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Moms in Touch
- 10/20/10
- 17
Moms in Touch is a ministry I’m very, very excited about. And I want you to be excited about it too. In fact, I want to encourage you to read to the end of this post and then to take action.
I first encountered Moms in Touch at the 2008 True Woman conference. I did not have a lot of time to investigate it, but was really impressed with the little I did see. Last weekend as I was in Fort Worth for the 2010 True Woman conference I spent some time meeting the ministry and Fern Nichols, its founder, and found myself moved as I heard about the organization and about how it serves communities. I just had to share some of that.
So here’s the deal. Moms in Touch is a ministry that coordinates prayer groups. They want women to be praying and they coordinate that prayer. They want women praying very specifically for children, for schools and for the educators within those schools.
They are:
- Two or more moms who meet regularly to pray for their children, their schools, their teachers and administrators.
- Mothers, grandmothers or anyone who is willing to pray for a specific child and school.
- Moms who believe that prayer makes a difference.
- A nonprofit, donation-supported ministry in 120-plus countries.
Now, you might be thinking “But I homeschool my children.” Perfect. That gives you even more reason to pray for the children in those schools. One of my real concerns with the growth of Christian homeschooling is that there is less and less Christian influence within the public system. While I absolutely understand why so many choose to homeschool, I see a ministry like this one as a great way of continuing to be involved in the public system and to do something that will benefit the school and its students.
So what does this actually look like? Essentially, two or more women (moms, grandmothers, etc) meet together on a regular basis to pray for the school, for its students, for its leaders. As much as possible they pray by name, they pray specifically and they pray passionately. And that’s it. It’s not a teaching organization so there are no Bible studies, no curricula, no political affiliations. They simply pray.
Let me take off the blogger hat here and put on my dad hat. As you may know, my children go to a local public school. I quite literally find tears in my eyes as I consider a group like this meeting to pray for my children and their classmates. The thought of women taking time to intercede on their behalf for no other reason than a love for them and concern for their souls chokes me up.
And yet there is no such group for their school (or for any other school in my city). There are thousands and thousands of moms praying through this organization, and yet there are so many schools that do not yet have anyone praying for them. Not too long ago I was walking through my neighborhood looking at homes and wondering, “Have the people in that home ever, even once, had a Christian pray for them? Has anyone ever interceded with God on their behalf?” And I think the same as I drive by the schools and see hundreds of children out on the playgrounds. Who is praying for those children? Who is pleading with God for their souls?
Take Action!
And this is where I want to ask you to do something.
For men who have read this far, why don’t you forward this to your wife or to other women and encourage them to get involved.
For women who have read this far, why don’t you go to the Group Locator and find a school near you. You can simply type in your state and city and see a list of local schools. If there is an existing group, why don’t you consider contacting that group? And if there isn’t, why don’t you consider starting one? What a great way to express love, to express care, to honor God.
Not interested in that kind of a group? Well then why don’t you consider one of their other kinds of groups. They also pray for colleges and universities, for families with special needs, for homeschool families, and on and on.
Here is brief video about Fern Nichols and the organization she founded.
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Comments (17)
I know this organization “Moms in touch Int” means well in being involved with their children, schools and admin, but haven’t we sacrificed our children enough on the altar by allowing them to be in the “PUBLIC” school system? We all need to wake up and see the big picture here! We are losing our children from the church and giving them into the hands of the government….What is wrong with us?
i belong to a moms in touch group for our inner city middle school. where my children also go to school. where there are several other STRONG christian praying mamas. where they are amazing christian teachers. and a wonderful christian principal. and even if there was not a single Christian there, my kids would go there if that was what God had called us to… and He has made that clear to me through prayer and His Word.
i see so many answers to prayer for the school, for the kids, for the faculty… but mostly i see my walk changing by being a mom in touch. i see me relying on Christ more and more. praying Scriptures more and more. and feeling God’s love and power working His will through me… more and more as i pray.
our group also prays for another inner city school that has no moms in touch group. i have no doubt that one day in Heaven we will meet children, parents, faculty members who we were praying for and never knew them here.
the only alter that i want to sacrifice my children on is the one presented to me in Scripture. the one where i put them in the center of God’s will. where i lay them at His feet because He knows what is BEST for them. for their GOOD. and being in the public schools has been GOOD for them (and their parents). they have learned how to walk with Him through hard times. how to see beauty in the midst of ugliness. how to learn to love others who are not like them… but that are in situations that Jesus must WEEP over, and situations that we WEEP over as we pray for them to be rescued.
i am so glad that God saw it was GOOD for my children to be in the public schools and that i can count it all as JOY and as a blessing. it is not what He calls everyone to do… but we are walking faithfully day by day. trusting not in a place, but in a Person, not in horse and chariots but in the HOPE ofthings unseen, not in man made things but in a MAJESTIC KING who takes us where we dare not go alone… but never leaves us alone. one who spent His life amoung fishermen and tax collectors. who dined with prostitutes and hung between two thieves. He finds good company with me as well…
I know this organization "Moms in touch Int" means well in being involved with their children, schools and admin, but haven't we sacrificed our children enough on the altar by allowing them to be in the "PUBLIC" school system? We all need to wake up and see the big picture here! We are losing our children from the church and giving them into the hands of the government....What is wrong with us?
This organization isn’t telling people to put their kids in public schools—it’s asking them to pray for the kids who are already there. It’s not about sacrificing your kids; it’s about loving other people’s kids.
I love this!! I’d also like to share that as a public school support employee, usually working as a teachers assistant, I think many people would be surprised how many Christians are called to work in the public school system. I myself try to pray for each child as I work, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
I was raised in a non-Christian home, was earnestly seeking truth as a middle schooler (I don’t know any other way to put it… I went to the library and checked out 8 books on different religions)… and was led to Christ in 7th grade by a friend from health class and her family. I’m 22 and I’ve never looked back. I’ve often felt that someone must have been praying for me somehow all those years before I came to faith. Maybe it was because of this :-)
We home school but are certainly not in the same camp as the first commenter. This is our fourteenth year of homeschooling in our fourth state, so I speak from experience. Sometimes our “enthusiasm” for homeschooling becomes misguided in that instead of elevating homeschooling, we degrade others’ choices. Because we have done it for so long, I have seen many other die hard types put their children in public school for a variety of reasons, divorce, illness in family, death in family, etc. etc. It is grossly unfair to make generalizations about any Christian public schoolers and arrogant to think that God is not in others’ decisions. We should pray for the public school teachers, administrators and the children that they influence, they are the next generation and there are a lot more of them than there are homeschoolers. They will be our homeschool childrens’ bosses, coworkers, possibly spouses, neighbors, etc. If they are unsaved, we should pray for salvation, just as we would for any unbeliever, if they are saved, we should pray for God’s hand of protection and that they would be bold in their witness for Christ and that the government would not silence Christian activity. I remember my days of being naive and thinking that God would have to save my children and keep them from rebelling because I was so wise in choosing to homeschool. It is all about God’s grace and that is it, my parenting and schooling choices do not save my children from anything.
We have some dear friends who are doing foster care and they have to have their children in public school for now. So where once, there might not have been a Christian parent exerting influence, now there is, Praise God that they were not afraid of the public school and the government and chose to give these precious girls a home.
Think about what you say about public schoolers and all those involved with the school, God may use YOU to make a difference there. Phillipians 2:3-4
I want to add that this post is NOT about homeschooling or public schooling, Tim has covered that before, it is about a group of fellow CHRISTIAN moms supporting others…….and it is HIS blog.
Let me clear up some misunderstandings that has obviously touched a nerve with some of you….I LOVE children, I have 7 of my own.We are a Homeschooling family and “YES” absolutely we are to pray for our children…ALL of them! I am not bashing parents that have their children in the Public/government run school system. My concern is that you are failing to see that this institution we call “SCHOOL” has taken GOD out, replaced it with Government Education which is Anti-Christian. ANTI-Christian! “YES” thankfully a few of you have had the experience of being led to Christ by someone through a public school up-bringing. But we need to raise the bar in our understanding of scripture and what we are commanded to teach our children, the Bible commands us to give our children a Christ-centered education.PERIOD! By NO means am I degrading others decisions or choices in gathering together to pray for their children or am I naive in thinking that by God’s grace can He save our children, I am only stating the obvious, and we need to wake up to what is going on around us.I pray you will not be naive in seeing another view, but consider the cost…our Children!
Thanks for the heads up on this org. God answers prayers, so I really should pray more!
I went through public schools as a Christian kid. Young, yes. But gullible and undiscerning, no. Would you agree that Christians can be quite young and quite wise at the same time?
My parents taught me that even in our youth, God calls us to be the ‘influencers’, and not the ‘influenced’.
There was a tight knit group of redeemed, rock-solid, on-fire Christian kids in my public high school. We saw God use us to greatly influence our school. Their secular humanism did not “rub off” on us or confuse us in any way. (I agree it’s a religion.) Rather, seeing godlessness up close and personal every day only served to confirm it’s emptiness/foolishness. Then we saw God’s wonder-working power save people when we spoke His truth in love to our peers and teachers!! Amazing transformations! God’s glory displayed! World-views exposed for the errors they actually are!Many of those Christian friends now serve in various ministry positions around the world. They all still walk with the Lord and are teaching their children His ways.
How great it was for us to experience at a young age what the Lord can do with our lives when we are willing to love Him and love others, going counter-culture, without fear. Our faith became all the more real and dear to us in public schools. We were different, and understood Christ all the more. We prayed hard! We studied the Bible hard, so that we would be ready to give an answer, cast down worldly speculations. It was great for our walks with the Lord!Had my parents taken me out of public high school and I only had my baptist youth group friends, sadly I would have only known shallowness and nominalism. In my case, under those circumstances, I imagine that would have dulled my spiritual senses immensely.
I have 4 kids, and I understand all the points the commentators above me are making. I know no two kids or situations are ever the same. Just wanted to share my perspective. Did my parents teach me His ways at home? EVERY day in every way, yes! Could God use public school life to solidify my faith in Him and His Word? Absolutely! Just my $0.02. :)
PS- Every year I spent at the Master’s College I mourned the fact that I was not at a state school with unbelieving roommates, classmates and teachers. (God kept me there all 4 years though, and I thank Him for that too!)Lord help us to be wise, fearless, gracious and discerning influencers of everyone in our path as we delight to be salt and light for You.
This group sounds amazing. Too often we forget the power of prayer and push it down to the bottom of our priority list, when it should be something we’re awash in from morning til night. I am so thankful for groups like this that are committed to praying for schools and the children and leaders and faculty in them!! Lea, your comment encouraged me so much, to know there is such a passion for praying for our children and our schools. I wonder if there was such a group praying when I was in school(only a few years ago) - if so, I thank God! Tim, thanks for pointing out this group - while I’m not a mom(or a dad for that matter), it still warms my heart to hear of the works of the Lord in this way.
And while I probably shouldn’t continue the derailment here, I also want to state(briefly) my thanks to God and to my parents for putting me in a public school during my middle and high-school years; God blessed me exceedingly in these years. While my parents instructed me in the Lord’s teachings at home, I was also able to interact daily with the world, my faith forged through fire. I formed lasting relationships with unbelievers there, and while not all of them are Christians now, I have been able to pray for them and witness to them in ways I never would have been able to do if I were not in school. I don’t know why so many people consider it a sin to be in public school, but God is faithful in preserving His own. There may be some schools that are particularly anti-God or devoid of morals, but that is not the case for all public schools, and so I think it best for people to not make sweeping generalizations in such ways as to make all public schools to be dens of iniquity and centers of brainwashing. My public school may be among the minority(I doubt it), but there were no diatribes against God or rampant immorality. In our Christmas choir program every year, it was actually heavily Christ-centered(singing of the Hallelujah Chorus included!). I say all this merely to state that God is working everywhere. And public schools are NOT the “centers of evil” so many assume. I have talked to friends that have been homeschooled their whole lives and I have seen this mentality before. Public schools are an amazing opportunity to be growing in one’s faith and witnessing and praying for others. And I say all this with the caveat that the parents must also be heavily involved in their children’s lives and especially in bringing them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. In our house, we had “family times” in which my dad would read the Scripture and expound - and then we’d sing hymns every night before prayer. And then we’d go to school the next day.
God is good and God is faithful. Please don’t make the public schools to be something they are not - sending your children there does NOT equate to sacrificing them to the government - that’s just nonsense and I’m tired of seeing it. Just know that, like with all areas not explicitly commanded in the Word, we should be wise and prudent and seek after the Lord and His glory in all that we do. And that was totally not brief! My apologies.
The comments here against public schools astound me. Believe me…I know there are problems, and I don’t have plans to send my children to public schools, when/if I have any. But that’s what’s so great about this group…they’re praying for the students that may not come in contact with a Christian witness in the normal course of their lives. I have a heart for children, and as a future teacher (Lord willing) I want others to be praying for these children as well.
Thanks, Ronnica. That’s exactly it. Some people have a ridiculous bee in their bonnet. They see the words “public school” and go haywire.
As you say, this organization is asking people to pray for those in public schools. You’ve got to have a serious misunderstanding of our place in this world to suggest that this is a bad thing!
So I’m with you. The organization is more necessary now that so many people homeschool!
I just have to say that Christian Schools are not a guarantee of sheltering your child from anything. I attending Christian & Public schools and can tell you the world is in both. Many parents will send a child to a Christian school to get them “fixed” even though they as a parent have know basic love for God. God can be in your child’s education in ANY circumstance but it is up to you as a parent to ensure He is invited.
Maybe we can turn this conversations back around to praying for our kids and their schools, we are promised Holy Spirit power through our prayers! I know every child benefits from being prayed for no matter where they go to school. :-)
Maybe we can turn this conversations back around to praying for our kids and their schools, we are promised Holy Spirit power through our prayers! I know every child benefits from being prayed for no matter where they go to school. :-)
Amen!
Here’s one homeschooling father of eight who is embarrassed by the homeschoolers who read this post and utterly missed the point, or maybe didn’t actually read it, but commented anyway. What a great testimony …
What may surprise some is the fact that Christians do not corner the market on home schooling. I have met people at the annual standardized testing facility hosted by the (egads!) public school system who are not expressly Christian, yet they home school. And I know Christians who send their children to public school, and it is not mine to pass judgment, as they stand or fall before God in their decision.
What’s the point? The point is that Jesus said , “The kingdom of God is within you.”
As a family, we currently home school. But in the past our children have been enrolled in both private Christian and have even spent a few years in public. We’ve had to pray for them in every setting, regardless.
So what’s the point, Moms in Touch?
If I had to guess, I think they’re answer would be:
Prayer is the point.
I currently am incredibly blessed to be a part of a Moms in Touch group. We meet and pray each week for our children/grandchildren and for the public schools, a Christian school, and three public universities where they attend. I can’t express the peace and joy we receive from lifting our own and each other’s children/granchildren up in prayer, and then rejoicing with each other as God answers those prayers and works so faithfully in their lives. We have great respect for each other’s school choices, whatever they may be. We as Christian parents, and our children and their education, need prayer no matter what the circumstance. There is tremendous power in prayer—the privilege of sharing our hearts and concerns for all of this, whatever form it takes, and placing it firmly in the hands of the Lord is what it is all about! Thanks so much for spreading the word about this awesome ministry!!