What Makes a Christian School Christian?
by Pastor Greg Bitgood, Superintendent
I’ve been in the business of Christian Education for 18 years now. One of the most common misconceptions we encounter is the preconceived ideas and expectations of the “Christian School.” People often have very different goals when they enroll their children in a Christian School than what the School is able to provide. When the School doesn’t meet their expectations they often become critical and disillusioned with Christian Education. Heritage Christian Online School is still not exempt from such misconceptions. Even though the primary place of education is the home, a Christian Education involves more than location.
Within the Christian School movement there are different goals that create each school’s distinctive approach towards education. Some exist for the purpose of academic achievement seeking a traditional approach towards education that has come out of our Christian Heritage. Some Christian Schools have been established for the purpose of evangelism, striving for the conversion of their community using the vehicle of education. Other schools exist to maintain a larger community goal, such as keeping the families of the church together or creating a sheltered place where their children are not as affected by the world around them.
Though elements of all the above mentioned distinctives can and will be a part of our experience at Heritage Christian Online School, our foremost goal is that of discipleship. Yes, our children will do well academically and we often will take a traditional approach in our teaching. Yes, we will see kids come to Christ through our educational relationship. Yes, we are part of the larger community of the body of Christ and we are a shelter from much of the sin and secularism that is at the very foundation of our public system. Nevertheless, our goals are to prepare our children for a life that will bring Christ to this fallen world and bring about real change and impact. This can only be done by following Jesus’ orders to "…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…" and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20) We have outlined in more specific terms what this looks like in the various disciplines and experiences we are training our children as a school in our Student Learning Outcomes on the web site.
There are three aspects to our school that make us distinct and enable discipleship to thrive:
Christian Educators
In order for true discipleship to occur we need true disciples to lead the way. We must lead our children in the well traveled paths that we have gone before them. It is inconceivable that a non-christian or a nominal Christian teacher could mentor our children into the ideas and beliefs necessary for true discipleship. In our Kelowna Campus several years ago we were in need of a Learning Assistance Teacher. Our long term teacher became ill at the beginning of the school year and would have to take early retirement. We found a teacher who could come and take over right away. In our haste we didn’t establish how strong of a Christian commitment we expected. She started with the idea that 'I can teach their curriculum and I will maintain their standards while I am at the school but at home and away I can still live differently'. It took about one month before she began to realize that she couldn’t live two lives. She came to us in October and resigned saying that we were too serious about our Christian beliefs. In HCOS the primary teacher will still be the parent. It is important to supplement your student’s program with people you can trust have your same Christian values and goals. For further thoughts on this, read my article written for our Kelowna campus school entitled The Importance of Christian Educators.
Christian Curriculum
In order for our children to see their world in the way God created it, we need a curriculum consistent with our worldview. When we use secular based curriculum we must be very careful to underscore the elements that are contrary to Christian perspective. It is no secret that our public school curriculum is void of Christian theology and is based in the reality that we live in a pluralistic society and cannot teach any one world-view. So children are not taught the nature of the world and it’s purpose. These ideas would mean that a singular world-view would have to be taught. The public curriculum teaches children two plus two and they will learn the same answer as is taught in the Christian school. What they are not taught in a public school is why it equals four. And understanding why it equals four is often more important than the solution itself. Let’s not forget that curriculum is more than a textbook. It is the way of seeing something that you are passing on to your student. It involves the process as well as the content. For curriculum to be truly Christian it will require a Christian teacher and teaching methods that will be consistent with the content. We cannot preach Christ crucified in an uncrucified manner. For further thoughts on this, read my article written for our Kelowna campus school entitled The Importance of Christian Curriculum.
Christian Environment
Though discipleship can occur anywhere, the environment where we nurture our children cannot. A stable Christian home and school environment will be a major factor in your child’s education. As stated before we do want to “shelter” our children from the sin and degradation of this world. Jesus does tell us to come out from among the world and be separate (II Cor. 6:17), but he also tells us that we are in the world but we are not of the world (John 17). Part of our task is to create a safe environment where our children can learn about this world while not being overly captivated by its deceptive allure. We must develop disciples who can gradually interact and eventually engage this world system for true and lasting change. The home is the best place for this to occur. We also can’t forget that we are part of a larger community of believers in the church and school. We will encounter aspects of worldliness in these God ordained institutions but the same is true of our own homes. Whatever aspect of carnal thinking between our ears will translate into the environment we create for our children. There is no such thing as the perfect home or church or school. It will become tainted as soon as we show up. Part of living out the Christian life is living within community and learning to love those whom God has connected us with and this extends to the world around us. Our Christian environment has to make room for the opportunity to love those who are hard to love. To reach those who are hard to reach. For further thoughts on this, read my article written for our Kelowna campus school entitled The Importance of Christian Environment.