One of the greatest gifts of semi-retirement has been margin—margin to spend time with our grandchildren and margin to share the Bible with children in our community.

For me, that open door is LifeWise Academy.

I like to call it being a missionary to public school kids.

LifeWise Academy provides Bible education to public school students during the school day, off school property, with parental permission. Thanks to a little-known 1952 U.S. Supreme Court decision, released-time religious education is legal, and LifeWise Academy has created a proven model that allows local churches to partner with local schools in a meaningful way.

This past February, our county launched its first pilot program after two and a half years of prayer, planning, and perseverance. We became one of sixteen LifeWise schools in Georgia, with a vision to see that number grow to one hundred over the next three years.

Kingdom work often requires patience. Some communities launch in a year. Others take much longer. But we keep praying, serving, and trusting God to open doors in His timing.

This fall our team is hosting community events, connecting with families, and inviting others to join the mission. We believe every child should have the opportunity to hear the story of God’s great love.

At the local church Mr. Bob and I have been attending since midsummer, the pastor shared just last Sunday that every growing Christian should so order their lives to make space and margin to be part of a ministry inside the church and a mission outside the church. All three Sunday services last week shared testimonies, as the message, of local ministries and local missions specific to the next generation. All. Three. Services. As. The. Message.

LifeWise is one way we’re living out that challenge.

Would you like to see LifeWise in your community? Visit www.lifewise.org, enter your ZIP code, and begin gathering signatures. You might be surprised by what God can do through a willing group of believers who believe that the Lord they serve can do mighty things in the world of a little person and their bigs.

Let’s go!

“You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.” Revelation 2:3