Christian education is as big as God and his revelation. It goes beyond parenting and teachers and classroom instruction to infuse every aspect of the Christian life. Genuine Christian education seeks to integrate God’s Word into every facet of the curriculum as well as all co-curricular activities. It is not a place where a few “ornaments” like prayer, chapels, and Bible classes merely complement an otherwise secular education.
Whether Christian parents choose home schooling, secular, private or Christian schools this responsibility remains. The Bible says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
A Christian school is not a “safe house” from the world. Many well-meaning parents think that the Christian school offers protection from the evils of the world. A Christian school is not a guarantee against sin. The difference, however, is that the Christian school disciplines by teaching students about God’s demands, and His forgiveness, grace and mercy.
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True Christian education involves loving and edifying instruction, grounded in God’s gracious revelation, mediated through the work of Christ, and applied through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that labors to honor and glorify the triune God.
Christian education insists on the indispensable work of the Holy Spirit, who himself is a teacher (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13), who searches everything (including the depths of God) and alone comprehends the thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:10–11). He helps us in our weakness, intercedes for us (Romans 8:26–27), and causes us to bear good fruit (Galatians 5:22–23).
Christian education is not just about a Christian way of understanding. It is also about a Christian way of living. When Jesus said “Follow me”, he was expecting people to dedicate their whole lives to serving God. Christian education informs, invites, and inspires young people to live this way. The Christian school offering Christian education seeks to teach this way of life every day through all that is done and taught. It does this in a setting of a unified community of love and learning between parents, children, and teachers.
A genuine Christian education provides a quality liberal arts education that glorifies Jesus Christ and prepares students for lives of faithful and obedient service to Him. The Bible is the integrative force, and all administrators, faculty, and staff personally know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.