prayforateen.org - massive prayer movement of adults for teens and teens for teens

IS IT LEGAL TO HAVE A PRAYER MOVEMENT IN MY SCHOOL?

Yes! Absolutely! According to the Equal Access Law as stated below, it is perfectly legal for a student-led prayer group to meet in your school.

[The following is taken from The U.S. Department of Education’s publication, “Religious Expression in Public Schools”]

The Equal Access Act passed by Congress in 1984 ensures that students in secondary public schools may form religious clubs, including Bible clubs, if the school allows other “noncurriculum-related groups.” The Act is intended to protect student-initiated and student-led meetings in secondary schools.

Student religious groups at public secondary schools have the same right of access to school facilities as is enjoyed by other comparable student groups. Under the Equal Access Act, a school receiving Federal funds that allows one or more student noncurriculum-related clubs to meet on its premises during noninstructional time may not refuse access to student religious groups.

A meeting, as defined and protected by the Equal Access Act, may include a prayer service, Bible reading, or other worship exercise.

A school receiving Federal funds must allow student groups meeting under the Act to use the school media—including the public address system, the school newspaper, and the school bulletin board—to announce their meetings on the same terms as other noncurriculum-related student groups are allowed to use the school media. Any policy concerning the use of school media must be applied to all noncurriculum-related student groups in a nondiscriminatory manner. Schools, however, may inform students that certain groups are not school-sponsored.

Sorting through all the legal mumbo-jumbo, the bottom line - Yes you can have a student-led prayer group in your school. So, let's do it!