Sun. Feb 9th, 2025

The founder of a Christian organization that provides kids with religious instruction during the public school day is responding to Satanists’ attempts to offer an alternative program to children.

Joel Penton, founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy and author of the book, “During School Hours: WHY and HOW LifeWise Academy is Reinstalling Religious Education into the Public School Day,” told CBN News he believes The Satanic Temple’s “Hellion Academy of Independent Learning” being offered to children at an Ohio elementary school is a direct “response” to his LifeWise academy programming.

“The messages that we’re getting from those who are launching the program are somewhat mixed,” Penton said. “At times, they will say this is explicitly an attempt to scare the school board and communities into shutting down all religious programs like ours … Other times, they’ll say, ‘Oh, but you shouldn’t be scared of this because it is going to teach kindness, and values, and that type of thing.’”

From Penton’s perspective, it’s “not super clear exactly what the program is about,” though, like LifeWise, it enables children to leave the premises to take part in The Satanic Temple’s alternative effort.

Breaking NewsSpirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

As CBN News previously reported, HAIL will be offered to children at Edgewood Elementary School in the Marysville School District and is offered at one other location in Pennsylvania.

A representative for The Satanic Temple told CBN News there are programs either pending or launching in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan.

Penton said it appears HAIL is not only a response to LifeWise and other similar programs but that it could also be a “last-minute attempt to stop or delay” Ohio legislation that would “give the right of religious instruction to all families.”

That legislation, House Bill 8, was recently signed into law and includes a provision that would require public schools in Ohio to have policies that allow for release-time programs. The new policy changes the “may” in current law to “shall,” thus making such guidelines a mandate. Penton, who spoke with CBN News before the law passed, has been a major proponent of its tenets.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Release time—which has been ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court—allows kids to get religious instruction during the school day.

“Kids can receive Bible education during school hours if the program’s off school property, privately funded and students have parental permission,” he said. “Sadly, this opportunity has been somewhat under the radar for decades.”

Penton said LifeWise Academy provides the tools and resources for communities to be able to launch local release-time programs, offering bussing and resources to kids once those programs launch.

“[It’s usually] one time per week, usually during … a lunch, recess or library time, or a special time,” he said. “Students can typically jump on the big, red LifeWise bus and head down the street to the church down the road and receive … a Gospel-centered Bible education class right during their public school day.”

Of course, not everyone is enthusiastic about LifeWise’s success.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2025 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Podcasts

More News
No Doubt: Walking in Faith
No Doubt: Walking in Faith
What Does Goliath Have to Do with Today? Explaining the Prophetic Link
What Does Goliath Have to Do with Today? Explaining the Prophetic Link
Does God Preordain Who Goes to Heaven?
Does God Preordain Who Goes to Heaven?
10 Signs God Is Clearing People from Your Life for a Reason
10 Signs God Is Clearing People from Your Life for a Reason
Jordan Wells Reveals the Power of Spiritual Warfare
Jordan Wells Reveals the Power of Spiritual Warfare
Bill Wiese: Why Christians Must Pray, Fear God and Share the Gospel Now
Bill Wiese: Why Christians Must Pray, Fear God and Share the Gospel Now
What Christians Must Know About the Coming Antichrist
What Christians Must Know About the Coming Antichrist
Will We See the Fulfillment of the Great Commission During Our Lifetime?
Will We See the Fulfillment of the Great Commission During Our Lifetime?
Larry Tomczak’s Week in Review: Let’s Get Equipped and Inspired in Evangelism, Part 4
Larry Tomczak’s Week in Review: Let’s Get Equipped and Inspired in Evangelism, Part 4
Top of the Week: Was a Dark Demonic Power Behind the Death of JFK?
Top of the Week: Was a Dark Demonic Power Behind the Death of JFK?
previous arrow
next arrow
Shadow

Latest Videos
95.4K Subscribers
1.1K Videos
10M Views

Copy link