Education: creating circles of influence

[notice]Musings around children’s ministry.[/notice]

Browsing through some of the articles on Education in the secular press can make one feel discouraged! Limpopo is now under the spotlight after last year’s textbook scandal, and even though last year’s overall best matriculant came from Limpopo, it seems there is a lingering morbid fascination with the leadership in that province. I noticed a Christian school in Durban has come under fire, for pointing out to a lesbian couple that perhaps putting their child in an environment that holds beliefs so contrary to their own (the couple’s) would not be such a healthy choice.

One article blames older men for the increasing HIV rates among school girls, whilst another complains about the confusion within the language policy in the national education policy. The Eastern Cape also seems to be under scrutiny at this time after the tumult last year. In all of these stories the people that suffer the most are the children. It all paints a pretty grim picture of injustice in education.

Every day since February 25 I have received an email from Teachers in Christ ministry. When my eyes fall on the familiar sender’s email, I plan a little time in my day to read the enclosed devotional message and pray.

Teachers in Christ (TiC) launched a 40days of prayer for education in the school and have been communicating with teachers around the country daily since February to lead us in a 40day prayer for teachers, schools, and education. 

Profound picture of prayer campaign
One of the devotions that used Mark Batterson’s book ‘The Circlemaker” as a starting point, made a profound impression on me. For the first time I got a visual picture of what these 40days of prayer were like. For anyone that doesn’t know, the term ‘circlemaker’ finds its origins in the story of Jericho’s wall. Mark Batterson testifies about a coffee shop that the Lord gave him a vision for, that they could not afford (they were not even close to affording it). Batterson shares about how they prayed around that land for 5 years, until the Lord finally handed the shop to them at a price that they could afford. I don’t do the story justice, but there was a persistence, and perseverance they showed in their prayer life that I see is building amongst Christian teachers in our country.

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As the body of Christ, we are called to be leaders here on earth. The Lord has proclaimed over us that we are the head and not the tail! We have all been stakeholders in ‘education’ in our lives (at some level). No one would deny how vital education is to the future of our children…yet how much are we doing to see a change in that environment? I am not talking about joining the SGB, PTA, volunteering at schools or becoming a teacher — though I think those are necessary and worthwhile things to do. I am referring to the one thing that every Christian has that the Bible calls powerful and effective. Prayer!

These teachers who are a part of the Teachers in Christ ministry are doing the only thing that will change the grim picture I mentioned before. James 5:16 says the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. I want to encourage every reader to travail in prayer over the children of this land. The Lord is faithful to do it, because it is His will that little children come to Him, and we know He came to undo the works of the evil one.

So pray. Pray for those who influence children, parents, teachers, the media, the government — pray for the schools to have enough funds to provide the best possible service to our children possible. Pray! Here is an extract of an email I got from Teachers in Christ. As you read, join me in agreement with these teachers and let’s commit to ‘circle’ education in this country until the walls of injustice fall down. I believe the Lord is faithful to see this happen.

Click to join movement

We pray for every staff member and the students in each classroom. We pray for each other as we do this, pleading the blood of Yeshua over each one of us as we dedicate our schools to the Father. And we give thanks to You Father for what You have done, are doing, and are going to do.