A number of years ago I heard an evangelist preaching a message on personal evangelism and he made a statement to a group of pastors that made a lot of sense. As he contrasted the various programs and opportunities in a local church to be involved in personal evangelism, he mentioned that we ought to spend a significant amount of time and effort "fishing our own ponds." What he meant was that there were probably a good number of unsaved folks who regularly attend the services of our church. He encouraged the pastors to make a conscious effort to try to reach them by spending time with them personally for the purpose of sharing the Gospel and confronting them about their need for Christ. I remember him specifically mentioning the opportunities that take place in the church foyer after services as folks hang around and fellowship. We know the fish are there! We know they are hungry and "feeding." So why not fish that pond regularly?

I regularly hear ministry leaders bemoan the declining enrollments in Christian schools. There are probably a good number of things your can do to market your Christian school in your community, but what about "fishing your own ponds?" You know there are families in your church and school constituency who do not have their children in your Christian school. You may or may not know the reason why. Aren't these folks the ‘primest of prime' candidates for your Christian school? I presume they are people with the same Biblical worldview as your church and school. They are certainly familiar with the ministry so there is no ‘fear of the unknown.'

So why not make a prayerful, determined effort to recruit every one of these candidates by demonstrating interest in them and by sitting down with each couple one-on-one to discuss the merits of Christian education? These are the fish that are in your pond. You know they are there. So what needs to happen? Some fishermen need to go fishing!

Who are the fishermen? Every ministry leader is a fisherman:

• The pastor of the church.
• The associate or assistant pastor(s)
• The school administrator or headmaster
• The principal
• Every school board member
• Every deacon in the church

As you can see, we have a significant number of fishermen to do the job!

What should the fishermen do?

• Preach about the importance of Christian education and publicly ‘talk-up' the Christian school from the pulpit.
• Make an appointment to talk to parents about Christian education.
• Take some printed material that the couple can use for a Bible study even after the fisherman has left. This material may include:
  • The reasons why they should have their kids in a Christian educational program
  • The reasons why they shouldn't subject their kids to the government's educational program
• Find out what the barriers are that have prevented the parents in the past from enrolling their children in the Christian school. You and your school may have the ability to remove these barriers.
• Give the parents an opportunity to ask questions or voice their concerns. (You might learn some things about your ministry that would help you improve it.)
• See if a follow-up meeting would be a benefit to the parents if they have interest in discussing the issue further.

But what about the homeschoolers? It is very likely that a pastor will have some reluctance about talking to homeschool parents about the ministry's Christian school. I do believe a meeting with each of them would be very profitable for the pastor, the parents, and the ministries involved. The pastor will learn some things from these homeschool parents that will help him in his ministry to them, and he is likely to learn some things that could strengthen the Christian school ministry he is leading. The parents will be encouraged about the pastor's interest in their family. And it could result in more students in the Christian school. Some parents homeschool out of true conviction, but many choose to do so based on financial needs, the perception of low quality, or concerns about the environment at the Christian school. Finding out the reasons behind a parent's choice to homeschool may provide valuable insight that will help the ministry's leadership with quality improvement. Not every parent is skilled at providing the kind of education one will receive in an excellent Christian school. You should acknowledge that some parents do an excellent job homeschooling their children, and that is a good thing. However, we also recognize that many parents may feel they have to homeschool because they do not think the Christian school is a viable option for them. The good news is, these students can be won back if the underlying issues can be resolved.

So, what can you do as a ministry leader?

1. Make a list of all the families within your ministries constituency who have children who are, or soon will be, school-age. (This might need to be done in conjunction with the pastors of other churches of like faith who are utilizing the Christian school ministry. After all, they are part of the pond!)

2. Along with your leadership team, begin to pray for these families specifically about the issue of educating their children

3. Prepare your fishermen for the fishing trip. Make sure they have a passion for Christian education, and the equipment they need for this fishing trip.

4. Make appointments to visit these families. Determine which fishermen should fish which pond.

Do we believe this can have a positive impact on the enrollment in your Christian school? The answer is yes. We believe the investment you make in this initiative will be rewarded by God. Think on these verses as you consider promoting the disciple-making ministry of your Christian school:

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:6)

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19)

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. (Mark 1:17)

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)