Perspective Statement

Christian Education Philosophy

Christian education is founded in and flows from the teaching of God’s Word. Both Scripture and the Holy Spirit move Christians to hold the uncompromising belief that God commands his sons and daughters, as children of the covenant, to be brought up “in the training and instruction of the Lord”. (Ephesians 6:4b). Christians understand that deeply embedded in the pages of his Word is the truth that all creation, creatures, and cultures are God’s. Nothing exists or has purpose outside of him.

Christian education is the faithful response of parents and the Christian community to God’s instructions about the nurture and training of his children. As a community of believers, we commit ourselves to establishing a system of education that enables God’s children to study every aspect of his Word and his world as citizens of his kingdom. Christian schooling is deeply rooted in Christ, as broad as the scope of creation and culture, and alive with the energy of youngsters and adolescents who are learning to be and become everything that God intends them to be as they serve him joyfully and faithfully.

Statement Of Christian Education

Learning and teaching must take place in humble dependence on God: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Pr.3:5). The Christian’s starting point is that the fear of the Lord is the fountain of life (Pr.1:7; Ps. 111:10). Psalm 111 adds that all who follow God’s precepts have good understanding. Conversely, if we allow God to give us understanding, then we will be able to keep His law and obey it with all our heart (Ps.119:34).

Christian learning and teaching aim to discover God’s laws and apply them in obedient response to God. That may involve applying the laws of gravity and wind resistance in building a model airplane. It may mean using the laws of language creatively in composing a story. Students may investigate how God’s laws of justice and righteousness apply to economic life, or what God’s law of love and faithfulness implies for personal relationships and marriage. The key point is that we recognize that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all of reality and the norms of human life (Pr.3:19-20; Job 38-41).

The overall aim of Christian education is to help and guide students be and become responsible disciples of Jesus Christ. Disciples are followers who grasp the vision of their leader and then apply that vision in their everyday lives. Becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, therefore, involves understanding and committing oneself to Christ and Christ’s vision of God’s Kingdom. Disciples who are responsible begin to carry out the mandate of the Kingdom in their lives. Among the many other things Christ taught, they begin to live as peacemakers and agents of reconciliation. They love the disadvantaged and those who oppose us. They take joy in practicing moral purity. They eschew love of material possessions and oppose societal structures that exploit. Disciples use their God-given authority to serve others in humility, and maximize their God-given abilities to serve Him and those around us (Ma 5:8,9,44; 19:21; 20;1-16, 26-28; 21:12-13; 23:8-12; 25:14-30; 2Co.5:16ff). In short, disciples learn to walk with God both in their personal lives and in their societal callings.

In today’s selfishly individualistic and ethically relativistic society, responsible discipleship is a radical challenge! It takes a life of personal faith in Christ. It calls for a willingness to build Christian relationships in the community. And it needs the ability and disposition to participate in and impact our culture in a Christian way.