Why We Chose Christian School and What We Expect From It

You may have noticed the speed of new posts here has been a bit slow recently.  That’s what a busy semester will do for you.  There’s nothing like a couple of snow days, those unexpected holidays that help you catch your breath and look professionally organized again.  In the meantime, I asked one of our regular readers, a parent who supports four students enrolled in a Christian school, to share his perspective with you.  Jack is an attorney, his wife Nan directs activities at a senior citizen day care center, and they live in Tennessee.  They are actively involved in starting a new church.  Here’s their story.

My wife and I had been married seven years, and had a six year old son, when family circumstances in both of our families changed out situation dramatically, requiring my two younger brothers, who were in seventh and eighth grade respectively, and then six months later Nan’s brother, a seventh grader, to move in with us permanently.  Due to the circumstances, we were most concerned with educational issues, particularly related to the learning and school environment to which the boys would be exposed.  Our son was already in first grade at a Christian school that went through the 12th grade, and we had been pleased with the results and the atmosphere there, so we enrolled the boys. 

Considering the circumstances, we wanted a place where they would fit in well right away, and where we could trust the faculty with our story.  We needed more than just a classroom learning experience, we needed some ministry as well.  All three of the boys were athletes and had played at least two sports each year where they had gone to school before, so we were hoping they could plug into the athletic program as a means of fitting in.  They had also been raised in church, and were Christians, so we were hoping that would lead to quick relationship building. 

At the time, we expected the school to hire qualified, state-certified teachers who were members of a local church and who had beliefs similar to the school’s statement of faith.  We expected the school to be accredited by an agency approved by the state department of education and to be academically challenging.

What we found was that we needed to have much higher expectations than those.

“State certified” is not necessarily synonymous with “God called.”  We had state certified teachers.  But we found the secondary Bible teachers were all coaching staff, and none of them had a degree, or even any formal training, in Bible.  I was shocked by the way the classes were conducted, and by some of the things that were taught.  Our state certified English teacher duly required the students to read the books on the state-approved reading list, and hooted at the suggestion the students should read some Christian authored literature.  And I discovered that state-certified teachers are not trained in integrating the truths of the Bible into the curriculum, and state approved accrediting agencies do not operate from the philosophy that all truth is God’s revealed truth and not the result of human reason and experience. 

We are now in a different school, with a different set of expectations.  We expect the teachers to be God-called and God-certified.  Whether or not they are certified by the state is irrelevant to us.  We want our boys taught by men and women who love the Lord, are called to teach, and who practice their faith by being involved in their local church.  We expect the Bible teachers to be trained in Bible, and the other teachers to know how to teach their subject from the perspective that all truth is God’s revealed truth.  We expect the school to consider itself a part of the discipleship ministry its students will receive as they grow toward maturity with the goal in mind of being a useful and productive citizen of the Kingdom, regardless of what career field they choose.  We expect the athletic program to be a means by which students build relationships and interact with each other, and through which principles of God’s word are taught, and not focused on winning at all costs. 

We look for a school that is independent in its relationships and function, not pursuing the stamp of approval of the state or the public education system, but one that sets its own agenda based on the Word of God and the leadership of the Spirit.  We are looking for the accreditation that comes from other believers and Christian educators, and not state approval or recognition.  We know that there may be a few sacrifices related to that, but that there are others ahead who have blazed a trail which overcomes most of those obstacles.

It is well worth the effort.  Our oldest will graduate from high school in May, looking forward to attending a Christian university in the fall, majoring in pre-law.  The other two have adjusted very well, will be seniors in the fall, and are leaders in their school.  One is looking at a possible athletic scholarship at a Div. 1 school in baseball, the other at a Div.2 school in track. 

Thanks for the opportunity to share.

Jack Matthews