A Christian group teaches public school students during the school day. Their footprint is growing

By ISABELLA VOLMERT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Ohio-based Christian nonprofit that organizes off-campus Bible classes for public school students has taken off in Indiana since the state passed legislation forcing school districts to comply. The nondenominational LifeWise Academy says it has tripled the number of programs it will run in Indiana starting this fall and has vastly increased its reach across all states. CEO Joel Penton says LifeWise wants to teach all “50 million public school students nationwide.” To participating families, LifeWise provides essential supplemental religious instruction. But critics worry the programs spend public resources on religion and proselytize to non-Christian students. In Indiana, a state already struggling with attendance and literacy, they say children should not be removed from class.