SCHOOLS MINISTRY
There is still an opportunity to reach kids in schools.
For several decades, OAC has sent teams into schools to speak to kids about the Christian faith. While this opportunity is disappearing in many regions, there are still some open doors and we want to take advantage of these while we can. School years are a strategic time for children to be challenged with Christian ideas.
Each year, by invitation, teams from OAC Ministries visit many Primary and Secondary Schools across Australia. Creative and active techniques are used to communicate the messages to the students. These include games, object lessons, puppetry, drama, music and creative storytelling.
Private schools
Many private schools are open to an overtly Christian program where the Christian worldview is taught explicitly. In these cases, our trained OAC presenters are able to share the message of Christianity and openly challenge the students to consider what they believe and why.
Public Schools
In our public school system, there are still some opportunities for OAC to provide faith based input.
When it comes to our public school presentations, we undertake the following:
- We talk about Christianity in general terms, not to promote any particular religious practice, denomination or sect.
- We make no absolute faith-statements (eg. Jesus is God), instead we use verifiable, grounded faith-statements (eg. Christians believe that Jesus is God).
- We do not coerce, proselytise, manipulate, or exert any such pressure to convert. We inform and entertain.
- We do not presume faith or induce children to pray, sing, or say words that would require Christian faith. Students may respectfully observe while we pray / sing / speak.
- We present in such a way that we would be happy for other faiths to present to our own children. (Note, parents may excuse their children from such input if they wish. However we contend that parents have nothing to fear from our school presentations. Rather, they add to their kids’ overall education.)
- We model the ability to talk about one’s own faith, with a respectful stance toward other faiths.
- We make clear our own Christian viewpoint, so there is no hidden curriculum, and no bait-&-switch.