Bible Business

There is wisdom in the counsel of many.

“We follow that principle from the book of Proverbs quite a bit,” says Joel Penton, founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy. “As we develop our ideas, we take them to committees and hear what they have to say. We develop ideas very quickly and we work to deploy them out in the field very quickly. We then gather feedback and re-invent and re-deploy. We like to maintain a culture of always improving.”

Penton says LifeWise Academy was inspired by a Bible-teaching program in his hometown of Van Wert, Ohio, which operated under a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing public school students to be released from school during normal class hours to receive religious instruction.

The ruling also stipulates the instruction must be privately funded, take place off school property and with parental permission.

Since 2019, LifeWise has launched programs to serve more than 330 schools and that number is expected to exceed 530 in the coming year.

“We’re tapping into something that everyone has wanted for a long time, but just didn’t know it was possible,” says Penton. “As soon as we realized this was going to work, we were inundated with people offering to donate and volunteer to get the program up and running. From the business side, it meant making sure all of the systems and processes and resources were in place to make the launch a success.”

Many local districts have signed up for the unique program, including all school districts in Allen County: Fort Wayne Community Schools, East Allen County Schools, Northwest Allen County Schools and Southwest Allen County Schools.

“A real game-changer for us in the state of Indiana this past year was the passage of House Bill 1137, which gives parents the right to decide if they want their child to participate in the program. So, the final say now rests with the parents and not the schools,” says Penton.

In terms of a business model, LifeWise is an EOS organization. EOS, or Entrepreneurial Operating System, is a methodology for running an organization.

“LifeWise can be considered a unique business model in that we’re applying some business principles to the nonprofit sector while at the same time putting the gospel first in everything we do,” says Tim Stoller, a financial advisor from Van Wert who is also the founding board member of LifeWise Academy. “As a business owner, what makes me excited about LifeWise is when the gospel is put first, it transforms character. While it’s not business per se, it is a fantastic opportunity to deploy the gospel through a replicable model that is run like a business.”

LifeWise is funded entirely by donations and corporate sponsorships, and provides all of the materials and transportation for students.

Stoller encourages members of the business community to consider getting involved with LifeWise.

“There is a wide open door to deploy the gospel into our children’s public school and I can’t think of a better opportunity for business owners to make a difference in their community. We have to remember that our children are our future – our future leaders and our future employees. As my business grows, I’m always looking for people who have strong character and LifeWise is an opportunity to invest forward into the future and into our children. Ultimately, it’s the gospel that transforms our character and that, in turn, tends to produce somebody in the workforce who will be a very valuable employee. I think business owners stand to benefit from this by putting money into it. You won’t see the outcome today, but we’ll all see it in the future. Any time we can invest in our kids, those returns pay back big time down the road.”

Setting up LifeWise at a school takes time and commitment and a willingness to, again, follow the advice from the book of Proverbs.

“On average, it can take anywhere from 6-18 months to implement the program,” says Penton. “We follow a 10-step launch process, starting with a signature campaign and the formation of a steering committee. We rely heavily on feedback and counsel every step of the way. It’s very much like setting up a business. You take it slow and seriously, and contemplate each move.”

The numbers and data collected over the years show a picture of success.

“An independent study was done that shows when a school incorporates LifeWise, attendance goes up dramatically, while behavior issues decrease,” says Penton. “We have surveys that show parents as well as educators overwhelmingly see the positive benefits of LifeWise. Business leaders are excited to partner with the program to financially invest because they see it as an important and practical way to reach students.”

Both Penton and Stoller say they do not shy away from critiques. It’s all part of their belief in the benefit of the counsel of many.

“I’ve always appreciated the fact that Joel is constantly looking at ways to improve LifeWise and is always open to feedback,” says Stoller. “I had the privilege of talking with one of my clients recently who informed me that a number of his employees have children who attend LifeWise and he said he can even see in his own employees how the program has positively influenced them. I would plead with every Christian business owner to get involved with this. It is probably the greatest opportunity we will have in our lifetime to deploy the gospel.”  

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