A non-profit Christian organisation that buses children from American public schools to local churches during elective classes—recess, gym, art and library periods—to teach them the gospel during the school day, with parental opt-in. Its instructors are a mix of retired teachers, pastors and local mothers. Parents initiate the programme at their schools and raise funds to pay a startup fee; LifeWise provides red buses and a plug-and-play curriculum.
LifeWise was founded six years ago by Joel Penton, a former football player at Ohio State University. In 2018 Penton discovered that pupils in taxpayer-funded schools could legally be released for religious study under Zorach v Clauson, a 1952 Supreme Court decision that set the boundaries: classes must not be taught on school grounds and students cannot be forced to attend. Mormons and Jews had used "release time" before, but not at scale. Penton called it "the single greatest missed opportunity to give access to the Bible to the next generation".
In 2025 LifeWise operated in 585 school districts across 28 states and enrolled more than 44,000 students. By autumn 2025 it expects to be in 982 districts in 33 states, an increase of nearly 70%. The organisation made a $4m surplus in 2023 and $17m in 2024 according to tax filings. Its classes are "designed primarily to engage unchurched students" rather than serve young Christians.
Critics argue LifeWise crosses the lines laid out in Zorach. The Secular Education Association, an advocacy group co-founded by parents Molly Gaines and Zachary Parrish, has identified more than two dozen districts where school staff promoted LifeWise, let it fundraise on school property, included it on class schedules or rented it space. Laws in 14 states say school districts "may" allow release time, while 16 say they "shall"; in 2025 Montana, Iowa and Texas switched to "shall". LifeWise is in touch with First Liberty Institute and the Alliance Defending Freedom, two prominent Christian law firms, in case Zorach needs to be relitigated.
LifeWise has received recognition from the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think-tank behind Project 2025.
I was part of that strange race of people aptly described as spending their lives doing things they detest to make money they don't want to buy things they don't need to impress people they dislike.