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You almost can’t turn on the TV, read a newspaper or sift through your social media feeds without seeing discouraging news about the culture of public schools. From bullying, peer pressure, alcohol or drug use, sexual harassment or assault, suicide and even school shootings, what our kids experience in schools is mirroring what we see in our communities.

People are quick to point a finger at why they think it’s this way, but many people fail to acknowledge the real reason. As believers in Christ, we know the real problem is sin.

"When God left the schools, chaos entered in,” Dallas-Fort Worth area pastor Tony Evans said during a sermon at his church – Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship – following the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. in February. “Wherever God is removed, chaos will fill that space… in your life, in your family, in our culture.”

Too many people in our country think they can live without God, but they lack an eternal focus. Politicians were pressured to remove God out of our schools and we’re seeing a moral decline in that space where our children spend so much of their time.

“The wrath of God is revealed when He releases you to life without Him,” Evans said at the Southern Baptist Conference Pastors Conference in Dallas last month. “When He releases you to put Him out of our lives, out of our schools, out of our culture, out of our environment… God is saying you can have life without Me, but you won’t like it.”

Evans said the responsibility falls on the church to get God back in spaces where he has been removed. He told his congregation, “We will do our part as a church for you, for our community to get God back in the proper place so we can bring ease to a chaotic world.”

He’s right! It’s the responsibility of the church to help our communities return to God. KiDs Beach Club® is a solution to do just that. KiDs Beach Club® is an innovative ministry established to mobilize the church to go outside its walls in order to take the message of Jesus Christ into the heart of its community.

Speaking just two days after Evans at the Southern Baptist Conference Annual Meeting, Vice President Mike Pence spoke to attendees and praised the work churches and ministries like KiDs Beach Club® are doing to change communities.

“The most important work in America doesn’t happen in the White House,” Pence said. “We know the most meaningful work, the most transformative work, happens where you live, where your ministries impact, in the hearts and minds of American people.”

This fall, KiDs Beach Club® will partner with churches to sponsor after-school Bible clubs in nearly 200 schools in 11 states. Each club meets immediately after school for 24 weeks during the school year and our screened and trained volunteers teach an energetic, customizable curriculum that stresses the character words they’re already talking about in school; but in Beach Club, are defined through the lens of scripture.

Just like a message from church can stick with someone the rest of the week, an hour of Beach Club can stick with a child and change the outcome of their week to follow.

And in many instances, Beach Club may be the only “church” a child is exposed to.

Historically, more than 62 percent of children who come to Beach Club have indicated they don’t have a church home. To God’s glory, nearly 8,300 children have made Jesus their Forever Friend and accepted Him as Lord and Savior of their lives in a Beach Club.

Through our generous donors, KiDs Beach Club® provides a customized study Bible to every child in every Beach Club at no cost to our partnering churches or families. Since 2003, we have given out more than 55,000 Bibles to children in public schools. In most instances, those Bibles are the first Bible a child has ever received and in some instances it’s the only Bible in their home. Together, with weekly take-home reading plans encouraging kids to spend 10 minutes daily reading God’s word or in prayer, we’re able to reach their entire family and connect them to the partnering church.

Michael Proctor, a retired juvenile probation officer, volunteers at the Beach Club at Mohawk Elementary in Richardson. He has seen first-hand what can become of a child with no love and guidance.

“More needs to be put into prevention,” Proctor said about how to make an impact in communities. “Instead of dealing with things after they have already happened. That is what this program (KiDs Beach Club®) is about.”

Dr. David Vroonland is the superintendent of schools in Mesquite Independent School District and sees the tremendous benefit KiDs Beach Club® brings to his campuses. This fall, as many as 20 of his 33 elementary schools will have a Beach Club with that list expected to grow by at least two in the spring.

“All of those children need the opportunity to experience the love and the faith and the educational experiences.”

As a young child, Vroonland grew up in poverty. Approximately 75 percent of the children in his school district come from poverty. Without these three elements in his life, Vroonland could very well have been stuck in poverty, but through his adoptive family he was shown love, brought up in faith and received a quality education.

“Those three things made a huge difference in my life,” Vroonland said. “Significantly and obviously is God’s presence. Those three things matter… That’s why church volunteers who minister to these kids with love, helping people in faith, and your ensuring the quality of their education will provide a direction for young people you just simply can’t understand. You can’t understand the impact of that.”

For more information about how your church can start a Beach Club or to see how you can get one in your child’s public school, click here to see how your church can partner with us or get a Beach Club in your school.

We hope that you have been enjoying your summer and have found some time to take advantage of the children being off school to relax and spend some quality time with them.

For KiDs Beach Club®, the summer is all about setting up Beach Clubs for the next school year and we are excited to say that our team of 14 club relations specialists along with the corporate staff have experienced God’s blessing of multiple new Beach Clubs for the fall semester.

“KiDs Beach Club® is quickly approaching another major milestone,” said Jack Terrell, the KBC founder and president. “Our team is committed and focused to the securing of additional church partners and schools to meet our goal of 200 Beach Clubs. I’m confident of Father’s favor to allow us to achieve this milestone this October. “This amazing accomplishment of 200 clubs represents an estimated 12,000 pre-teen students in weekly Bible study on elementary school campuses in 11 different states.

“That is an estimated increase of 28 percent from the 9,313 students enrolled last school year in 169 Clubs. I’m overwhelmed by His goodness and favor upon us.”

Leading the charge from the KBC corporate office is Suzanne Massey, the organization’s strategic growth director, whose team has utilized events such as the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas and each of the Texas district assemblies of the Church of the Nazarene to tell the KBC story to numerous church leaders and staff.

“We were excited to be able to visit with pastors and church staff members from across the country who have a passion to reach the lost for Jesus Christ,” Massey said. “Our field staff utilized events like this to reach out en masse this summer, but our group has firmly grasped the concept of 1 Corinthians 3:6 which says, ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.’

“Our staff has been working tirelessly to, one by one, plant and water seeds about this ministry to hundreds of church leaders. I believe God is honoring their labor with a fruitful increase in Beach Clubs.”

One of the areas that KiDs Beach Club® has seen significant growth is in Arkansas. Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith started the state’s first Beach Club at Albert Pike Elementary last fall and when school kicks off this fall, there will be seven Beach Clubs in Fort Smith public schools.

Paul McCollum, the chief operating officer for KiDs Beach Club®, joins Terrell and Massey in giving God all the glory for the growth.

“When I consider how the Lord has blessed our ministry during the last several months, 2 Timothy 2:2 comes to mind.” McCollum said. “In that passage, the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to take what has been learned and ‘entrust those things to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.’

“Our success is not about great strategic growth strategies, sales charisma, or even KiDs Beach Club® as an organization. What God has required of the church is to ‘go and make disciples.’”

The KBC mission is to help the church do just that. When individuals in the church, whether it is a local body, or the church at large, take hold of their God-given calling and begin to not only fulfill their part, but teach others to do the same, God goes before them.

That has been our experience during the last few months.

Jeff Thompson, director of missions for the Arkansas Concord Baptist Association, understood the call, saw opportunity within KiDs Beach Club® and not only shared that opportunity, but also helped empower the churches within his influence join him missionally by partnering with KiDs Beach Club®.

In Arkansas alone, KiDs Beach Club® has grown from one club to seven clubs this summer “through the effort of one faithful man who heard and understood God’s call and taught others,” McCollum said. “It really makes you wonder what could be accomplished if we all faithfully responded and empowered our circles of influence. My prayer is that many others will hear and respond. To God be the glory!”

Lowry and Diane Mayo are surf team leaders at the Beach Club at Bukhair Elementary in Dallas, Texas. One evening after Beach Club, the Mayos went into Corner Bakery to eat, still wearing their Beach Club t-shirts. While there, a woman came to their table and briefly spoke with them about KiDs Beach Club®. The woman also gave them a $20 donation.

“She said that she liked what we do with children and wanted to help out,” Lowry said. “She handed us the $20 and asked us to give it to the people in charge.”

The Mayos did not know the woman, nor had they had any previous interaction with her. The couple believes that the woman noticed their Beach Club shirts, the back of which includes the text, “Connecting kids to Christ and putting Bibles in their hands.”

After the encounter, the Mayos passed the donation along to Keith Joyner, their club leader from The Heights Church in Richardson, which partners with KiDs Beach Club® to sponsor the club at Bukhair. Joyner submitted the donation through the KBC online donation page with a note that read: “Given by a patron in a local restaurant who saw one of our Beach Club leader couples wearing their KBC t-shirts, asked about Beach Club and felt led to donate to support KBC.”

Although this was the first time the Mayos received a donation, it was not the first time that their shirts attracted attention.

“Many times, people have commented on our shirts and thanked us,” Lowry said.

This experience is not unique to the Mayos. Ann Griffith, a KBC club relations specialist, was at Sonic when the carhop noticed the box of bright orange KBC t-shirts sitting in Griffith’s car.

According to Griffith, the carhop said, “I love that organization. My kid went through it and just loved it.”

For Beach Club volunteers, it is easy to think of the t-shirts as just the uniform worn to Beach Club so that everyone will match and to help the kids easily identify the leaders. However, it is important to realize that they are also a powerful tool for sharing the ministry.

“There are a lot of believers out there that see it and don’t know what it is,” Griffith says.

Wearing a KBC t-shirt can change that immediately. With the recognizable KBC logo on the front and the explanation of what we do on the back, these shirts quickly introduce anyone who sees it to KiDs Beach Club®. So, wear it proudly – and not just on club days.

Many clubs already provide their volunteers with t-shirts; however, if yours does not, be sure to tell your club leader about this valuable tool. If you are not a volunteer, you can still sport the KBC colors and spread the word. T-shirts (and a nicer, black polo shirt with the KBC logo) are available in the KBC Surf Shop at kidsbeachclub.org/surf-shop.

Save the Date! North Texas Giving Day is Thursday, Sept. 20, but you don’t have to wait until that day to make your donation. This year, there will be 10 days of giving when you can schedule your donation to benefit KiDs Beach Club® and other North Texas non-profit organizations you already support. Scheduled giving begins Sept. 10.

You can support us anytime by visiting the KBC website, but we want to encourage you to lend your financial support on the North Texas Giving Day website and for good reason! They match a portion of your donations, give bonus funds and prizes! Your dollar will be stretched when you give through this site.

When you donate to KiDs Beach Club®, your money goes further than you could ever imagine! You’re not just contributing to an after-school club, but to a child’s eternal future and providing a means for them to learn the word of God and how it applies to their everyday life. You’re also helping our partnering churches share the gospel and make an impact for God’s kingdom.

If you would like to be a matching donor this year, please contact us! Matching donors have a huge impact on North Texas Giving Day. Matching donors show that the cause is so meaningful that a generous person, such as yourself, would not only give a small donation, but match the amount others give. Matching donors encourage more people to give because they know their gift will go even further!

We are planning tons of exciting things around North Texas Giving Day this year like events, videos and fun pictures you can share with all of your friends on social media to tell them about the worthwhile cause you believe it and ask for them to join you in your support.

Be sure to follow us on our social media networks so you won’t miss out on any of the excitement. You definitely don’t want to miss out on when and where these special events will happen!

We are so excited to see how God provides through North Texas Giving Day and can’t wait to have you all join in on the fun!

Chris Howard, who has served in non-profit organizations for more than a decade, joined the KiDs Beach Club® corporate staff last month.

As program director, Howard will manage all things that happen during a one-hour, one-day-per-week Beach Club program. This includes all aspects of curriculum, training of volunteers and staff, verification of background checks and program quality control. He will assist in the leadership of the KBC coordinator and specialist staff and will serve on the senior executive leadership team.

He most recently served with the Vernon Wells’ PERFECT 10 Charity as executive director. Howard graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and from Dallas Theological Seminary with a certificate of graduate studies. Howard brings a variety of skills to KiDs Beach Club®, including development, fundraising and grant writing, computer systems and administration.

He is married to Jessica and father to Clara. Chris and his family are members of 121 Community Church in Grapevine, Texas, where he serves as a men’s life group leader. He enjoys time with his family, friends, reading and traveling, especially when it involves the beach.

Interested in joining the KiDs Beach Club® team? We currently have staffing needs in Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee as well as at the corporate office in Bedford, Texas. Check out the complete list of available positions on the employment opportunities page of our website.

Think about your Bible. What does the cover look like? Is the print inside large or small? Are there notes and highlighting that you have added?

Now, imagine not being able to see your Bible. You can feel the texture of the cover. You can turn the pages. However, you cannot see the scriptures it contains. Does this make your Bible any less important?

A recent experience by Kerri Nelson assures us that it does not. Nelson, a KBC club relations specialist, recently made a routine visit to a club at Austin Elementary in Grand Prairie. As staff members often do when making these visits, Nelson sat with the kids. In doing so, she met a girl named Ydie and assisted her with the day’s activities.

While learning the memory link, Ydie opened her KBC Study Bible and began turning pages. This may sound unremarkable; however, Ydie is blind. So, Nelson offered to help Ydie locate the scripture. Ydie accepted and explained that she also wanted to highlight it.

“I put her hands where the verse was and told her which direction to go until it was highlighted, Nelson said. “She just knew that highlighting was good to do for important things.”

The partnering church for the Austin Elementary Beach Club is St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. According to Father Andy Powell, the church pastor and Beach Club leader, Ydie “received her new Bible on Great Treasure Day, and she was very happy to have received it. She brought it with her every week thereafter.”

Despite her inability to physically see, Ydie understands the importance of God’s word and desires to interact with it. Ydie is able to do this because of donors like you who make it possible to provide each child their own KBC Study Bible at no cost to our church partners.

In Matthew 11:3-5, John the Baptist sent two men to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah. Jesus replied, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

Jesus came to make the blind see. The reality is that we are all spiritually blind, but God gave us His word so that we can see. Our goal is to put a KBC Study Bible into every child’s hands so that they can experience this gift. Your generous donations have so far helped us give Bibles to more than 55,000 kids, and we look forward to providing many more Bibles in the years to come.

The next time you pick up your Bible, take a moment to thank God for giving you the ability to see – spiritually as well as physically.