"The teacher told my daughter that it was against the law to talk about God in public school," explained Amanda's mother, Sharon Rawlings. "She also stopped a child from reading a book brought from home that mentioned Jesus. Many of the students felt they had no rights to discuss God around school. Even praying over their lunches or talking about God during recess seemed forbidden."

Rawlings was relieved to learn that not only was the teacher wrong about what discussions are allowed, resources exist to help a family educate their children's schools about holidays.

To help families and churches clarify the rights of children to share their faith, Gateways to Better Education created an eight-page card that uses a lighthearted story.

"Each year," Rawlings explained, "I've given the new teachers the holiday cards. My 6-year-old daughter Emily now has the same first-grade teacher Amanda had. This year was very different because we were determined not to let Jesus be overlooked during the Christmas season."

Rawlings went into the school with an attitude of love and a great deal of prayer. "When I requested the opportunity to read the Christmas story, I was delightfully welcomed to do so," she said. "The next day, Emily and I shared the beautiful Christmas story with the entire first-grade class. The children were delighted and eagerly shared what they do to celebrate Christmas. The neat thing in all of this is the relationship that has developed between myself and the teacher."

The Rawlings' story is not uncommon. Erring on the side of caution because of a misunderstanding about law, teachers are sometimes overly cautious about what they allow to be discussed. As a result many children in public schools hear only the secular version of holidays such as Christmas, Easter and even Thanksgiving (students are often taught that the pilgrims thanked the Native Americans, not God). Consider these examples:

• Jacque Sutton, a mother in Corralitos, California, wrote me that she asked her child's teacher if she could tell the children about the birth of Jesus. Before she explained the Christmas story to her child's class, she asked how many children had heard of the birth of Jesus. Only eight out of 29 children knew the story.
• A music teacher in Michigan started her lesson on Christmas carols by telling children that the songs were about Jesus Christ. She was shocked when many of the children told her they were surprised to learn that Jesus Christ was a real person. They only thought the name was a swear word.

Religious holidays provide unique opportunities for students and parents to learn about Christ. But to encourage this, it is vital for local churches and parents to address the lack of understanding teachers and administrators have concerning how holidays can be taught. To help churches do this, Gateways to Better Education--a national ministry to Christian public school parents--has published unique materials that open the eyes of educators regarding what the law actually says they can do in the classroom to commemorate religious holidays. At the same time, the cards help Christian parents build better relationships with public school educators. The information is packaged as nonthreatening holiday cards for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

To get the cards in the hands of educators, Gateways to Better Education has launched citywide campaigns across America. The goal of the Holiday Restoration Citywide Campaign is not simply to get one card to each teacher in a school district, but to have as many Christian parents as possible give cards to their children's teachers. It is important that parents personally give the cards away. It is not usually effective for churches to mail cards to educators. The "personal touch" is essential for a successful campaign. Educators' hearts are touched through relationships, not direct mail.

A lot has changed for Amanda Rawlings since she was told she couldn't talk about God in her first-grade class. As a third-grader last year she shared about Jesus in front of the class! Because the cards helped Amanda and her teacher understand the law more clearly, she was able to share what her faith meant to her. The class assignment was to present an oral report on a "special person." Amanda chose Jesus Christ. Her three-page oral report testified to the peace she found by trusting in Christ during times of loneliness and fear. She explained to the class, "He is special because He is God's Son.

He is special because He is always there when I need Him. I talk to Him a lot ... When I am ever in trouble He can always help me out. I can sometimes be in trouble and ask my mom or dad for help, but they are not always there. I really love Him and He loves me even more. I cannot imagine ever living without Him. I never go to bed alone. I never go to church alone. I never am alone because Jesus is always there."

Eric Buehrer is founder and president of Gateways to Better Education.