1. What is FOCUS’ aim?
We believe that every young person should have the opportunity at some point in their maturing process to connect with articulate, credible, and thoughtful representatives of what C.S. Lewis called “Mere Christianity.” We aim to provide searching young people with a chance to explore in depth the basis of their faith so that they may make an informed decision about their spiritual direction.
2. What kinds of programs does FOCUS establish in schools?
FOCUS’ presence on campus is the result of an invitation by faculty, school heads, and sometimes a student group. We seek to respect all members of the school community regardless of their religious persuasion. FOCUS staff often helps schools with coaching, or visits schools to support students in clubs, plays, or musical events. Sometimes students invite FOCUS staff to guide their discussion in on-campus small groups such as a Bible study or a fellowship meeting or to assist with worship. In the independent day schools we may organize a week-night meeting in a parent’s home for fun and games, followed by a simple talk. Staff may be invited to speak at assemblies, chapels or in class.
3. Who attends FOCUS programs?
FOCUS welcomes students from both independent (i.e. private) and public schools to all its programs. However, FOCUS was founded to fill an important gap. While public school students have many opportunities to interact with Christian organizations, independent school students are often not exposed to opportunities to explore the Christian faith. Hence our primary aim is to enable independent school students to discover – in a non-coercive setting -- the reality of faith for themselves.
4. How is FOCUS supported?
Two-thirds of the annual budget of FOCUS comes from donations. Gifts come in the form of support for individual staff members, support for work in a particular Area where FOCUS is active, or support for the ministry as a whole. The rest of FOCUS’ nearly $4 million budget comes from program fees that seek to be affordable and are supplemented whenever possible by scholarships offered on a need basis. FOCUS is a 501c3 organization, and is a member of the ECFA. We are audited annually by an outside firm.
5. How does FOCUS relate to the church?
FOCUS is not a church. Rather it is committed to the local congregation and seeks to be an arm of the wider church as it relates to the independent school community. We have no formal affiliation with any religious body, and have staff that have been theologically trained in a variety of traditions. We encourage both students and staff to participate actively in their local churches.
6. How does FOCUS help students understand the world around them?
While each program is unique, FOCUS seeks to relate the historic Christian faith to the issues that students wrestle with today. Regular opportunities for community service, as well as service trips to needy parts of the world, have been a consistent part of FOCUS’ programming.
7. Where is FOCUS based?
The organization has a modest office in Charlottesville, VA, not far from the University of Virginia. We also have offices in a number of Areas up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
8. What is the FOCUS Study Center?
FOCUS owns and maintains a 21-acre facility on Martha’s Vineyard Island. The Study Center is a picturesque “summer campus” only minutes from Lambert’s Cove Beach. It offers basketball, biking, tennis, volleyball, and sailing. Meals are served on the covered porch of the dining hall overlooking a small lake. Large-group meetings take place in a converted barn or in the outdoor chapel.
9. Who runs FOCUS?
FOCUS has an Executive Director, several office personnel, and a staff of approximately 47 who work in a variety of Areas along the Eastern Seaboard. The ministry is overseen by a board of trustees composed of leaders committed to the FOCUS vision. This is a rotating board of approximately 20+ people, male and female, lay and ordained. In addition to the board, a number of Area Sponsoring Committees support and guide the work in their own respective areas.
10. Does FOCUS work on university campuses?
Not directly. FOCUS commends its graduates to various campus-based ministries that work mainly at the university level. Our concentration is on secondary schools, from grades 7-12. We also have both a middle and an upper school work. We invite our own graduates, as well as faculty and sometimes parents, to serve as volunteers.
11. What does the FOCUS symbol mean?
A teacher designed the FOCUS dandelion symbol in honor of a student who was killed in a train accident many years ago. It depicts a web of interrelationships held together by a central cross.
