MAOMBI YA KUMALIZA MWAKA 2016 NA KUINGIA MWAKA 2017

        KANISA LA PENTEKOSTE TANZANIA

MLIMA WA     UREJESHO.

MAOMBI YA KUMALIZA MWAKA WA 2016 NA KUINGIA MWAKA WA 2017.

Eee Mungu tunakushukuru kwa rehema zako na upendo wako. Umekuwa mwema sana katika maisha  yetu. Hatujawa wakamilifu vyakutosha mbele zako, Ni kwa neema yako tu Mungu wetu tumefika hapa tulipofika.  Katika mwaka huu wa 2016 Tumekuona ukitulinda, Ukituponya, ukitubarika katika maeneo mbalimbali ya maisha yetu. Hakika wewe ni Ebeneza na Elishadai.

Tuna kila sababu ya kukushukuru baba yetu. Mkono wako umekuwa mwema sana. Tuna kurudishia shukrani, sifa na adhama. Litukuzwe jina lako.

Katika vipindi vigumu tulivyopitia Tuliiona neema yako ikiwa kubwa sana, kutuwezesha kuvuka katika vipindi hivyo. Tulilikumbuka nno lako kama linavyosema katika   katika Yeremia 20:10

Tumekuona ukitimiza ahadi zako kama ulivyosema katika Isaya 54:10

“Maana milima itaondoka, na vilima vitaondolewa; bali wema wangu hautaondoka kwako, wala agano langu la amani halitaondolewa  Asema Bwana akurehemuye”

Isaya 55:6

Mtafuteni Bwana, Maadamu anapatikana,

Mwiteni maadamu yu karibu,

Yeremia 23:23

“Mimi ni Mungu aliye karibu, asema.Mimi si Mungu aliye mbali”

1.     Mshukuru Mungu kwaajili ya  wema na fadhili zake alizokutendea mwaka mzima, (shukuru kwaajili ya ulinzi, uponyaji,  uchumi,  n.k) Mwambie  Bwana Asante kwa Yote aliyokutendea katika mwaka wa 2016.

2.     Omba rehema mbele za Mungu katika Maeneo yote ambayo hukwenda kwa ukamilifu mbele zake.

3.     Ombea mwaka 2017 ukawe mwaka wa Baraka na wa  kibali  kwa kila kiumbe. Yeremia 29:9.

4.     Omba Mungu akakutangulie mwenyewe katika kila eneo maishani mwako katika mwaka wa 2017   Kutoka 23:20,      

5.     Omba  Ulinzi wa Mungu ukawe juu yako na familia yako mwaka 2017

6.     Omba wema na Fadhili za Bwana zikawe nawe kwa kiwango cha kupita kawaida katika mwaka 2017

7.     Omba Mungu akainue vipawa na  karama ndani yako katika mwaka huu wa 2017.

8.     Omba Mungu  aachilie upako juu yako.   Matendo ya mitume 1:8

9.     Omba uongozi wa Mungu katika maeneo yote uwe juu yako katika maka 2017.  Isaya 58:11

10.            Omba Mungu akuweke mbali na maonezi ya ufalme wa giza katika mwaka wa 2017 Isaya 54:14

11.            Omba Mungu akupe hazina za gizani na mali  zilizofichwa Isaya 45:3

12.            Omba Mungu akakufundishe mwenyewe mwaka 2017. Isaya 48:17

Karibu Mwaka 2017. Mwaka Wa Kuinuka Na Kusitawi

Isaya 43:18

Asante Mungu kwa kuturidhia kuingia mwaka mpya wa 2017.

Mwaka wa kupokea jambo jipya toka kwako.

By               Rev. Erick L  Mponzi

0762532121

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND FORMATION MINISTRY

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
PATHWAYS TO CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY NO. 2
SERVING THE NEEDS OF LEADERS IN FOUNDATIONAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND FORMATION MINISTRY
Christian never graduates,” claims a long-time member of Towson United Methodist Church in Towson, MD. This congregation has a commitment to life-long learning and this ministry is a ho-listic one within the entire church. The pastor and lay leadership are engaged, and all ages participate, both in “come” ministries and “go” ministries. They model a vital ministry of Christian education and formation.
A THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
One need not look far to find biblical sup-port for religious education. Every Hebrew father was required to teach his child the Law, and as soon as the child could walk and hold his hand, he attended or ob-served the major festivals. We see this reminder in Deuteronomy 6: “Now this is the commandment…that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to ob-serve…, so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his command-ments…so that your days may be long…, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as…God… has prom-ised you” (6:1-3).
This charge from God, by way of Moses, indicates not only what they are to do (teach the commandments) but why (so you and your descendants may have a long, prosperous, and fruitful life). The Commandments we teach are not just a set of rules to be enforced, but guides to an abundant life.
The New Testament offers the best exam-ple of all: Jesus, the master teacher. After all the parables, lessons, and personal examples, Jesus paused before his ascen-sion for one last teaching moment: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the na-tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spi-rit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Again, Jesus offered the What (go, make, baptize, teach) and the Why (to transform the world by making disciples of all the nation).
Knowing that even faithful followers are frail and forgetful, Jesus pledged both spi-ritual and practical help. In his final meal with his disciples, Jesus made a fantastic promise: “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Lest his disciples waver, he also assured them the “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you” (14:26). The entire Trinity is engaged in helping us fulfill a ministry of religious education for ourselves, our children, and our children’s children.
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WHAT DOES VITAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION LOOK LIKE?
First, Christian education and formation is BIG! It includes education, of course: those classes, groups, and activities that teach the Scriptures, the life and times of biblical people, biblical history and tradi-tion, denominational information, doctrine and theology, and other knowledge-based information. Study is vitally important; an ignorant disciple is not a very good dis-ciple.
A Portrait of a Vital Christian
Yet “knowing” or “knowing about” is only part of the whole. Christian education properly includes formation. We are edu-cated for something and to be some-thing—mature Christian disciples. So, a ministry of Christian education includes those relationships, experiences, events, and mystical encounters that shape us as Christians in relationship to God and one another. We forge an identity and cultivate the traits that demonstrate our active, in-grained love of God. We learn the holy ha-bits that develop and sustain us as mem-bers of the body of Christ.
Members of the household of faith, in age-appropriate ways, will value, learn, and apply the word of God. We will behave in ways that demonstrate a commitment to justice for all people. We will be generous. We will want to serve others and will find ways to do it without thought of reward. We will show patience, forbearance, com-passion, and love. In short, we strive to have the mind in us that is in Christ. All of this must be valued, taught, and modeled. The ministry of Christian education and formation is an important venue for that learning and mentoring.
Vital Educational Ministry
Dan Dick’s research into vital congrega-tions in Vital Signs,* revealed similar cha-racteristics in six key areas:
Focus: integrating spiritual, theoretical, and practical knowledge in daily living and Christian service; study of Scripture, the-ology, cultural and sociological issues highly valued.
Commitment: high level of commit-ment by majority of congregation to life-long learning: learning and discipleship are closely related.
Forum: small groups, both inside and outside the congregation; formal classes with clear objectives; integrated program.
Participation: widespread throughout entire congregation.
Leadership: interplay of teach-er/student role where almost everyone is both; a good deal of outside expertise brought in; majority of congregations see themselves in teaching role.
Impact: high impact; lives changed, hearts transformed; people integrate faith, learning, and daily living.
Congregations do not have to be large or wealthy to be vital. They have to be faith-ful, thoughtful, intentional, and diligent.
Everything Teaches
All congregations will have some kind of Christian education and formation pres-ence, even if it’s done informally. The question is not whether there is any Chris-tian formational ministry going on, but how well it is being done. EVERYTHING teach-es; everything forms us, either positively or negatively.
The entire Trinity is engaged in helping us fulfill a ministry of religious educa-tion for ourselves, our children, and our children’s children.
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Teachers, as one might expect, are promi-nent examples and models for persons who participate in the organized classes and study groups at the church or spon-sored by the church. Are they present to welcome people, particularly the children, when they arrive? Are they prepared? Do they create a safe place to be and to bring up important questions? Do they listen? Do they care about their students? Are they present for worship and engaged in service?
Responses to these questions (and many others) speak volumes about the per-ceived value of Christian education and the people who participate in it. But adults in the classroom are not the only teachers and leaders in a ministry of education and formation. Anyone, of any age, who claims the name of Christ is an example to others about who God is, what God is like, and the life God calls us to lead. We are, after all, created in the image of God. Every Christian’s life, as it is lived moment by moment, is a testimony for (or against) the knowledge and practice of the love of God. Everything teaches.
THE PASTOR AND EDUCATION
The pastor, including one on a two-point charge who is conducting worship at Church A while Church B is having Sunday school, is a key leader in educational min-istry. Sunday school may be “prime time” for Christian education (with over a million people engaged any given Sunday), but it is not the only place where the pastor’s participation is helpful.
The Teaching Pastor
The pastoral leader of a congregation, es-pecially in smaller churches where the pastor is the entire staff, is often the only one with a formal theological education. While we as a Church wring our collective hands over the lack of biblical and theo-logical literacy in our congregations, it seems clear that the person with a theo-logical education should share it in what-ever ways are possible. The most obvious way is in leading classes or groups, whether on Sunday morning or other time.
The pastor is limited only by his or her im-agination, because everything is a teach-ing opportunity. At a fellowship dinner? The pastor can offer a biblical/theological explanation for the gathering of the body for nurture. In a meeting? The pastor can spend a moment teaching something of the history and tradition of that area of ministry or offer biblical examples or prin-ciples that should undergird it. All that the church does should have a bibli-cal/theological reason, otherwise the church may not need to do it. The pastor can be a front-line teacher and interpreter of this (though it’s a good exercise for the laity).
The Book of Discipline of The United Me-thodist Church specifically charges the pastor to teach parents the meaning and responsibilities of baptism when they bring a child for the sacrament. Further, they are required to teach or to guide the teaching of confirmation for youth and adults. This is not to be taken lightly: “The pastor shall diligently instruct the parents or guardians regarding the meaning of this sacrament and the vows they assume” (see ¶216 and ¶226, 2008).
Pastoral leaders will want to instruct per-sons who wish to join the church by pro-fession of faith or by transfer, particularly from a different denomination. Indeed, the pastor may be the chief repository for all things Wesleyan. John and Charles have
Every Christian’s life, as it is lived mo-ment by moment, is a testimony for (or against) the knowledge and practice of the love of God. Everything teaches.
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left a marvelous legacy, and that should be shared with persons who unite with a United Methodist congregation.
The Preacher as Teacher
The pastoral leader has an opportunity every week to teach from the pulpit. Re-sponsible preaching relies on sound ex-egesis, and at least some of that research can make its way into the spoken mes-sage. This is the perfect setting in which to introduce not only some of the historical and theological background of the Scrip-tures, but of the elements of worship as well.
The liturgy is intended to illuminate the flow of influence and response of the con-gregation as they receive, incorporate, and respond to God’s presence. When the elements of the liturgy are “unpacked” and the congregation is taught what each part of the worship service is to do and why we do it, they are more engaged as participants. (Worship is not a “spectator sport!”) Learning the flow of the Christian year and its parallels with the life and min-istry of Jesus enhances the worship expe-rience, and the congregation is much more likely to know and understand this if the pastor is deliberate about teaching it. One result is more enlightened worship-pers. Another is disciples who are better able to integrate the life and ministry of Christ with their own education and ministry.
Pastoral Leader as Advocate
Teaching is a skill and a gift that is not universal (though it behooves the pastor to develop teaching skills). Pastors can certainly bring their biblical/theological expertise into a partnership with someone more gifted in teaching.
Even if the pastoral leader never gets di-rectly involved in a small group or class, he or she can and should be the number one advocate for those who do teach and lead groups. What the pastoral leader val-ues, the congregation is likely to value.
The pulpit may be the most effective fo-rum for promoting the value and practice of Christian education and formation. Pleading from the pulpit for teachers and helpers is generally an ineffective method of swelling the ranks of teachers, but the pulpit is an ideal place to celebrate the ministry of Christian education and forma-tion. Regular updates or comments on the wonderful things that are happening in classes and groups tell the congregation as a whole that their children, youth, and adults are being nurtured in the faith and how that is happening.
Consecrating the teachers and small group leaders each year at an appropriate time (such as the beginning of the school year) highlights the importance of Chris-tian education and the people who lead it. Christian Education Week* includes ar-ticles, worship resources, a consecration liturgy, workshop, and a list of resources to support congregational awareness of this ministry.
Vitality Supported by the Pastor
Recall the key areas for vitality: focus, commitment, forum, participation, leader-ship, and impact. The pastor’s participa-tion in and advocacy for effective Christian education is crucial. Worship time and class or group time can be planned to form an integrated whole, linking focus and forum so that themes and lessons in the curriculum are supported by what happens in worship. The expectation
The pastoral leader can and should be the number one advocate for those who do teach and lead groups. What the pastoral leader values, the congrega-tion is likely to value.
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voiced from the pulpit (and the church council, committees, and other venues) that all persons should study and grow encourages a congregational value of life-long learning and lifts up participation as a necessary practice. The pastor’s personal involvement in leadership and as an ad-vocate for other leaders creates a suppor-tive community within which all the lead-ers can develop further skill and expertise. Being intentional and thoughtful about a whole-congregation involvement opens the door to a greater possibility of lives formed and transformed.
LAY LEADERSHIP
While much has been said so far about the involvement of the pastoral leader, clearly he or she is just one person. The ministry of Christian education relies on many more laypersons for all the classes and groups offered.
Equipping the Saints
If the congregation is serious about vital ministry in general and vital Christian edu-cation and formation ministry in particular, it must also value appropriate training of its teachers and leaders.
In a short study of congregational Chris-tian education practices,* it was discov-ered that while most of the churches had clear expectations of the teacher in the classroom (be on time, be prepared, know the age group, be theologically responsi-ble), not so many stated expectations about the character or practices of the teacher otherwise. Perhaps that was as-sumed, but only a few specifically stated that teachers or group leaders were also expected to attend worship, practice the spiritual disciplines (at least) of prayer and personal study of the Scriptures, partici-pate in regular training and support groups, and otherwise demonstrate the marks of mature discipleship. If these en-tirely reasonable requirements are ex-pected of the teacher, the teacher should expect the church to provide a means to fulfill them.
To do so, you need a supportive infrastruc-ture in place. Persons invited to teach will have significant influence with the child-ren and youth of the congregation. They want to know what is expected of them (both inside and outside the classroom) and what support is available. Congrega-tional leaders in education must define the requirements, equip their teachers and group leaders for the task, and expect them to participate in training as a condi-tion of their acceptance. When the infra-structure is strong before people are re-cruited, the assurance of help is a gift, not an empty promise.
SMALL GROUPS
Vital ministry depends on the intimacy that small groups, including classes, offer. Ex-periential worship is essential, but by its nature, does not afford the opportunity for the personal, real-time give-and-take in-terchange of a small group in a safe place.
Every congregation has small groups; some of them are a small group. Think broadly about “small group”—it can be any group that is small, not just a group formed for the practice of spiritual discip-lines. That means that the choir, or the Finance committee, or the Wednesday night knitters, or the Saturday morning aerobics class could all be a part of a small group ministry. Any group, not just
Congregational leaders in education must define the requirements, equip their teachers and group leaders for the task, and expect them to participate in training. When the infrastructure is strong before people are re-cruited, the assurance of help is a gift, not an empty promise.
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the Sunday school or mid-week classes, offers an opportunity for faith develop-ment and disciple making. Any group can be an entry point to the church, the de-nomination, and/or to the Christian faith.
Adopting an Expansive View
Rather than expect groups to change, en-courage them to think more expansively about themselves. The knitters may also pray for anyone who will receive what they make. The choir may also engage in a brief reflection time on the text of the an-thems and hymns so that the theological import of the music seeps into their souls. The aerobics group may use contemporary Christian music so that they hear the Word while they exercise.
In addition to keeping an expansive view, small groups will work together systemical-ly. Group leaders and teachers will be aware of how people come and go through this system. This is easiest in the class structure for children who logically progress from one grade to the next. Ideal-ly, the elementary and teen teachers and group leaders understand what is needed to help prepare students to make the transitions from one age-level to the next and talk and plan with one another for a seamless process.
Of course, real life is not like that, and it only accounts for a portion of the partici-pants in a congregation where everyone is expected and encouraged to engage in life-long learning. The system needs to at-tend to what adults need to help them continue growing in the faith so that there are opportunities for people all along the faith development continuum. In addition, the system must consider not just “us” but those who are not yet “us” or who may never be “us,” yet can be participants in or beneficiaries of the church’s ministry.
ESTABLISHING MEASURES
If vital congregations are thoughtful and intentional concerning the focus, com-mitment, forum, participation, leadership, and impact of their ministry of Christian education and formation, then they have identified a way to measure it. Quantita-tive measures—how many people attend classes, VBS, or DISCIPLE Bible Study—is one measure, but numbers are only a small part of the answer. Numbers do not tell us what is actually happening to the people who do come.
Vision and Goals, Then Measures
Before measurement must come an un-derstanding of the results you want. First, the vision. If our ministry of Christian edu-cation and formation is producing the fruits that please God, what does that look like? So, we return to the image of the ma-ture, faithful disciple mentioned earlier. That’s what we want to accomplish; that’s who and what we want people to become.
Then, who do we need to be, what kind of environment must we create, and what do we need to do to have a sustainable, fruit-producing ministry that, in partnership with God, makes disciples of Jesus Christ who can transform the world? (Remem-ber- “greater things than these will you do…”?) The strategies come next. The measures are based on the strategies. In what specific ways were the strategies ef-fective or not? In what particular ways can you determine if people are growing in their own discipleship? How can you assess what impact various practices, relationships, and experiences have on congregational members?
How can you assess what impact various practices, relationships, and experiences have on your participants?
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND PRACTICAL HELPS
Use these questions and activities to engage your church leaders in reflection and action toward congregational vitality.
A Theological Foundation
1. Use a Bible concordance to find pas-sages that refer to teaching or instruc-tion in the biblical community. What is the overall value placed on instruction? What is the purpose of the instruc-tion? The expected results? How well are these values taught and practiced in your congregation?
Vital Christian Education Ministry
2. In small groups of two or three, give each group a different activity related to all the different things that go on during an average Sunday in your church. Discuss these questions in the small group, then come together to share insights. What evidence do you see for the six key areas of vital ministry: focus, commitment, forum, participation, leadership, and impact? If everything teaches, what is being taught in your activity? What is miss-ing? What would you like to be dif-ferent?
The Pastor and Education
3. The pastoral leader is, or can be, a key leader in Christian education. List cur-rent areas in which the pastor can teach or advocate for a Christian edu-cation ministry. No pastor can do everything or be everywhere, so how would you priorit-ize these areas? How can the con-gregation assist? What opportunities are afforded the pastoral leader to continue his or her own education and development? How does (might) this opportunity en-hance the pastor’s role as educator?
Lay Leadership
4. Appoint a small group to assess the infrastructure into which persons are invited for leadership. Are opportunities for personal, spiri-tual growth in place? For specific training in teaching or leading groups? Do you have a job description ap-proved by the church council that helps teachers and education lead-ers understand what is expected of them and what they can expect? If not, select a small group to work on them.
Small Groups
5. Discuss these questions: If every small group is a potential place of faith formation and disciple making, how might you encourage existing groups to hold this view? What is the system that holds your classes and groups together? How might it be done more systematically and with specific goals?
Establishing Measures
6. Distribute copies of (The First) 80 Guiding Questions to Assess the Edu-cation Ministry of the Church.* Assign a different segment to persons or small groups. How well do you do with the ques-tions raised in your segment? How might these ideas help you es-tablish specific measures for your ministry?
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RESOURCES
*Christian Education Week is a free, downloadable resource published each year by the General Board of Discipleship to support the annual emphasis of Chris-tian Education Sunday. This day is one of the officially recognized Sundays within the United Methodist calendar, but the date is determined by each annual confe-rence. CEW is available early in the year, usually posted to the GBOD website in March. (The 2010 issue)
*Congregational Christian Education Prac-tices: For more information and a series of reflection questions for the congregation’s Christian education ministry, see the study report Survey on Basic Christian Education in the Local Church.
*Vital Signs: A Pathway to Congregational Wholeness, by Dan R. Dick. Nashville: Dis-cipleship Resources © 2007. ISBN 978-0-88177-495-5. The chart on pages 142-143, produced here in part, provides a summary of findings related to Christian education for each of the four types of congregations identified in his research.
*(The First) 80 Guiding Questions to As-sess the Education Ministry of the Church
Foundations summarizes the theological statement of The United Methodist Church in regard to Christian education. It is pre-pared by the staff at the General Board of Discipleship.
Writer in this issue:
 Diana Hynson, Director of Learning and Teaching Ministries; dhynson@gbod.org

This pamphlet is prepared by the Leadership Ministry Division at the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church and may be reprinted for use in the local church © 2011 GBOD.
For more information about the needs and requirements in specific ministry areas, see the leadership series Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation, which includes
 Christian Education  Small Group Ministry Visit our websites:
 Evangelism  Stewardship  www.gbod.org/education
 Finance  Worship  www.gbod.org/evangelism
 www.gbod.org/stewardship
Go to www.cokesbury.com or call 1-800-672-1789.  www.gbod.org/worship

PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Dayspring Christian Academy
Copyright, 2004
PHILOSOPHY OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
The Purpose and Scope of Christian Education
Education, as defined by American scholar and biblical thinker Noah Webster, “comprehends all
that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper,
form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations.” Webster’s
definition is itself a demonstration of the chief aim of Christian education—a biblical world view. The
Apostle Paul, in his treatise on the value and authenticity of Scripture, explains that “All Scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for correction, for reproof, for training in righteousness, so that
the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)
This scripture and definition reveal the very heart of education and form the foundation for the
philosophy of education at Dayspring Christian Academy. The major tenets of this philosophy:
1. The Development of a Biblical World View is the Goal of Christian Education
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove
what the will of God is, that which is good and perfect and acceptable.”
Romans 12:2
The Bible is the primary source for all learning. It provides, through principles of truth, the foundation
from which the learner can reason to every subject and area of life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom. (Proverbs ) The Bible does not provide the necessary fact base required to gain knowledge of
most subjects. However, knowledge of Biblical principles is absolutely essential to develop understanding
and wisdom –the high orders of learning and application—in any given subject.
2. Christian Character Development is Primary in the Education Process
Education works from the internal to the external. First, the heart of man must be regenerated then his
mind must be renewed, and finally, he will “walk in a manner worthy of his calling.” Christ opens the
doorway into the Kingdom of God for the individual. The sanctification process that ensues occurs in the
character realm first and foremost, and is a lifelong progression. Lasting external change and growth
comes only by way of internal character growth.
“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about
perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope…”
Romans 5:3-4
3. Academic Excellence is an Expression of Worship of Almighty God
“Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.”
Psalm 111:2
As the foundation in Christian character is being laid, the academic capacity of the student is addressed and
developed. Each child is an expression of God’s Principle of Individuality. He is seen as an individual created
in God’s image, unique and possessing certain gifts and qualities that set him apart from all others. As his
strengths and weaknesses are identified, the education process both affirms and stretches him, calling him up to
excellence in every area of life so that he may effectively exert Christian influence in his life spheres.
4. Christian Education Requires a Christian Philosophy, Curriculum, and Methodology
Education is comprised of three basic components: philosophy, curriculum, and methodology.
Likewise, each and every subject that is studied has a unique philosophy (presuppositional truths),
curriculum (content) and methodology (application). Philosophy gives rise to both the curriculum and the
methods used in studying (teaching and learning). It is the relationship of these three components that
provide both the means and the ends for mastering a given subject or topic.
Dayspring Christian Academy
Copyright, 2004
PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is the governor of our thoughts and actions. Philosophy gets to the heart of who we are, what
we believe and why we believe it. It is closely allied with “world view.” Our philosophy of life is affected by
our world view and at the same time affects it. There are many philosophies in the world today. Most are
insidious in the way they captivate the mind and produce outcomes that would otherwise be shunned.
Scripture clearly warns believers to beware of “vain philosophies” that are patterned after the rudiments of the
world rather than of Christ. A Christian philosophy of life is also termed a biblical world view.
A philosophy of education is a philosophy of government. It determines the character and the skill of the
rising generation. Whether a Christian civilization will endure depends largely on the philosophy of education
that prepares those who will lead. The importance of building a Christian philosophy of education cannot be
overstated for parents, teachers, and students alike. From the earliest years, parents and teachers begin to train
the philosophy of life that a child will take into adulthood. Often, a person’s actions expose an underlying
philosophy more readily than his discourse.
CURRICULUM
The curriculum is the course of study embarked upon by a student. A curriculum has an underlying
philosophy, which is exposed by the subjects studied, and the facts or concepts to be mastered. The goal of
any curriculum should be to discover truth. A Christian curriculum searches all things for the knowledge and
wisdom of God. “Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them.” Psalm 111:2
· A curriculum should be lively and appropriate to the needs of the learner, as well as to the needs
of the community as a whole.
· Care should be taken to develop a Christian curriculum based upon the research and reasoning
of the teacher who has mastered the subject from a biblical perspective.
· A curriculum must be academically sound and based upon truth, not on prejudiced or biased
points of view.
· The scope of the curriculum is the breadth and depth of the content to be studied. The scope
should always be age/ability-appropriate, while providing the challenge needed to stretch the
able mind.
· The sequence of the curriculum should build from rudimentary knowledge and understanding to
more advanced concepts and applications in a logical progression. Prerequisite skills and
concepts must be in place before introducing new material.
· The scope and the sequence of any subject are established both within each grade level, as well
as between all the grade levels in the school. The validity of each must be verified.
· The goal of every curriculum is to attain mastery of the subject within the context of a biblical
world view.
METHODOLOGY
A Christian philosophy of education that is not evidenced in both a Christian curriculum and a Christian
method of teaching will fall short of its objective to build a biblical world view into the learner. Ones’
view of God, humanity, the heart and mind, and the child has everything to do with how one practices the
art and science of teaching. Teachers can negate the effect of a Christian philosophy and curriculum by
following secular humanistic practices in the classroom that are steeped in behaviorism and the theory of
evolution.
· Teaching is a relationship first and foremost. The teacher-pupil relationship is based in Christian
love and is crowned with mutual respect. “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure
heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” I Timothy 1:5
· The teacher is seen as a living curriculum before her students. “A pupil is not above his teacher;
but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.” Like 5:40
· Discipline and order play major roles in the efficiency and effectiveness of the teaching-learning
cycle.
· Teachers must stay current with teaching-learning theories while maintaining a biblical filter
through which to qualify them. “All truth is God’s truth.”
· The Christian Idea of the Child recognizes the inherent value of each individual as well as his
uniqueness. Teachers recognize these personality and learning style differences and adapt their
teaching methods so that every student has the opportunity to grow to his full potential.
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5. The Principle Approach Provides an Excellent Biblical and Historical Model of Christian Education
Nearly four centuries ago, a group of Pilgrims landed on the shores of North America “for the glory of God and
advancement of the Christian faith.” It was through their highly developed sense of Christian character and their
commitment to excellence in every area of life that the foundation of a civil government based upon biblical
principles was laid. During the two hundred years that followed, a republic was formed that grew into the
greatest nation the world has ever known. Primary among reasons for this success was the prevailing method of
education at the time: The Principle Approach. The success of this Christian classical method can be seen in the
fact that by the time of the Declaration of Independence, the literacy rate ranged from 70% to virtually 100%
across a large segment of the population - something the world had never seen before. If this nation, or any other
nation, desires to continue to grow and prosper, much will depend on the character of its people and the values
they hold dear and on how well both are passed on to succeeding generations.
The Principle Approach is a modern appellation for the American colonial model of education. It is a
systematic, Christian approach to education that builds upon a classical curriculum and is thoroughly biblical
in its philosophy and application.
Key Word
PRIN'CIPLE, n. [L. principium, beginning.]
1. In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; that from which a thing proceeds; as the
principle of motion; the principles of action.
2. Element; constituent part; primordial substance.
Modern philosophers suppose matter to be one simple principle, or solid extension diversified by its
various shapes.
3. Being that produces any thing; operative cause.
The soul of man is an active principle.
4. In science, a truth admitted either without proof, or considered as having been before proved. In the
former sense, it is synonymous with axiom; in the latter, with the phrase, established principle.
5. Ground; foundation; that which supports an assertion, an action, or a series of actions or of reasoning.
On what principle can this be affirmed or denied? He justifies his proceedings on the principle of
expedience or necessity. He reasons on sound principles.
6. A general truth; a law comprehending many subordinate truths; as the principles of morality, of law, of
government, &c.
The Principle Approach begins with the premise that all things (truth, knowledge, matter, the universe
itself) are held together by biblical principles, i.e., the Word of God. (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17.)
These principles (laws) govern every subject, determining how each operates and should be used by man to
fulfill God’s mandate to subdue the earth. Principles are seen as seeds that contain all the rudimentary
information needed in a given subject to solve any problem or answer any question. Biblical principles do
not provide content material in a given subject, but function as governing forces that guide the learner
along a path of biblical reasoning that results in godly wisdom.
Key Word
CLASSICAL, a.
1. Relating to ancient Greek and Roman authors of the first rank or estimation, which, in modern times,
have been and still are studied as the best models of fine writing. Thus, Aristotle, Plato, Demosthenes,
Thucydides, &c., among the Greeks, and Cicero, Virgil, Livy, Sallust, Cesar, and Tacitus, among the
Latins, are classical authors. Hence,
2. Pertaining to writers of the first rank among the moderns; being of the first order; constituting the best
model or authority as an author; as, Addison and Johnson are English classical writers. Hence classical
denotes pure, chaste, correct, refined; as a classical taste; a classical style.
Webster’s final sentence in definition 2 of the word classical is of paramount importance when applying the
idea of the classics to Christian education. While the classical curriculum draws frequently from ancient
Greek and Roman reservoirs, they are not the only sources. In his definition of the noun classic, Webster
notes that “the word is applied to writers of a like character in any nation.” Hence, in the classically
oriented paradigm, the educator searches for and verifies the best works (curricula and methodologies)
from many nations and cultures.
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The Principle Approach is not American, nor is it just for Americans. America’s history and government—
especially during the colonial and founding periods—do provide the clearest representation and outcomes
of applying biblical principles to the civil realm. These same principles that helped forge our nation’s
founding documents and institutions will renovate any nation at any time period when wisely and
systematically applied.
It must be pointed out that because something is identified as a classic, does not mean that it is Christian or
biblical in nature. The Christian school educator must carefully discern what material is to be selected to
study, clearly define the purpose for studying it, and decide how its inconsistencies with a biblical world
view will be treated. This process involves thinking governmentally – reasoning from the internal (source,
cause) to the external (application, effect). Thinking governmentally determines who or what is in control
in a given situation.
In the classically oriented Christian school attention is given to avoid making educational decisions based upon
faddish concerns and political correctness. Contemporary issues and theories are not to be ignored, but are
scrutinized within the greater context of a historical and biblical perspective.
The Principle Approach, revived in the 1960s through the Foundation for American Christian Education,
draws from the classical Christian tradition by providing formal instruction in logic, rhetoric, Latin, New
Testament Greek and Biblical Hebrew. Classical literature at every grade level provides for an
enriched and highly developed vocabulary, as well as a broader perspective on the human condition.
PHILOSOPHICAL DISTINCTIVES OF THE PRINCIPLE APPROACH
· The Word of God is recognized as the “alpha and omega” of Truth and becomes the plumbline
against which all ideas, concepts, and facts are measured for veracity. The level of scholarship,
biblical reasoning, and Christian character evidenced in America’s colonial and founding
generations is being restored as a means to support and maintain our Christian republic.
· The foundational principles of the Bible provide a bond that unites each subject from within and
relates all subjects together from without
· God is the Source of all things. God’s Principle of Individuality, as demonstrated by His
holiness and the infinite expression of His creativity is the framework for understanding all of life
and learning. The uniqueness of each individual within the diversity of the human race is a
reflection of God’s own character and nature.
· The individuality of each subject is expressed by examining its biblical origin and purpose, its
rudimentary concepts, its particular vocabulary, and its historical development. This study
provides a deeper understanding of God’s character and nature and clarifies man’s duty to use
this knowledge responsibly to fulfill the first and second great commissions (Genesis 1:28;
Matthew 28:19-20).
· The teacher, the parents, and student enter a covenant relationship, while, at the same time, the
individuality of each is respected and preserved. (Ephesians 6:1-2; Luke 6:40)
· The learning process is reflective, promoting sound, logical reasoning and intuitive thinking on
the part of the learner from a biblical Christian perspective. (Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 28:9-10)
· Teachers and students produce ideas and works that express creativity, value and meaning, contribute to
the general good, and are pleasing to God, rather than simply consume materials and/or absorb the ideas
of others. (II Timothy 2:20-21; II Timothy 3:16-17)
6. Educational Objectives Address the Whole Child (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:11-16)
A. Spiritually, in that the child is provided instruction, opportunity, and modeling in:
o loving God,
o loving his neighbor
o developing a prayer life
o rightly dividing the Word of God
o reasoning from the principles of God’s Word to all of life
o owning and articulating a biblical Christian world view
o embracing the Great Commission
o walking in purity of thought and action
o identifying with a local church
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B. Academically, in that the child is provided instruction, opportunity, and modeling so as to:
o be equipped with a well rounded, liberal arts education
o attain excellence in scholarship in the various subject areas
o think critically, from cause to effect
o study effectively
o be fit for usefulness in his future station, whether at college or in a vocation
o be able to articulate thoughts and persuade others
o understand world cultures
o exhibit technological savvy
C. Socially, in that each child is provided instruction, opportunity and modeling so as to promote:
o The Fruit of the Spirit
o Modesty
o Diplomacy in dealing with others
o Civility and good manners
o A giving heart
o Respectfulness, compassion, and helpfulness toward others
o Honoring of father and mother and others in authority
o The biblical standard of heterosexuality; the biblical injunction against homosexuality
o The biblical view that marriage is between one man and one woman and is sacred
o Global awareness in view of the world
o Sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity
o Active support of the school as an alumnus
o Patriotism and good citizenship
D. Physically, in that each child is provided instruction, opportunities and modeling so as to:
o Maintain a healthy and fit body
o Treat his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit
o Be well groomed and modest in presentation
o Disciplined in healthy life-habits
o Remain sexually pure according to biblical standards
In summary, Christian education has the unique capacity to assist parents in their God-given mandate to
“raise their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) This education takes
place in the context of a biblical philosophy and a Christ-centered curriculum by loving and mature
Christian teachers who minister to the whole child using Christ-honoring and effective methods.

Outline of Report on Christian Education

Outline of Report on Christian Education
Introduction
A Brief History Lesson
The Three-legged Stool: Church, Home, School
Three Pillars (Biblical-Theological Foundations)
Covenant
Kingdom
Mission
Christian Education in Today’s World
Changes in Society: Secularism, Consumerism, and Relativism
Changes in the Christian Reformed Church: Diversity and Identity
Conflicts about Christian Education
Choices in Education
Supporting Christian Schools Today
The Challenge of Inclusion
The Challenge of Finances
The Challenge of Choice
The Challenge of Small Churches
The Challenge of Balancing Christian Education and Evangelism
Conclusion
Summary of Recommendations
Discussion Questions
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Christian Day School Report—2006
Introduction
From the beginning of its 150-year history, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) has
had a reputation for its strong commitment to Christian day school education. In response
to overtures from churches and classes, Synod 2000 appointed a committee to “study the
support for distinctively Reformed Christian day schools by the Christian Reformed
denomination and its local congregations.” Synod said this study was needed because
a. no study had been done since 1955,
b. significant changes had occurred in the denomination and society,
c. rising tuition costs and diversity of income could create tension in the local
church, and
d. Church Order Article 71 calling for officebearers to support Christian day schools
was no longer being read literally.
The study committee’s mandate was to name the “biblical, theological, and confessional
bases for Christian day schools” and to describe the relationship between a
congregation’s baptismal vows and its support of Christian schools. At Synod 2003, the
committee presented its report with recommendations. The report included analysis of
numerous factors:
• cultural, ethnic, and demographic changes in North American society and in the
denomination
• financing of Christian schools
• the variety of educational choices CRC parents have
• the bases for Christian day schools
Synod 2003 adopted some of the recommendations—particularly by affirming the bases
for Christian education (covenant, kingdom, and mission), making a change in Church
Order Article 71, and acknowledging the communal responsibility of a congregation to
financially support Christian day school education. However, it directed the same
committee to take two more years to be clearer about the “churches’ commitment to
Reformed Christian day schools and the churches’ work of doing evangelism”; to discuss
how small, isolated congregations could fulfill their baptismal vows in relationship to
Christian schools; and to address the “divisions and brokenness” in local churches with
unequal resources and attitudes about Christian schools.
Synod 2005 adopted all the committee’s recommendations and commended the report to
the churches for study. Fifty years after the last report, the CRC has reaffirmed its
commitment to Christian day school education. However, the denomination and the
world are far different from what they were “back then.” What follows is a summary of
the 2005 report, with questions to promote discussion. This guide will help your
congregation understand how and why the CRC has supported Reformed Christian day
school education, and assist you in adapting this heritage to the current culture.
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A Brief History Lesson
The CRC began in 1857. Just thirteen years later, Synod 1870 said that a Christian
primary school is “the nursery of and for the Church.” It said that this education is to be
free from the control of the state or church, and distinctly Reformed. In 1873, the general
assembly said the need of free Christian Reformed schools ought to be “strongly
recommended to the Congregations, and that Congregations take steps to bring such
schools into being.”
Over the next two decades, the CRC continued to promote Reformed Christian schools,
advocating in 1892 the establishment of Christian school societies, even pronouncing the
name for them, “The Society for the Advancement of Christian Education on Reformed
Principles.” Synod 1898 said, “Christian education according to Reformed principles is
the incontrovertible duty of Reformed Christians,” and instructed all elders and pastors to
“labor in the utmost of their power in the promotion of Christian education wherever and
whenever possible.”
This commitment showed the influence of the Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham
Kuyper:
1. “God’s Word requires that children be trained in the fear and admonition of the
Lord.
2. Parents at the time of baptism of the children have promised before the Lord and
the congregation to do this.
3. There may be no separation between civil, social, and religious life, education,
and nurture.
4. Christian education promotes the honor of our King who has been given all
dominion in heaven and on earth, including the realms of education and nurture.”
The CRC had early on adopted the articles of church order from the Synod of Dort (1618-
1619), including Article 21, which said that consistories shall see to it that there are
“good schoolmasters, who shall not only instruct the children in reading, writing,
languages and the liberal arts, but likewise in godliness and the Catechism.” Synod 1914
changed that article to read that consistories should see to it “that there are good Christian
schools in which the parents have their children instructed according to the demands of
the covenant.” In 1965 this article became Article 71 with a change that put the focus on
members of the congregation rather than the consistory: “The consistory shall diligently
encourage the members of the congregation to establish good Christian schools, and shall
urge parents to have their children instructed in these schools according to the demands
of the covenant.”
Two more synods advanced the CRC’s commitment to Christian day schools. Synod
1936 expanded the term “schools” to include all levels of general education and the word
“support” to mean “wholehearted and unreserved moral backing to existing Christian
schools,” financial help to those in need, and discipline by the classis for a congregation
that did “not support the cause of Christian schools.” Synod 1955 addressed the growing
secularism in the culture—“the absence of biblical truth as normative for thinking and
acting”—and declared that the CRC stands “committed to the Christian school as the
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agency that can make Christian education effective in the totality of life.” Finally, this
synod said that because the “Christian school is the only agency that can provide a
Christian education for the youth of the church, the church is duty bound to encourage
and assist in the establishment and maintenance of Christian schools.”
The Three-legged Stool: Church, Home, School
Back when farmers milked cows by hand, they sat under them on a three-legged stool. If
one leg were longer than another, or one broke, the “sit” was uncomfortable or
impossible. Today the appropriate metaphor is a photographer’s or surveyor’s tripod. If
the church, home, and school legs were balanced, a child would see the world rightly and
live in it well as a citizen of Christ’s kingdom.
But which of these agencies has the main responsibility for the schooling of children and
youth? The CRC has persistently said all three have roles. In one sense, the primary
responsibility for a child’s nurture is her parents. But the covenantal community certainly
also has a fundamental responsibility (see Deut. 6). Some believe that God has ordained
various institutions (government, labor, law, education), or “spheres of sovereignty,” that
must remain separate in their work; in practice, the church is a separate sphere from
school so that it has no business, as a church, influencing Christian schools.
The report from Synod 2005 asserts that the nurture of children in the believing
community is a covenantal responsibility of both the parents and the larger community.
In addition, the report maintains that the Reformed vision of life—Christ is Lord over all
creation—is best made clear by Christian schools.
Yet how do we address the idea that each social sphere (church, home, school) is directly
responsible to God and should not control another? The concept of sphere sovereignty,
made popular by Abraham Kuyper, arose out of concern that the state was controlling
non-state social spheres like the family, schools, and the arts. The CRC has fostered
Christian day schools but has not controlled them; the local church has no business telling
an independent, often parent-controlled, school what its curriculum should be or which
teachers to employ.
On the other hand, the church has had a great interest in educating its children in a
Reformed vision of the kingdom of Christ. Church Order Article 71 calls for the
“members of the congregation to establish and maintain good Christian schools.” There is
no separate Church Order article regarding a congregation’s involvement in voting,
agriculture, art, or other spheres. Why does Christian schooling get the church’s special
interest?
For starters, the Bible’s pictures of the church intimate that it is both familial and
schoolish in character. The church is the family of God, the Father of his people (Eph.
3:15; Matt. 6:8-15). The church is the household of God (Eph. 2:19), led, ruled, and
served by those who have proven themselves capable of doing that at home (1 Tim. 3).
Teaching is a prominent feature of the church in the New Testament (e.g., Col. 3:16; Eph.
4:20-24; 2 Thess. 2:15).
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The CRC really has three main interests in supporting Christian day schools:
1. The church needs educated leaders. Obviously, the church itself educates its youth
in the Reformed faith, but Christian day schools can help illustrate how this faith
expands into a Reformed worldview. The church can give broad instruction about
the Reformed faith, but it needs the schools to apply these principles in physics,
language, art, psychology, and so on.
2. The church needs to educate its members to be more effective witnesses to the
world. Christian schools, from kindergarten on, assist the church in educating its
youth to connect the Word of God and Reformed principles to the “stuff” of
culture.
3. The church more effectively disciples the nations through Christian schools.
Discipleship for Reformed people is not only a personal walk with God. It is also
developing our abilities so that together we can be instruments of light in a variety
of callings: plumbing, healing, caretaking, homemaking, and so on. Our world
belongs to God! It is in Christian schools that our children are fitted with the
“spectacles of Scripture” to see sparkles of Christ’s light in a dark world—from
asteroids to zebras, from economics to Ecuador.
Perhaps the best way to summarize the report’s stance on the respective roles of home,
church, and school in the mission of Christ’s kingdom is to consider them from the point
of view of the child who is being taught the faith. It starts with the child’s parents
announcing that “God has given us this child.” For this reason, the child is taken to an
assembly of God’s people where the child receives the sign and seal of covenantal
promise in the water of baptism. Not only the parents but also the Christian community
vows in reliance on the Holy Spirit to do all in its power to instruct her in the Christian
faith, to receive the child in love, help instruct her in the faith, and to encourage and
sustain her.
All three agencies educate her in the same story, the story of God and his people. As she
matures, she sees how she is an active participant in the narrative, using her gifts and
talents to extend Christ’s kingdom until he comes again, fixing what is broken, or healing
what is hurting, or lighting a corner that was dark before.
The church, home, and school cannot be competitors. The church must avoid the
temptation to educate its youth toward either the ordained ministry or piety only. The
home can fall into the trap of leaving “spiritual” education to the church. The Christian
school cannot “possess” our youth by scheduling activities that usurp the roles of home
and church. The balanced three-legged stool is possible only when all the agencies “seek
first the kingdom of God” and educate all of God’s children into it.
Three Pillars: Covenant, Kingdom, and Mission
Synod 2000 mandated the study committee to name the “biblical-theological foundations
for Christian education.” The word “foundation” suggests the firmness of bedrock, with
pillars driven deep to allow the building to withstand the winds of a secular culture that
threaten it. The committee studied the 1955 report and reaffirmed its two pillars of CRC
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support for Christian day schools: covenant and kingdom. And the committee added a
third pillar: mission, seeing the Christian day school as an additional agency to carry out
the church’s mission to call people to salvation in Christ and to help equip them for
discipleship.
Covenant
The covenant is God’s promise to his people and God’s command that we and our
children obey him. It’s not a contract, two sides negotiating a legal agreement. It is God’s
promise of love and expecting our love in return. God says in many places in his word,
particularly to Abraham, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant
between me and you . . . to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. . . .
You must keep my covenant” (Gen. 17:7, 9). God explains it further through Moses,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength” (Deut. 6:5).
God connected his covenant of love to the nurture of children with more specific
commandments: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you
walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 6:6-7). In 1955, the
CRC said that those given the first responsibility for educating children into this covenant
are the parents. The report said, “Children born of Christian parents are members of the
Church of Christ,” and their education must be in keeping with that “covenantal
relationship.” However, God does not make his covenant with solitary individuals or
even individual families but with the people of God, his church. Thus, the 1955 report
also said the church needs to support parents in fulfilling their vows. It went on to say
that Christian schools were the places in which “the covenant child’s life in Christ can
develop in all areas of living.”
Kingdom
If covenant is the basis, the parental and church reason, for Christian day schools,
kingdom is the content of the education. Christ’s kingship is over everything. Jesus
himself used the word “kingdom” and described its character often (see Matt. 4:23; 5:3,
19; 6:33), making clear that this kingdom will last forever. Synod 1955 caught this point
in its report when it said that Christian education is necessary because “secular education
divorces an area of life of the child in Christ from Christ Himself. Christian education is
education in Christ for those who are in God’s providence placed in relationship to
Christ.” It is for this reason that the CRC stands committed to the Christian school as the
agency to make the Christlike life effective in the totality of life for every covenant child.
Baptism is the introduction of children into the covenant; Christ’s kingdom is the other
bookend. The story of God and his people is creation, fall, redemption, and
consummation. It’s a four-part true drama. God made everything good; human beings
made themselves and his creation bad; God gave his son to redeem us and his creation; he
will surely come again to make all things new. It’s the time between his first coming and
his second coming that we and our children live. What do we educate our children for?
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To what end? It is for each of us to serve the King as his agents to establish his rule more
firmly over all things.
This work in the kingdom, often called the cultural mandate, was introduced early in the
story: God blessed Adam and Eve and commanded them, “Be fruitful and increase in
number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air
and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen. 1:28). This command
suggests that the stewardship means “shaping” and “directing.” Christ is Lord of all
things; we are his agents.
It is the church that preaches and professes this cosmic view of the world; it is the
Christian school that makes this world-and-life view specific in all areas of study. It is the
Christian school that educates the child to see the world “through the spectacles of
Scripture” (John Calvin), to find his place in restoring creation and extending the
kingdom. “In education we seek to acknowledge the Lord by promoting schools and
teaching in which the light of his Word shines in all learning, where students, of whatever
ability, are treated as persons who bear God’s image and have a place in his plan” (Our
World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony, st. 50).
A Reformed understanding of discipleship is a seamless web: Christ is Lord of all; and
family, church, and school together serve the mission of God and his people. Faith in
Christ as King does not just apply on Sunday, but also the rest of the week in geography,
spelling, art, and ethics. Christian schools help students to weave this understanding of
Christ’s kingdom into the things they do each day.
Mission
Just before he returned to his Father, Jesus left the disciples with the Great Commission:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). It is often called the mission mandate of the church.
If a covenantal emphasis in the CRC focuses attention on “our” children, an emphasis on
mission and evangelism focuses the church’s attention on people outside the church. The
first emphasizes the cultural commandment; the second emphasizes the mission
commandment. The 2005 report suggests that separating the cultural mandate from the
mission mandate is a mistake. Both are rooted in kingdom and covenant promise.
The report describes the tension that the CRC has experienced lately when evangelism
and Christian day school support become competitors. Children of the church are integral
members of the Good Shepherd’s flock (John 10). After the resurrection, Jesus reminded
his disciples that while we are fishing for men, we must also feed the flock (John 21).
Pastors need to remind us that the church’s obedience to evangelize and educate is not an
either/or but a both/and.
Certainly in a Reformed view of the world, the church is the primary institution for
evangelism, not the Christian day school. This is important to emphasize because there
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are Christian schools, tied to specific congregations, who do see the task of the school as
primarily evangelism. Although it is not their prime purpose, Reformed Christian schools
are mission fields in that some of the students have never felt the Spirit’s urging or have
hard hearts. They may learn to become Christian disciples before choosing to be one—
discipling is a process, not a once-and-for-all single event.
Reformed Christian day schools also encourage students to be witnesses in the world, as
evangelists directly and in their vocations. These schools tell their students to “Go.”
These schools demonstrate a passion for the world and tune their students’ talents to be
emissaries of light—as zookeepers, homemakers, pastors, pharmacists, or farmers.
The salvation of a child’s soul or mission outreach is not the main reason for a school in
the Reformed understanding. Nor is catechism or faith nurture, both properly the
responsibilities of home and church. Similarly, it is not the church’s task to teach science
and geography. The Christian school and the church are not competitors but partners in
the Great Commission to disciple the nations and teach them all he commanded. We
reach out, disciple, and teach. The very presence of Christian schools is an evangelistic
witness. In the missionary causes of the CRC, Christian day schools are a valuable
instrument to extend the church of Christ. And Christian day school teachers are
missionaries to children and young people in their talk and walk.
Christian Education in Today’s World (“The times, they are a-changin’”)
No one will deny that institutions change as the culture changes. Certainly the world, the
CRC, and Christian day schools changed between 1955 and 2005. The report suggests
that these changes have influenced CRC congregations, the family, and the Christian
nurture of children significantly. It is important to remember that Reformed Christians
accept the responsibility to discern what is good and what is evil in culture, to resist the
temptations of both withdrawing from it or wallowing in it, and to be active participants
in transforming it for good.
Changes in Society: Secularism, Consumerism, and Relativism
In 1955, the children in the CRC were nurtured basically by our churches, homes, and
schools (the “three-legged stool”). But there was always another leg, less noticeable in
1955 but now very prominent: the mass media—television, movies, music, and the
Internet. This media leg unbalances the other three legs by its overwhelming presence
and by its content that subverts Christian values.
First, this mass media seeks to remove religion from the public square and relegate it to
the private sphere. Often representing faith as for fools, it touts individualism,
consumerism, hedonism, and relativism as tantalizing idols. Christianity is depicted as
exclusive and divisive. Yet separating faith into the box of piety clashes directly with the
Reformed conviction that Christ is Lord of all. Many CRC members have subtly bowed
to this secularization of culture or at least the notion that faith is private and separate from
most of daily living. This secularism is a major threat to Christian day school education,
which exists because “Christ is Lord of all.”
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The pressure for Christians to divide the sacred from the secular is intense and affects the
church, home, and school. Leaders in government, business, and media persuade the
majority of people to keep their expressions of faith private. Public education in North
American is institutionally committed by law to secularism. A spate of books about
religion, particularly regarding teenagers, give sociological evidence that a majority of
Christian young people are God-believers and attend church but see the rest of life the
same way secularists do. This trend clashes directly with Reformed Christianity that is
cosmic in scope and public in its expression.
Numerous books have been devoted to describing the drift toward secularism in
educational institutions, particularly Marsden’s The Soul of the American University,
Burtchaell’s The Dying of the Light, and Benne’s Quality with Soul. Resistance to the
siren calls of secularization requires the close cooperation of church and school. Says
Benne: “One decisive mark of secularized schools is the lack of mutual recognition and
care by both school and church, when neither sees the other as crucial to their mission.”
The Reformed Christian school needs a healthy Reformed Church for the sake of its own
health—and vice versa.
A second force that threatens the CRC’s commitment to Christian day school education is
consumerism. Both church and school have become just one more choice in a vast array
of services one can take or leave. Parents need to use discernment to make biblical
choices for the education of their children. Even in choosing among Christian schools,
parents may choose between a school that only puts a layer of Christian values on a
secular-curricular cake and one that truly integrates the Christian narrative into the entire
curriculum. A school may stress academic excellence, athletics, or social activism at the
expense of a balanced, integrated Christian curriculum for all children.
Beyond Christian schools, parents now can choose charter schools that emphasize family
values. Home schools, virtual schools, and mix-and-match schools increase the choices.
In all these options, parents may run the risk of seeing education as just one more
consumer product, a bit like shopping for a car or a house, and thus judge the value of the
education by consumer standards: Is my financial investment in Christian education
going to get my child a well-paying job? Will my son or daughter get more playing time
at this school rather than that one? Christian discipleship may become hostage to
consumerist goals. Christian schools themselves may begin to judge their success by
athletic, art, or college placements.
A third related force that affects the CRC and Christian day schools is relativism—the
conviction that truth is in flux. Although the word postmodernism is hard to pin down,
almost everyone would agree that it contains the idea that no person (or community) can
claim to have objective truth. No single narrative of life has any more validity than
another. Each person’s history shapes her own thinking—hardly understood by another,
let alone shared.
The mass media persuade us and our children that personal feelings are more important in
decision-making than religious commitment. As Charles Colson has noted, we have
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adopted a therapeutic mindset in which being happy rather than holy is the ultimate
religious goal. We run the risk of becoming so self-absorbed that we fail to see the larger
spiritual conflicts. For our young people, the pressure of relativism pushes them toward
moral and religious pluralism. They swallow everything because their spiritual taste buds
are dulled.
Changes in the Christian Reformed Church: Diversity and Identity
In the past half-century, the CRC has become more diverse. In 1955, a visitor from a
Christian Reformed church in British Columbia to another in New Jersey would have felt
at home with the order and style of worship. All the churches had a recognizable liturgy
and used the same hymnal, thus keeping all congregations in the CRC “on the same
page,” no matter the geography. Today the order and content of worship, of oral
instruction, and of congregational singing widely varies.
Back then, congregations were mainly racially white (with exceptions such as the
churches of what is now Classis Red Mesa) and ethnically Dutch. Now the CRC is, and is
becoming, more multiethnic and multiracial. It has not been easy. Minorities can easily
feel as if their music and other traditions are ignored by the majority in worshiping God.
The racial and ethnic majority is shrinking and can too easily feel threatened by including
the traditions of minority groups. Even if most profess inclusion, the road toward it has
been bumpy.
The cultural context for the people in the pew is different from what it was in the 1950s.
North American culture seeks to persuade us that faith is private and individualized.
Congregations may desire preaching that massage their feelings instead of directing them
to confront the idols of this age. The individualism of this age comes to bear in church
life with more focus on congregational needs than denominational ones, producing local
churches that feel less involved in churchwide ministries. The result has been a loss of
CRC membership over the last decade. Denominational ministry shares are down even
though affluence is up.
In 1955, the CRC communally supported Christian day school education to a greater
degree than it does now. Consumerism seems more prevalent in the local church, and
stewardship has waned with our confessional heritage. Consumers buy for themselves
and for immediate payoffs; kingdom citizens work in concert for the good of the kingdom
with patient persistence for a promised blessed future. It will be very hard in today’s
culture to maintain the vision for and a commitment to a community of belief and its
countercultural witness as a signpost of Christ’s kingdom if Christian day school
education becomes just one more individual choice like a cottage, car, or computer.
How do these changes affect Christian education, and how should the CRC respond? The
study committee calls the CRC to renew its denominational covenants and confessional
commitments, including its 125-year history of encouraging its members to educate its
youth into a Reformed worldview in Christian schools, from elementary through college.
This has specific implications:
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• Officebearers and parents must be faithful to the vision of Christian education
stated in Article 71 of the Church Order: The council shall diligently encourage
the members of the congregation to establish and maintain good Christian
schools where the Reformed vision of Christ’s lordship over all creation is clearly
taught. The council shall urge parents to have their children educated in harmony
with this vision according to the demands of the covenant.
• Increasing diversity means that many new CRC members are unfamiliar with
Christian day school education. Each congregation must clearly articulate a
Reformed world-and-life view of cultural discipleship and using Christian schools
as an integral part of that education.
• The CRC and its congregations must foster the close, symbiotic relationship
between the denomination and Reformed Christian schools, which helps the CRC
retain its confessional identity in the next generation.
• Local churches should provide resources to these schools because the schools aid
the church in preparing its next generation of leaders to perpetuate this Reformed
vision of life.
Conflicts about Christian Education
Since 1955, the partnership between the CRC and Christian day schools has changed,
partly because of conflicts that have arisen. First, it used to be that the congregation and
Christian school families were almost identical. Today the CRC, with its growing
diversity, has parents with little background or understanding of the Reformed worldand-
life view. At the same time, Christian schools now have many participating parents
with no background in this Reformed outlook on life.
Second, because in most communities Christian day school education has become costly,
financial disparity among families presents a conflict.
Third, other conflicts in churches (e.g., women in ecclesiastical office or worship style)
sometimes lead pastors and councils to be neutral for fear of causing more conflict. This
neutrality may easily migrate to parishioners’ choices for the education of their children.
Fourth, the committee learned from its surveys of CRC councils and pastors that they feel
that supporting Christian education and evangelism may be at cross purposes. It’s
certainly a perception among some pastors that parents who have come into the church
through evangelism will go out if the church also encourages all parents to use Christian
day schools.
Fifth, because the CRC is more diverse than it was in 1955 and the school choices for
parents are broader, the local church’s job of encouraging Reformed Christian education
is harder and needs to be tuned to the times. Not all Christian schools are alike. Some
only retain the name and not the character; some add strong piety (chapel, prayer,
singing) to a secular curriculum. Church Order Article 71 puts the focus for the church
not just on schools but on any means, including home schooling, both instead of other
schooling or in addition to it, to make sure that its youth are learning a Reformed worldand-
life view.
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Choices in Education
Five decades ago CRC parents had two choices for educating their children: a private
school or the local public school. But the state or province mandated—and still does—
that children from approximately five years old to youth in their teens had to attend either
of the two schools. Now there are a variety of choices:
• Government schools—schools most commonly known as public schools and
controlled by state and local governments.
• Charter schools—schools permitted to operate with individual, corporate, or
government ownership, funded by state or provincial taxes, and to educate in nontraditional
ways.
• Alternative public schools—Christian or other religious schools that function
within the structures of a public school board (e.g., Edmonton or Red Deer,
Alberta).
• Private or independent schools—schools governed by a society of supporters
(parents and others) or by a founder and followers of a certain philosophy of
education.
• Parochial schools—schools governed by a denomination or independent church.
• Home schools—schools wherein one or both parents teach the children, usually in
the home.
• Virtual schools—systems of education that can be purchased using the Web or
other electronic transfer.
At the root of this array of choices is a growing dissatisfaction with public schools. In the
past, the public school in both Canada and the United States was seen as the place to
enculturate society’s youth into a generally accepted common moral order and a vision of
a good society. This common school would draw in immigrants with differing languages
and subcultures into one vision of a good society. It would also be the place where the
poor and the rich would have equal opportunity to learn.
Now there is little agreement about what that “good society” is; besides, multiculturalism
emphasizes the protection of the peculiar differences among cultures so that pluralism
and tolerance trump the word common. Within cities, suburbs, and rural areas, there is
injustice in opportunity, facilities, and teaching prowess. Even within a given school,
there are competing visions of what constitutes a good society and what kind of education
is needed to achieve it.
With the proliferation of choices, the CRC needs to help its parents make wise choices
for the education of its children. The church needs to help parents be discerning, offering
advice and more.
The “more” ought to include a specific financial plan for a congregation to support
parents so that all the children have access to this Reformed education. Parents with
limited resources essentially do not have a choice. What is most discouraging is that the
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disparity between those who can afford the cost of tuition and those who cannot often
falls along racial lines. When race, class, and poverty mix, there is real potential for tragic
conflict between brothers and sisters in Christ. Synod 2003 adopted the recommendation
that congregations show their commitment to diversity and justice by communally
providing the funds so that all the church’s children and youth can benefit from a
Reformed day school education.
Congregations must also encourage their members to work for greater educational justice
in North America. Good governments seek to provide balanced support for all citizens,
especially by providing for the poor. In the public arena, parents living in poverty have
very limited choices for educating their children. Churches need to educate their people
to seek justice for other people’s children. It is unjust to have Christian education only
available for only the well-to-do.
Supporting Christian Schools Today
With its confessional commitment to perpetuating a Reformed Christian worldview in its
churches and children, a commitment other denominations envy, how can the CRC tune
its theme songs of covenant, kingdom, and mission to today’s circumstances? In CRC
churches where there are “divisions and brokenness, where not all families have equal
resources, commitments, and sensitivities regarding Christian day school education”
(Acts of Synod 2003, p. 631), how do we work together, support each other, hold
together?
If the CRC wants to bear compelling witness to the grand themes that every inch of
creation has the stamp of God, that all of God’s children need to see this through
education and have their gifts tuned for service in this glorious kingdom, it cannot be
neutral on the issue of Christian education. As a denomination we have again
recommitted ourselves to fostering this worldview in our children.
However, inequity of resources, competing visions about the ministry of the church, and
increasing choices in education have clouded this vision. Within this context, the CRC’s
church leaders must provide pastoral guidance by clearly and enthusiastically
proclaiming the Reformed faith. If pastors and elders are hesitant about supporting
Reformed Christian education, our Reformed identity is at risk in the next generation.
The church and the school stand together in this Reformed witness, and must work
together to address several challenges.
The Challenge of Inclusion
Although today’s Christian schools are becoming ethnically and racially diverse, just as
the CRC is, the number of children from racial and ethnic minority groups is far less than
in public schools. Because most of the students in these Christian schools are Anglo,
students in the racial minority often do not feel at home. Seldom do their parents charge
overt racism, but their children feel excluded.
The schools need to welcome minorities and promote cultural diversity not only in
profession but in practice. In addition, Christian schools need to hire staff who are from
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diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to demonstrate that they want their communities to
be multicultural.
The Challenge of Finances
A second barrier to inclusion in Christian schools is plainly money. The trend has been
that parents pay a higher percentage of the cost of Christian education: most Reformed
Christian schools now depend on parents themselves to pay over 90 percent of the
school’s operating revenue, in contrast to 65 percent thirty years ago. In many Christian
schools, the costs have risen to the point that many parents cannot afford to pay the
tuition on their own. And too often congregations have backed away from former
commitments to financially support Christian day school education as a community.
Synod 2003 adopted a recommendation that calls all CRC congregations to develop plans
to lower the financial barrier for access to Christian day school education and thus carry
out the baptismal vow of the congregation to help nurture the child in the truth. The
following features ought to be part of all congregational plans:
• Provide access for every covenant school-age child, regardless of the financial
ability of the parents.
• Include Christian day school support as an essential part of the congregation’s
general budget, just as for youth ministry, pastors’ salaries, and evangelism.
• Encourage all parents to make use of Reformed Christian schools.
Generally, communities with Christian schools offer one of two options for those who
need assistance in paying the tuition: the Christian school itself has a financial aid
program funded by private and church gifts, proceeds from the school’s foundation or
endowment, or by other tuition-paying parents who pay more than the cost of education;
or the family’s local church has a tuition assistance fund, either through deacon
benevolence or through a Christian education fund supervised by a committee. In both
models, the usual recipients are those who, through application, can demonstrate financial
need. They generally receive no more than half of the tuition cost, and their aid is limited
to the balance in the fund, which depends on gifts and, for foundations, the performance
of investments.
However, these solutions do little to highlight the idea that a congregation has a
communal obligation to offer Christian day school education to all its children. Offering
financial support according to financial need is demeaning to those who must ask, and
implies a sense of charity rather than fulfilling stewardship commitments made by the
whole church.
How a church should carry out this financial commitment will differ between the U.S.
and Canada (differing tax laws apply, for example, on donations) and between
congregations. Churches need not provide 100 percent of the cost of Christian school
tuition in order to be covenantal in their commitment. The cost of the education and the
overall financial ability of the local church must be considered.
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The most recognized plan to demonstrate the CRC’s financial commitment to Christian
day school education is known as the Covenant Giving Plan. Based on promises made at
baptism, in which both parents and congregation pledge to nurture the children in faith,
the Covenant Giving Plan calls for the church to pay all or most of the entire tuition for
Christian day school education for all school-age children in the church if their parents
choose to enroll them. The Covenant Plan places a line item within the general budget of
the church, like the pastors’ salaries or utilities, solicits contributions and pledges as
revenue for this budget, and disperses money to Christian schools as it would write a
check to staff or the utility company. All congregants, whether or not they have children
in Christian schools, are expected to contribute.
In Appendix C of Agenda for Synod 2005 (p. 456) is a report from Deloitte Touche, a
global accounting and consulting company, that gauges the tax implications in North
America for donations to churches. (Also see pages 474 – 475 of the report for a helpful
list of do’s and don’ts for churches interested in the model.)
For some churches, however, adopting a Covenant Giving Plan is almost impossible
because the church’s resources as a whole are limited. However, some churches have
found creative ways for “CRC congregations and groups of churches to assist students
who will contribute to a greater and richer diversity (race, economic class, special needs,
etc.) in Christian schools.” In one instance, a group of Christian school-supporting
families left a congregation with the Covenant Plan to start a Home Missions church, and
a private Christian foundation offered to supply the same tuition aid to departing families
for the first year, a lesser amount the second, and so on. In another example, a classis in
the CRC set up a committee to establish a fund for financial assistance to churches facing
difficult financial situations in meeting their budgets which included the Covenant Plan.
The Challenge of Choice
The first responsibility of a congregation is to see to it that all its children have the
opportunity to receive an education in a Christian school. The committee believes that in
a Christian school, children see a Christian worldview from different angles, test that
worldview in a safe place, and learn from others the nuances of practicing that faith in a
fallen world. In a Christian school students also have the responsibility to both learn from
and give to others, thus underscoring the covenantal promise their parents make at
baptism: “We do, God helping us.”
Yet even when the opportunity and resources for Christian education are present, some
CRC parents will make other choices. In these situations, congregations and parents must
support each other. For example, some believe that the best way to carry out their
covenantal obligations is to instruct their children at home. Congregations must respect
this choice, and support them with prayer and encouragement to teach a Reformed view
of the world. They also must encourage cooperation between Reformed homeschoolers
and Reformed Christian schools. In the same way that parents who choose Christian day
schools need to support homeschoolers, homeschoolers need to support Christian day
school education. Christian education of all children in the congregation is a communal
task.
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The Challenge of Small Churches
One of the reactions of Synod 2003 to this committee’s initial report was that the report
assumed a context of clusters of churches rather than the small and/or isolated church.
Must small, isolated churches be held to the same expectations for providing Christian
day school education?
The study committee sent a survey to CRC churches that have fewer than 150 members;
26 responded. It learned that although these churches are small, they are not necessarily
isolated: 18 had access to Christian schools. The same number of congregations said a
“significant number of parents” used the public schools. When these small churches were
asked what they did to implement Article 71 of the Church Order about “establishing
Christian schools” or helping the children “learn a Reformed vision of life,” 23 percent
said they do little or nothing; 47 percent thought they did this through church youth
programs; a few others said they encouraged the use of Christian schools.
We believe that all congregations need to encourage parents to establish Christian schools
in which the biblical, Reformed vision of Christ’s lordship is taught. For small churches
that are financially unable to support Christian day school education, we believe there is a
communal responsibility for the classes (organized regions) of the CRC to provide this
financial assistance.
Practically, we offer small congregations the following advice:
• Continue to encourage preaching that is consistent with a Reformed world-andlife
view.
• Urge parents to have their children educated in harmony with that vision.
• Encourage parents who need to supplement day school or home school materials
with curriculum available from Christian Schools International or regional
Reformed Christian school agencies.
• Use materials from Faith Alive Christian Resources based on a Reformed
worldview.
• Encourage youth to attend Reformed Christian colleges by means of providing
campus visits and scholarships.
• In adult education, promote the vision of Reformed Christian education through
speakers, discussions of materials, and library offerings.
The Challenge of Balancing Christian Education and Evangelism
We see Christian education and evangelism as complementary, equally important,
flowing from a Reformed understanding of discipleship. So they should get equal
emphasis in the church. Clearly the church is the primary institution for evangelism, with
the Christian school cooperating in this task; the Christian school is the primary
institution for educating children in a full-orbed discipleship in all spheres of life. Both
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institutions need to cooperate in, and be committed to, an explicitly Reformed set of
beliefs and worldview grounded in the Bible.
In some mission situations, it may be appropriate for the official church to establish and
support schools, as the CRC did in New Mexico, for example. It may also be worthwhile
in some church plant situations to establish a Christian school that precedes, and may
lead to, a fellowship of believers. If one sees North America itself as a mission field, just
the mere presence of Christian day schools in our public square is an evangelistic witness
to the power of the gospel of the kingdom.
Christian Reformed World Missions sees educational mission work as an important
means of reaching many people with the gospel. CRWM supports the educational work
of missionaries all over the world—Honduras, Nigeria, Lithuania, Japan, Nicaragua,
Haiti, Hungary, the Dominican Republic. These schools have complementary educational
and evangelistic goals. At the university level, people in these countries need to be
educated into a discipleship that is more than piety. Stephen Noll, a professor at Uganda
Christian University, says, “A new generation is seeking reality in their faith in the
context of a revived and developing society.”
Although the CRC does not control Christian day schools, we think the denomination
ought to encourage CRC members involved in Christian education to consider
themselves evangelistic in three ways:
• in their personal lives as teachers to model Christ-following and to nurture it in
their students;
• in their vocations as teachers to demonstrate the lordship of Jesus Christ in their
subject areas; and
• in direct evangelism, such as in mission situations, teaching English as a second
language, or having informal conversations with students.
The same Reformed witness ought to occur in North American Reformed colleges and
universities. These Reformed institutions of higher learning are a bright witness to the
true Light; they bear witness to an integral vision of Christian discipleship of the mind.
We also recommend that Calvin Theological Seminary instruct its students in the CRC’s
confessional commitment to Christian education.
Conclusion
Synod 2005 accepted all the recommendations of this report. The CRC judged Christian
day school education to be an essential ministry of the denomination. Christian schools
are necessary to help the CRC carry out its full-orbed, Reformed vision of Christian
discipleship: God calls people to service in all vocations, not just the gospel ministry.
Synod 1997 affirmed this idea when it adopted a new vision and mission statement for
the church; under the category of kingdom extension, it said that the “CRC will develop a
deeper understanding of and response to God’s claim to obedience in all areas of our
lives (business, labor, government, media, health, education, justice, peace, affluence,
pursuit of pleasure, earth keeping, racial relationships, etc.)” (Agenda for Synod 1997, p.
61). This calls for training by Christian schools at all levels.
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Christian schools help the CRC train successive generations for leadership and
membership in the church and for broader kingdom service. It is the Christian school, not
the local church, that prepares Christians for discipleship in science, politics, art,
medicine, and law. Congregations need to proclaim this vision of Christian discipleship
and support Christian schools with their prayers and offerings. Throughout its history, the
CRC has used Reformed Christian schools to teach its children what discipleship means,
what faith in Christ has to do with the world, and what following the Lord to extend his
rule in the world means. For the sake of Christ’s kingdom, it needs to perpetuate this
heritage in the future.
Summary of Recommendations
(It is in approved “recommendations” that the CRC establishes its positions as a
denomination. Some of these recommendations are procedural; most are substantive. In
the full report, many of these recommendations have “grounds” or a rationale for
accepting them. Following is a summary of substantive recommendations from Synods
2003 and 2005.)
Synod 2003:
1. While “respecting the various educational choices made in good faith by
families,” the CRC reaffirms its “commitment to and promotion of Christian day
school education from the elementary level through college and university.”
2. The CRC reaffirms “that the Reformed emphasis on the covenant and the
kingdom of God are foundational for Reformed Christian schools” and affirms
mission as an additional foundational block.
3. The CRC “urges church councils to develop and promote plans for congregational
financial support of Reformed Christian day school education” and to seek
accounting and legal advice in drafting these plans.
4. The CRC encourages its “congregations and groups of churches to assist students
who will contribute to a greater and richer diversity in Christian schools (in
economic status, class, race, ethnicity, special needs).”
5. The CRC adopts the following reworded Article 71 of the Church Order: “The
council shall diligently encourage the members of the congregation to establish
and maintain good Christian schools in which the biblical, Reformed vision of
Christ’s lordship over all creation is clearly taught. The council shall also urge
parents to have their children educated in harmony with this vision according to
the demands of the covenant.”
6. The CRC urges “pastors and councils to encourage the young people of their
churches to attend Reformed Christian institutions of higher learning wherever
possible.”
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Synod 2005:
7. The CRC “declares that the purpose of all Christian education, in the home, in the
church, and in the school, is to tell the story of God, his people, and his world,
with the goal that children become active participants in that story and accept as
their own the mission of God’s people in his world.”
8. The CRC advises its members and churches “to consider the responsibilities they
bear for Christian education and for doing evangelism as equally important and
complementary.”
9. The CRC “urges all parents, as they face an increasing number of options for
educating their children,” to (a) examine whether the schools are teaching “the
Lordship of Christ over all creation,” (b) help these schools “retain their
Reformed identity,” and (c) be “truly inclusive communities where diversity does
not create unnecessary barriers to any student’s full involvement in the life of the
school.”
10. The CRC advises its small churches to, “where possible,” encourage parents to
establish Christian schools, and, if not possible, to encourage parents to
“supplement the day school education” with Christian curriculum from Reformed
Christian education publishers, promote the vision of Reformed Christian
education in adult classes, and encourage young people to attend Reformed
Christian colleges.
11. The CRC (a) declares that Christian schooling is a vital part of the CRC’s mission
in the world as part of the denominational ministries in North America and
beyond, (b) encourages its members in Christian education (from pre-K through
college) “to consider their calling to be evangelists” in their witness to Christ’s
lordship to their students, and (c) calls for all mission activity to “be guided by an
integral vision of Christian discipleship” that leads to Christian communities and
congregations.
Discussion Questions
1. “Parents are the only ones who are responsible for the education of their children. The
church and the state ought to keep their noses out of this fundamental responsibility.” Do
you agree with this statement? Why or why not? What role, if any, do government and
the church have?
2. In your community, are the three legs of the youth nurture stool—church, home, and
Christian school—of equal length? Is that the way it ought to be? If the legs are of
unequal length, which is the longest and which is the shortest? Do you agree or disagree
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that media influence (movies, TV, Internet, music, advertisements) is stronger than the
three legs in teaching our youth?
3. The report claims that the vow the congregation takes at baptism, especially to “help
instruct them in the faith,” extends to Christian day school education. It is more than
Sunday school, catechism, GEMS, Cadets. Do you accept that claim? Why or why not?
4. Following is Church Order Article 71 prior to 2003:
“The Council shall diligently encourage the members of the congregation
to establish and maintain good Christian schools and shall urge parents to
have their children instructed in these schools according to the demands of
the covenant.”
The adopted change in the same article by Synod 2003 follows, with the added language
in italics:
“The Council shall diligently encourage the members of the congregation
to establish and maintain good Christian schools in which the biblical,
Reformed vision of Christ’s lordship over all creation is clearly taught.
The council shall also urge parents to have their children educated in
harmony with this vision according to the demands of the covenant.”
What difference does this make, if any, in the church’s support of Christian day schools?
5. If you are in a small congregation that would have great difficulty starting a Christian
school, how can your church respond to Article 71?
6. “Christian day schools are just private ghettos of education and hide young people
from the world that Christ rules. CRC kids and their parents ought to be evangelizing
within and transforming public schools. Besides, there are many Christian teachers in
public schools.” How do you respond to this comment? How do you assess the claim that
youth can best be equipped to evangelize through attending public schools?
7. In the report, mission is added to the CRC’s historical claim that Christian schools are
based on the covenant and help the church teach youth the full-orbed idea of the kingdom.
Do you agree with the report? To what degree should Christian schools carry out the
Great Commission?
8. “My child just does not fit in the Christian school (is bullied; gets teased for being
“different”; doesn’t get the help he/she needs for learning; etc.). It’s not a welcoming
place.” What should a congregation do if one of its families has this experience?
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9. “Christian schools do not expose children to a variety of people and worldviews, and
therefore they have difficulty dealing with the “world out there” when they graduate.”
How do you react to this statement?
10. Synod agreed already in 2003 that all CRCs ought to develop financial plans so that
all children in the church may benefit from Christian education. The Covenant Giving
Plan calls on the whole church, not just participating parents, to fund Christian education
just as it does Sunday school or the pastors’ salaries. Do you accept the arguments for the
Covenant Plan? Why or why not?
11. Of all the temptations in our current culture (individualism, consumerism, relativism,
etc.), which is the most injurious to the church’s ministry of educating its youth? What
should the church do about it?