Noted pollster George Barna states that America’s youth are largely unfamiliar with the Bible’s basic teachings, inviting a host of social and personal troubles.

• 5 in 10 students have had little or no exposure to the wisdom and knowledge of the Bible.

• “God helps those who help themselves” is the most widely known Bible verse among churchgoing teens, though it appears nowhere in the Bible and conflicts with its message.

• 8 in 10 people cannot say who preached the Sermon on the Mount.

One might be ask, “Can these statistics possibly be real–-in Brainerd?” Actually, statistics like these are quite real, both in our nation and in our community. For this reason, 15 Brainerd churches of various denominations signed onto a voluntary initiative to rally around a special opportunity to invest in their community.

A Community Event

On Sunday, October 2, 2011, friends gathered at the Brainerd High School gymnasium for a community meal, a service of prayer and a show of support for our public school students.

• Attendance: 1,000+
• Committments Made: $223,000
• New Donors: 300
• Teachers Funded: 1 

Mr. Anthony Pollard began teaching at Brainerd High School in August 2011 (due to partial commitments received in advance of the event). The Brainerd Gathering aimed to raise the balance of funding, in order to ensure three uninterrupted years of Bible history at Brainerd.

Thank you, Brainerd, for helping to ensure that Bible history will continue to be an enriching and voluntary part of Hamilton County’s education program, at no cost to the taxpayers.

• Brainerd Baptist
• Brainerd Church of Christ
• Brainerd Presbyterian
• Brainerd United Methodist
• Church of the First Born
• Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist
• Love Fellowship Baptist
• Mt. Canaan Baptist
• New City Fellowship
• New Covenant Fellowship
• New Horizon Baptist
• New Monumental
• New United Baptist
• Olivet Baptist
• Westside Missionary Baptist