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After school Bible clubs can share the Gospel and pray with kids when they meet outside instructional time and participation is voluntary and parent approved. They are not part of the school day. They are not instructional. And they are not school sponsored. That distinction is what opens the door for prayer and Gospel conversations to happen appropriately. Once the school day ends, the campus becomes a shared space used by many groups under facility use policies.

After school Bible clubs are different from church-based programs. They meet on public school campuses. Time is limited. Attendance can change each week. Volunteers may rotate. Children arrive with different energy levels and very different experiences with faith. Curriculum written primarily for Sunday morning church classes does not always translate well to this environment. After school Bible club curriculum needs to be written for children who may be hearing Bible stories

At the heart of these protections is a principle often called equal access. This means that when a school allows non-school groups to meet after instructional time, it must offer the same opportunity to religious groups under the same conditions. If chess clubs, tutoring programs, or character programs are allowed after school, then a Bible club must be allowed as well as long as it follows the same rules. Schools are not allowed to favor or disfavor a group based on viewpoin

Federal law protects the right of religious groups to meet on public school property during non-instructional time if the school allows other outside groups to meet. If a school allows clubs like chess, robotics, or tutoring after school, it cannot single out a Bible club just because it is religious. This protection prevents discrimination based on viewpoint. The school does not have to agree with what is being taught. It simply has to allow equal access.