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An Overview of Christian Education
An understanding of a philosophy of Christian Education begins with an understanding of the three prime goals of Christian Education. The first and ultimate goal is to bring glory to God. The second goal and a result of the first, is to move a student toward maturity in Christ. The third and final goal is an outstanding academic atmosphere. These are the three reasons for a Christian School to exist.
The rise of the Christian School movement is largely due to what can be viewed as the demise of our societal values. Prayer and Bible reading have been abolished in public schools. The neutrality of God in the public school has caused great concern among parents. Material, textbooks, and some subjects are different today than in past decades. The influx of drugs, violence, and sex education, as well as immorality, in society and the public school system, is a reflection of the change in societal values. Generally, there is a tremendous lack of discipline and respect for authority encouraged in most secular arenas. Christian students and families must deal with humanistic philosophies being taught while biblical truths are ignored. These issues demonstrate the reasons why many Christian families desire an educational institution that provides an atmosphere where their student will experience growth in Biblical knowledge and participate in interaction that will cause him/her to grow toward maturity and ultimately bring glory to God. For many, the Christian School has become that institution. James W. Deuink and Carl D. Herbser, make the following statement in their book, Effective Christian School Management "Christian Education should develop Christians whose activities in this life anticipate their eventual conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). In contrast, the public school is conforming students to the ideals of society. It is secular in its education, not Biblical."
It is also important to understand who is responsible for Christian Education. God has placed parents, first and foremost, as the educators of their children (Deut. 6:7, Eph 6:4). It is His divine will that parents raise their children in the "admonition" of the Lord. The Church is another institution ordained by God to provide Christian Education for families. The main responsibilities of the Church are discipleship and evangelism. The Christian School is another institution providing biblical training for students. The Christian School is not a substitute for the home, but an extension of the Christian education already instituted in the home. In other words, the Christian School works with the parents and the Church in continuing a child's education from a Biblical view. The purpose of the Christian School, therefore, is to integrate the Word of God into every subject the student studies and then incorporate that into daily living. God's Word needs to be integrated into every aspect of the student's life to bring him/her into a closer conformity to the image of Christ. The Christian School exists for this purpose.
A question could then be raised, "Who should be the recipient of a Christian School education?" Christian Education and the Christian School should be directed primarily to Christians. By design, the school should work with parents in training young people for the Lord. No doubt, there will be evangelism taking place in the school especially in the tender years. However, the primary purpose of Christian education will be working with Christian parents in the spiritual and academic development of their children. Another responsibility of the Christian School is the consideration of the needs of the family as a whole. It is imperative the school be a servant to everyone. Many parents need Christian Education themselves. Again, the purpose of Christian Education is to move people towards maturity in Christ.
Another aspect of Christian Education is the personnel involved in delivering this education. The personnel who staff the Christian school should evidence certain qualifications and perspectives. First, they must be born-again with evidence of spiritual fruit. Secondly, they must view their position as a ministry, not a job. As they fulfill this ministry they should be living and modeling what they teach and believe. Thirdly, they should have the proper academic qualifications. Lastly, the faculty and staff must strive for continued self-improvement, spiritually, and academically, with the administration creating an atmosphere of accountability for this development to occur.
The Christian School curriculum is the avenue through which knowledge is accessed. Christian Education demands that all subject matter be filtered through the truth of the Scripture. The Christian School curriculum will integrate Biblical truths through all subject matter. This integration will occur whether the Christian School chooses Christian publishers or secular publishers. The integration of Biblical truth should in no way deter the curriculum from being a challenging, college preparatory experience for the student. It is the responsibility of the administration, staff, and school board to research and decide on the best possible curriculum for their school with the goals of always filtering the subject matter taught through the truth of Scripture and providing an accelerated academic atmosphere.
The Christian school must have a code of behavioral standards and discipline. This code must also conform to the Word of God. This code is designed to help students develop Christian maturity. Discipline is not punishment. It is the redirecting of wrong behavior into right behavior. Discipline is part of the educational process, which leads to self-control, respect for authority, and a healthy self-image. The discipline of the student will be a positive growth experience that moves that student toward maturity in Christ.
The Christian School is designed to bring young people to further maturity in Christ and ultimately, glory to God, while preparing them academically. It is an extension of the home and the church working together to affect the development of men and women for the Lord. Spiritual growth and academic excellence are emphasized. The School in its total facet should be designed to meet the needs of the total family. The entire Christian School staff are servants and should desire to be used of God to minister to the students and their family. With the cooperative efforts described, the Christian School seeks to develop young people and their families for the Glory of God.
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