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Throughout my career in Christian education, I have
written or stated in speeches that as a Christian school we teach from a
distinctively Christian perspective.
Whenever I wish to embellish that thought a bit more, I may indicate that
we teach from a Christian world and life view.
While such jargon sounds somewhat enticing to those new to our Christian
schools, it almost rolls off our tongues with little thought if we have been
nurtured or our children have been in Christian schools most of their
lives. So what really makes Christian
education different?
In his book Desiring
the Kingdom, James K. Smith writes, “The primary goal of Christian
education is the formation of a peculiar people – a people who desire the kingdom
of God and thus undertake their vocations as an expression of that desire.”
One of our faculty goals for the 2015-16 school year is
to probe deeper into and intentionally articulate the meaning of what makes
Christian education unique. In
preparation for some rather extensive training throughout this school year,
representative members of the faculty were selected to serve as early adopters
to learn the core practices of Teaching for Transformation (TfT).
Rebecca
De Smith (Discovery), Jill Van Soelen (1st grade), Megan
Winter (4th grade), Rachel Vanden Hull (5th grade), Lisa
Mouw (6th grade), Sheila Tietgen (junior high), Jill Friend (music),
Crista Smidt (guidance counselor), and Margaret Vande Kraats (media
specialist/librarian) in addition to Mr. Bowar and myself as administrators
make up the early adopter team. We meet
periodically to learn practical ways to use every class to invite students to
explore God’s Story, nurture students’ desire for God and His Kingdom, and
empower students to practice living in God’s Story. TfT is an inspiring approach to Christian
education that considers every subject area and every lesson an opportunity for
teachers and students to see God’s glory and live in God’s Story.
Christian education is the formation of a worldview. By teaching the intricacies of the Creation
through various forms of subject matter, we are actually teaching image-bearers
to fulfill the purpose for which they were created: to see and enjoy the glory
of God everywhere.
Christians also live out their lives in light of a
different story. Instead of pursuing an
education that will eventually help one fund personal comfort and convenience,
Christians understand that education is for equipping human beings to live out
their callings as participants in God’s Story. Christian education cultivates the knowledge and skills needed so that
we know how to glorify God by doing good to others. We learn to honor Christ by displaying a
radical, self-sacrificing love for others.
That makes Christian education distinct, and it makes us a peculiar and
“chosen people”. (I Peter 2:9)
Living
in His Story,
Mr.
De Vries, Principal