5 Steps to Plant a Christian Club

As with anything we do in God, we need to pray. So seek God’s direction. Ask the Lord and take some time for discernment. Planting and running a club is not for everyone, and it does take a lot of time and effort to grow with a community. But if you are convinced in your prayers to plant a club for Jesus, then do not be afraid. You are not alone. We will do this together. 

Having decided that this is what God desires of you, continue praying. The prayer does not stop. Usually, we have students pray for two weeks before taking any further steps. Simply pray that God will reveal Himself in the process of planting and running the club. Then pray for courage and pray for wisdom. God will pour out His courage and wisdom to those who ask.

No one can start a faith community alone. You need people you pray with and walk with. Try to think of a couple of people, and prayerfully invite them to plant a club with you. They do not have to be your best friends. They do not have to go to your church. But make sure they are in love with Jesus. They need to believe in the 66 books of the Bible as the perfect Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit and be able to confess their faith in the Triune God. Oh, don't forget to have them sign up at Christianclubs.org!

With your leadership team, think of the new club’s name. Make sure everyone who hears the name will know your Christian identity. We want to ensure that those curious about Jesus can easily identify the club and knock on the door. And the clear demonstration of your faith-based identity in your name will also guarantee your first amendment right to religious freedom and its expression in the school context. We have had clubs with names that don’t really show Christian identity because leaders were trying to be too clever, and all the good community outreach they were doing was just dismissed as another community service club’s work. Not only that, there were times when other Christian clubs were organized in their schools not knowing the presence of the existing club. We want to avoid confusion like this by making our club names obvious. Your Christian identity should clearly show on the club name and description. 

With your leadership team, find the day and time for the club to meet. Every club is different so find one that best fits your circumstances. If possible, avoid Mondays since most of your members would've gone to church the day before. Avoid Fridays because nobody wants to stay behind at school on Fridays. Also, avoid early morning meetings. Though it sounds great at first, no one will show up mid-semester. The most important thing is to choose a time that allows your club members to conveniently participate in your club meetings. 

Every school has different sets of steps on how students can start new clubs. Most of the time, it's not too difficult to follow. Check your student handbook, or walk into the admin office and ask for the steps you need to take. You can also ask your advisor or counselor. They will be happy to help you out. 

We’ve seen cases where schools told students that there are no religious clubs allowed.  However, it's because they are unaware of the Equal Access Act. Ask them if they know about the Act and if not, ask them to look into it. Make sure you are gracious and loving throughout the process as you are representing the Lord. 

In most cases, schools will want you to find a faculty advisor. If you know a faithful Christian teacher, that's the best! Go talk to them and see if they are willing to help you out. If you don’t know any Christian teachers, you can always ask a non-Christian faculty to be your advisor too. They do not have to be Christians. In fact, more than half of the clubs we work with have non-Christian faculty advisors! Explain to one of your favorite teachers what you are hoping to do and ask for help. If you are turned down (and don’t be surprised if you are), just go ask a different teacher. 

Schools will often require a number of student signatures to open a new club. Many get discouraged here and quit. However, remember that students who give you signatures do not have to be Christians. Collect signatures from your friends who are open to visiting the club for snacks and various events. Remember that the club is not exclusively for those who confess Christian faith. It is open to everyone to participate.

Get the word out! The beginning of the school year is the most important. Do everything you can to let people know about your club. Use the “club day” or "club fair" organized by your school, school announcements, and social media. Run school-wide events to strengthen your campus presence. Make sure you are not known in your school as some religious kids who gather behind closed doors somewhere but be known for your healthy and loving community involvement.