More than a half-million students across the U.S. are planning to bring their bibles to school on October 4 to exercise their freedom of speech by openly sharing their faith on campus.

According to Focus on the Family, a global faith-based ministry dedicated to supporting families, this is the fifth year of the student-led movement known as Bring Your Bible To School day that gives young Christians a unique opportunity to freely share the light of Christ a school. Even though the First Amendment guarantees students the right to discuss their beliefs and read the Bible at school, too many children are pressured into silence out of misguided interpretations of the separation of Church and State that have seen teachers ban homework assignments from mentioning Christ or bringing faith into class discussions.

“For countless kids and teens, faith is at the center of everything they do. But when it comes to sharing the joy and peace they find through reading the Bible, some young people fear the consequences of doing so at school,” said Focus on the Family President Jim Daly. “Fortunately, our Founding Fathers foresaw the need to guarantee individuals the ability to express their beliefs, and that’s exactly what students who participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day every year are celebrating.”

Throughout the day, children and teens will share their experiences via social media using the hashtag #BringYourBible.

This year, Focus on the Family is partnering with Duck Dynasty star Sadie Robertson who is serving as the honorary chair of the 2018 Bring Your Bible to School Day event.

“The Bible has gotten me through everything in my life,” Robertson said. “I want students to know they can freely live out their faith at school.”

Individuals who sign up to participate for Bring Your Bible to School Day at BringYourBible.org will have a chance to win a free trip for four to meet Sadie Robertson in person.

For those students who might encounter any violation of their rights at school that day, the Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom is standing by to offer them free legal representation.

Young people, who are leading this event, are not afraid to speak out and say this event gives them opportunities to have more conversations about God at school where they very often find a willing audience.

“You don’t know the person you’re sitting next to,” said Ethan, a 16-year-old student from Colorado. “You don’t know their past, you don’t know what they’ve been through. Maybe they’re in a cry of desperation to try and find some hope, and it just so happens to be that day where you actually bring your Bible to school and they start asking you questions.”

Ethan said he wants to share the hope of God’s love that he read about in the Bible—because it was that love that helped him survive the loss of his father to a drug addiction. “I’ve had a lot more people ask me questions about my faith and what I believe. It’s opened up a lot of opportunities for ongoing conversations.”

Students can find more information, including the official video and stories from students and parents, at BringYourBible.org, where they can also sign up to participate and get free, downloadable guides. Elementary, teen and pastor/parent versions are available.

Students can also follow “Bring Your Bible to School Day” on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The official hashtag is #BringYourBible.

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