There’s a quiet, yet powerful movement working its way through the public schools in a county just outside Washington, DC.

Teachers, counselors, administrators and other staff members of the schools in Loudoun County, Virginia—from elementary to secondary—are gathering on campuses for weekly Bible studies. In some cases, 20 or more staff members meet in a classroom or the school library to read the gospel aloud and prayer. And in other cases, the studies draw just a handful of people.

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But the impact at the 18 campuses with before- or after-school Bible studies has been palpable, according to Brett Lesher, who’s helped launch and support the groups through a nonprofit he founded 18 months ago called Staff Fellowship Inc.

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“It’s giving people the freedom to transform their work relationships from just a vocational dimension to a spiritual diminution,” Lesher said. “We’re seeing the lives of staff, as well as students who they’re praying for, be transformed just by inviting God to do his work in our public schools.”

During his career as a counselor within Loudoun County Public Schools, Lesher launched faculty Bible studies within each of the schools he worked. Through that experience, he formed relationships with other staff members eager to study the Bible with their colleagues and pray for the specific needs impacting their campuses. As he started sharing the experience, more and more faculty around the county were eager to connect in similar ways. As a result, he took a leap of faith in February 2018 to leave his full-time position to create STAFF Fellowship Inc.

First as a student and later as a guidance counselor in the schools, Lesher said he’s always felt passionate about the public schools being ripe with opportunities to make an impact in Jesus’s name through love and service.

“I believe the public school system is the most influential community impacting families today, second only to the local church,” Lesher said. “The vast majority of the people in our county have a connection to the public schools in some way. You might be an alum, have a child who currently attends, or know someone in your church who works at the public schools.”

In addition to facilitating the studies, Lesher is speaking regularly at local churches to encourage them to help their members who are public school employees launch Bible studies in their workplaces. While there, he often shares stories of just how these weekly on-campus studies are changing lives.

One of those stories is about a middle school nurse who regularly prays in her office with a teacher before school. Weeks after they started consistently meeting and praying, the nurse noticed that one particular student would stop into her office almost every day.

“The nurse told the student, ‘I know there often aren’t any medical needs when you come see me, but I’m glad you visit.’ And the girl replied, ‘well, I come see you because I feel the safest in your office,” Lesher said. “We’re seeing direct fruit from staff praying together for students and for staff and asking God to make himself more present in people’s lives.”

Staff Fellowship’s goal is to launch and support a staff Bible study in every one of Loudoun County’s 91 schools.

“With how many schools we have in this county, there’s such a great need to connect and network through the body of Christ. Our hope is to grow and see the Lord’s work multiply.”

Learn more about how you can start or support a staff Bible study in a public school, or how to further Staff Fellowship’s mission, at stafff.org.

Danielle Nadler is a journalist and author living in Northern Virginia. She is a member of the Staff Fellowship board of directors and blogs at DanielleNadler.com.