LifeWise Academy is gaining momentum on its mission to offer free Bible education to public school students during regular school hours, allowing students to benefit from religious literacy and a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” said founder and CEO Joel Penton. “It [complements] school schedules, and schools really do see a positive impact.”
Three words are key to their message: “During school hours.” Penton works to address information gaps about religious instruction during the school day: Not only is it legal and beneficial to offer such programs—it’s critical, Penton says.
“The kids who most need it are those who are least likely to be able to attend something before or after school,” he said. “People, when they learn it’s possible for their community, they seem to be willing to move heaven and earth to get it done.”
The program hinges on a legal framework established by the 1952 Supreme Court decision Zorach v. Clauson, called Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI), which allows students to attend religious instruction off-campus during school hours with parental permission.
LifeWise operates on a “plug and play” model, as Penton calls it. LifeWise provides local communities with the necessary tools to launch a local program, which includes curriculum, training, donation and accounting systems, and a dedicated coach to each local program. Program coaches work directly with communities, offering guidance, encouragement, and ensuring they have everything they need to run successfully.
By law, LifeWise Academy’s classes cannot be held during hours when core school subjects are taught. Instead, they work with schools to find times that fit the existing schedule. This might include lunch breaks, recess, library periods, independent study time, or study halls.
Participating students typically can attend one LifeWise class per week. On a rotating basis throughout the day, a school releases one or two groups of students to LifeWise volunteers who pick up the students for the off-campus class. The program’s reach varies; some serve small groups of students from a single grade level, while others can be quite extensive, like their largest program with 900 LifeWise students enrolled out of the 1,000 total students at the school.
The curriculum emphasizes a three-pronged approach, as founder Joel Penton describes it: understanding the Bible’s teachings (“head”), applying them to daily life (“heart”), and actively living out those values (“hands”). Classes often incorporate songs and interactive activities alongside Bible lessons. Their curriculum ensures students explore the entirety of the Bible by the end of elementary school.
“First and foremost, we want to be gospel-centered,” Penton said, “so every single class we teach, we are sharing [with] kids the life-changing message of the Gospel.”
As LifeWise gains new ground around the nation, they also receive some negative attention, with a small group of vocal opponents objecting to Bible education during school hours.
“We don’t think there’s any good reason why someone would oppose it, particularly because it’s an entirely optional program,” Penton pointed out. “It doesn’t negatively affect non-participating students.”
In fact, third-party data research from Thomas P. Miller & Associates shows that when LifeWise is implemented, attendance rates improve and behavioral issues decrease for schools.
While establishing a new program can be complex, LifeWise is experiencing rapid growth.
“We are confirmed now to serve 537 schools across 25 states next year,” Penton said, “but those numbers are increasing almost by the day.”
As part of their established ten-step process to bring LifeWise to local public schools, they require 50 signatures for each district.
“Right now, we’ve received at least one signature from nearly 4000 different school districts, which is about a third of all school districts nationwide,” Penton said.
A grassroots effort, LifeWise equips church-based teams to carry out local programs, which are all backed by local fundraising initiatives. LifeWise Academy provides the necessary teacher training and certification for their program. While local communities make their own hires for teachers, LifeWise Academy offers resources for recruitment, such as templates for job postings. They attract a diverse pool of educators, including state-certified teachers, recently retired teachers, and even young mothers seeking flexible work schedules.
While LifeWise offers a core structure, their “plug and play” model is flexible to accommodate varying community needs and preferences. For instance, communities can decide on teacher compensation and choose between holding classes in churches, community centers, or other dedicated buildings.
Penton’s 15-year journey as a ministry leader reflects his commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of students. His dedication mirrors the intensity he displayed on the defensive tackle line at Ohio State University. In his senior year, Joel’s dedication to service was recognized with the Danny Wuerffel Trophy, also known as the “Humanitarian Heisman,”awarded annually to a college football player for exceptional community service.
Penton spent 12 years as a full-time public speaker, leading school assemblies and faith discussions at middle and high schools. After graduation, Penton founded Relevant Speakers Network, an organization that has reached over 3,000 public schools and impacted the lives of more than 2 million students nationwide. He has written three books, including “DURING SCHOOL HOURS: Why and How LifeWise Academy is Reinstalling Religious Education into the Public School Day.” He and his wife Bethany have five children, three of whom are involved in the LifeWise program at their local school in Columbus, Ohio.
Penton invites everyone to visit the LifeWise website for simple ways to contribute to their mission.
“There’s a way for everyone to engage, whether that’s simply through prayer, whether it’s through adding your name to a list, being on a steering committee, being a teacher, a volunteer, a donor,” Penton said. “There are 13,000 public school districts, 90,000 school buildings, 50 million public school students nationwide. So it’s going to take all of us to get it done.”
LifeWise Academy has been an NRB member since 2023.