FAQ

“The greatest project you could ever work on is within the seven years of secondary school–a project that leads to completion in Christ!”

Between 6th and 12th grade, there are 7 years. During these 7 years, you have the opportunity to undertake one of the greatest projects: evangelizing your school with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Students like the idea of a “project” or “cause” because it makes them feel connected to something greater than they are. This is why teenagers buy Toms, donate blood, and participate in things like Habitat for Humanity and Feed My Starving Children. “Project 7” intrigues teens because they want to be part of a project that is bigger than they are. Ultimately, 7 is the number of completion–and so this project launches us to completion in Christ!

We encourage all Project 7 clubs to participate in “Project 22:39” or other causes throughout the year that will draw the participation of students of all faiths. Our hope is that when non-Christians see us participating in projects such as anti-bullying rallies, Habitat for Humanity, and Feed My Starving Children, they will be drawn by the love of Christ to discover their TRUE purpose: completeness in Him.

The Establishment Clause states that a government entity (in this case, your school) cannot promote or demote any particular religion above or below another (paraphrase). The Free Exercise Clause states that you are allowed to exercise your religion as you see fit, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else (paraphrase). As such, to allow one Christian club and to deny an Apostolic one, violates both laws. (There are many sects of Christianity; to deny one sect over another would be equal to establishing one as better than the other and denying your right to freely exercise your religion.)

With that said, we ask you to exercise wisdom in how you approach this. We feel that every school would benefit from more than one Christian-oriented club. We are not in competition, but we are interested in helping everyone move forward in their relationship with Christ.

We have seen many cases where a school has multiple Christian clubs, each with a different focus. First, we recommend that you differentiate your club and make it stand out from the others. If the other club is fellowship-oriented, make yours Bible-study-oriented. If the other club is Bible-study-oriented, make yours  Project 22:39-oriented or prayer-oriented, etc. In this way, you can demonstrate to the school how your club is different more so than just by saying you are Apostolic and they are not.

Secondly, we recommend that you partner with other clubs for Project 22:39, or even a rally of sorts.

We encourage you to write your own lessons, and even share them with us, if they are written in the P7 format. We just might include them on our website! We strongly recommend that you have your local coach (youth pastor) preview them before you teach them.

All new Project 7 Bible clubs must be named “Project 7” for national consistency and uniformity. To be recognized as a P7 club, your name must reflect this and be consistent with all other clubs. Uniformity across all clubs within the national organization is paramount for success. Also, this will allow you to use our logo, artwork, other promotional material, and curriculum. In addition to national consistency and the use of P7 materials, you will have the incredible strength and experience of a national organization as your identity and foundation!

YES! Your success hinges on the structure and organization of your club.

You can review the “Get Started” and “P7 Meeting Ideas” pages on our website for assistance on preparing and producing a phenomenal Bible Club experience on your school campus. Please DO NOT underestimate the importance of relying on structure and organization to effectively lead a Bible Club.

Project 22:39 is a movement designed to engage Apostolic students in acts of service and evangelism in their community. The core value of Project 22:39 is based on Matthew 22:39 which says, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” We believe it is very important to fulfill Matthew 25:34-40 by hosting and completing community-service-oriented projects in our schools and communities. These projects can be canned food drives, neighborhood cleanups, soup kitchen visits, and anti-bullying rallies, among many other things. Click here for some more ideas.

This is also a great way for your club members to accrue community service hours.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” –Matthew 25:40

Leaders Guide

If your homeschool is online, then please refer to the previous section. It is not difficult to start
a Project 7 Club in a homeschool setting. If your homeschool is a part of a group or co-op, then you will need to ask permission from the facilitator or administrator to begin a P7 club. Once you receive permission, invite your local friends to your Project 7 club. Your friends don’t have to be a part of your homeschool group or co-op. They might attend public school. Invite anyone you know. Simply pick a day and time you would like to meet, and schedule your first meeting.

Unlike public schools, private schools are not legally obligated to grant you permission to start a Project 7 club because they are not government-funded. Just because they’re not obligated does not mean you can’t have a club in a private school, but
the opportunity may be limited depending on the situation.

Private schools are typically religious institutions that welcome student-led spiritual activities, which is ideal for a P7 club. The main concern with starting a P7 club at a private school is that you often must comply with the school’s doctoral teachings and school rules. If you don’t agree with everything they say, the school may not allow your club, or may eventually shut your club down.

As a student, the first step you will need to take is to gather the names of as many people as possible interested in being a part of the P7 club. It doesn’t have to be a lot of people. It is helpful for gaining approval for your club if you already have a good rapport with the teachers, students, and administration. Once you can show there is interest in having a student-led Bible club on campus, and then you can approach the school’s activity director, dean or principal.

Let the school’s activity director, dean or principal know how many students are interested in attending Project 7 at your school. If the school gives you the approval to start, be sure to study the section “How to Run a Club” Below. Private Schools are typically religious institutions that welcome student lead spiritual activities, which is ideal for a P7 Club. If the private school does not allow you to begin a club on campus, you can always start an online club via Google Hangouts, Skype or another video chat app or website.

We only permit one club per school. Psalm 133:1 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Our goal is to see as many as we can brought to the fullness of the truth and saved. We must work together in unity. Project 7 isn’t just about your specific youth group and church; it is about the Kingdom of God and the Church. Join together!

We love our brothers and sisters in Canada and can’t wait to see P7 Clubs starting through the Canadian Provinces. With that said, there are several hurdles to overcome that are not shared with your brothers and sisters in the United States. Namely, the US has constitutional provisions and Supreme Court rulings that protect a students right to start a faith based club. Canada has different laws regarding this that vary by province, municipality and school systems.

We have already started the process of assembling a committee to research Canadian law and provisions to discover what can be done in the various municipalities. We do know that having an international organization, such as Project 7, will help in that process. It should also be clarified that it is a student initiated and student led endeavor, and not one led by a specific local church. Our understanding is that you will still need a non-participatory teacher to sponsor the club.

While we are sorting out the details and seeking legal counsel to aide in this endeavor, we encourage Canadians to attempt to start clubs by approaching school leadership. We have found some schools are willing to allow P7 clubs. If they are not approved we recommend that you start clubs in the manner that private school and home school students have been doing the past few years, at coffee houses, homes, and public meeting spaces. If you or anyone you know has had success starting a P7 Club in Canada or has expertise in areas pertaining to Canadian law and students rights, please contact us. We would love your input and collaboration!

We do not use, sell, or distribute the information that you provide when registering your club or contacting us via our contact form. When you register your club, we will display your school name and city and your social media link (if you attached one for your club, not your personal one). We strive to protect your identity. We do not use cookies. We will contact you periodically to follow up on the status of your club.

We strongly recommend that you contact Campus Ministry International, as college campuses have different guidelines and procedures for starting campus ministries. They also have material that you can use that is more relevant to college-age students.