you see why both student leaders and club sponsors would need some help with their roles?  My solution:  On Campus Christian Club Support.  Can you see why it is needed?