Lifewise of Coshocton expanding school programming

ZANESVILLE — Lifewise Academy is expanding its brand of religious instruction to elementary schools in Muskingum County this year, with programs starting at schools in Franklin Local and Tri-Valley school districts. 

Gary Phipps, a volunteer with the group, which was founded in Van Wert in 2016, explained the program to the Muskingum County Commissioners as a "gospel-based education to unchurched kids through time-released religious instruction."

"We are not teaching religion," Phipps said, "We are teaching basic character traits using the bible as an example."

The program works in conjunction with local schools and local churches, or other locations near schools where students can leave school grounds for the program. 

Students who sign up for the program attend once a week, during what Phipps describes as free time; art, music or physical education classes.

The program is held during school hours to make it easier for parents, Phipps said. 

"The kids are already there, they don't have to come early, it doesn't stress parents to have to come early, or to pick them up. There is no competing environment out there, they don't have to get to practice or play rehearsal, or something like that."

The competition for time is the reason the program is replacing Sunday school for many kids, Phipps said. "There are competing things like sports. If we have them where we can get to them at school, with parental approval, we have got an audience there with no distractions."

"I think what we are going to see are character changes. Attendance improves; kids want to come to class," Phipps said. "Student achievement improves; kids pay more attention. It has a positive impact on student behavior, there is less bullying. Student teacher rapport improves. We think this program can take hold and flourish and grow from one school to the next." The program will also increase local church attendance, he said.

The program is non denominational, and not political, Phipps said. 

At Duncan Falls Elementary, the program starts in early September. Students will walk to nearby Cornerstone Church. The education starts as soon as students cross the school's property line, Phipps said, with singing or discussion about the previous week's classes. In Roseville, students will walk to nearby St. Paul Methodist Church.

Franklin Local Superintendent Casey Cottrill said the district is working out schedules to families who are interested in the program can take part, noting the program is allowed by state law. It is scheduled around the schools' specials. "It is a character-based program," he said, "Morals, things like that. It looks good to me."

Conesville Elementary School in Coshocton County started the program in 2019. Despite disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been popular, with minimal disruption to the school day, Jarred Renner, the school's principal, said. Students are lead across the street to the Conesville United Methodist Church by volunteers during each grade's extra technology class on Wednesday afternoons. About 75-80 percent of the school's K-3 population took part in the program, prior to shutting down because of COVID-19. When it resumed for the 2021-2022 school year, it was opened up to K-6 grades. "We had a very good response," Renner said. Of the 290-300 kids that are eligible, 205 would go every week," he said. 

"The kids love the program," he said. Very rarely go kids that sign up stop going, he said. Renner says he thinks more would attend, but in the higher grades the program overlaps with band and choir programs.

Because of the traumas and interference caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to quantify changes in behavior, Renner said. But he does see students sharing lessons from the classes, he said.

Phipps said he hopes to see the program extend to every school in Muskingum county. He said he expects the program at Franklin Local to start with about 35 kids, and have 90-95% of K-4 students attending within two years.

"We need prayers, teachers, volunteers and donations" to expand the program, Phipps said. It costs $200 per student per year, funded by donations to Lifewise.

Phipps said he expects about 60% of the 863 program-aged student at Franklin Local Schools to attend the program. That will cost about $103,000, he said, not including the age-appropriate bibles needed for the program. With 6,174 K-4 students in Muskingum County, that's $611,000 for the expected $60 of them to attend the program.

"There is nothing like this in the county," Phipps said. "Why would we not want to do it? There is no stress on parents or out of pocked expenses, no stress on the schools, they don't have to provide resources." It will reduce stress on teachers, Phipps said, and "students will get a loving education on goodness." 

For more information on the program, visit the Lifewise website, www.lifewiseacademy.org.

ccrook@gannett.com

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