Faith in the Marketplace

In an increasingly secular and hostile culture, where groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation have made it their aim to remove all mention of God from the public square, public school teachers need resources to wade their way through this political minefield.  Teachers and substitutes are being fired for quoting Bible verses, giving Bibles to students who request them and in other small ways sharing their faith. A teacher who recently had posted the words from government  minted coins was told to take down the banner or risk reprisal.  How are teachers supposed to be salt and light in such a hostile environment?

Besides that, many Christian teachers feel that their calling is not as legitimate as a call to “full-time ministry,” as if the work they do is less spiritual than the work of a pastor, a missionary or a youth group worker.  There is a disconnect between their faith and their job, feeling that while they are at work they are not doing spiritual work, and the only times that count are their quiet times and their activities directly related to the church.  For those teachers I wish to blog and share some thoughts for them to realize what a great calling we have to work in the public schools with children, and to help them see how God is using them in the lives of their students and colleagues.

Finally, I want to answer the questions,  How does the Bible fit into my job? What does it mean to be a teacher who is a Christian?  How do we set ourselves apart?  In what ways can we impact children for Christ when the hostile forces in this country have thrown God out the school window?  What are some specific verses and concrete applications the Bible can give us for this dark time we are living in?  How can we best serve God and find our fulfillment in the public schools?

Jim Guerra has been a public school teacher in California since 1990.  He holds  English and Math credentials and is married with two children.  See his other blogs at guerrillamath.wordpress.com and jimguerra.wordpress.com.  Jim is the author of “From Dean’s List to Dumpsters: Why I Left Harvard to Join a Cult.”  Read his advice for recovering from spiritual abuse at the jimguerra.wordpress.com site.