Why Christian Schools - Part 3: What's the Harm?

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

I know we would all agree that education is one of the most important elements of our lives.  From the time we are born until the day we leave this earth, we are continually learning from a variety of sources.  One source of education, which I will call formal, is highly valued and we strive for the best possible formal education for ourselves as well as our children.  Therefore, decisions about where I place my child to receive this education and by whom are some of the most critically important decisions I make as a parent.

We are told in scripture that if we “train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not part from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)  Training (or education) is the process of molding the mind, heart, and character of a person.  Just like a potter’s hands guide and direct the final outcome of the piece of clay to be a pot or a vase or a cup, so a child is molded by the various teachers in their lives as to how to think, act and respond in and about the world.  As Christian parents, it is our greatest desire that our children understand and know truth as revealed by God, be well trained in how to think like God thinks, and act the way God desires His children to act. 

However, there is a problem with public education.  Proverbs  1:7 enlightens us that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”  And again in 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  God’s Word makes it very clear that if we try to separate the knowledge and love of God from the rest of what is commonly called truth, it is not truth, because our understanding about God is critical to the understanding of the world.  If reality about the world is that it includes God, (and it does, He is the reason why everything exists both as the sole cause and purpose) then anything called knowledge that is considered separate from Him is not true knowledge.  One of the criticisms that has been leveled at Christian schools over the years, is that they shelter children from the “real” world.  Since Scripture defines true knowledge as being entirely dependent on an understanding of God at the beginning, Christian schools do anything but exclude reality.  We teach children to see the entire world along with the truth that God is Creator and Sustainer.  This criticism also assumes that we must expose our children to the things they will encounter in their lives as adults in order to adequately prepare them for the ideas, attitudes and wrong actions in the world.  Sending our children to the Christian school doesn’t prevent them from seeing and experiencing wrong thinking and evil actions in their neighborhoods, communities and the world.  There is plenty of contact with these without giving them a daily immersion of it in the government schools.  To be brutally honest, it is the public schools that are sheltering children by not teaching them an accurate view of the world because they must, by requirement, exclude God.

In the first blog of this June series, I made the case that public schools harm our children (and us) by instilling within us a worldview that is at best secular-humanist and most likely much worse.  Our worldview is what shapes how we think about everything and how we act and respond.  Those who were the founders of public schools knew that it was possible to change a culture, to transform a nation by simply teaching the children to think the way the founders wanted them to think.  As the children grow up and become the movers and shakers of the society in business, politics and life, they will automatically instill the kind of worldview that was taught to them as children.  Many of the dramatic cultural shifts that we have experienced in our society can at least be in large part traced back to the worldviews that were established about one generation ago.  For example, those who hold the most influence today are the ones who grew up in the generation of love and peace we commonly connect with the hippy movement.  “Free love” (sex),” make love not war”, were some of the prominent sayings of the people of this decade.  Is it any surprise then, that promiscuity, divorce, and sexual extremism are some of the key things we are fighting losing battles over in our society today?  And why do you think the choice drug of the hippies, marijuana, is becoming more and more acceptable in today’s society?  This did not just happen accidentally.  It happened as a result of the worldview change of a generation.

Education is designed to influence children’s minds and hearts.  We take our children and put them under the care and protection of adults who are called upon to impart the truth and knowledge they believe is important.  We place them in a room of peers who exert a great deal of influence to conform to the thinking and mind set of the whole.  All of these things place a significant amount of pressure upon our children to agree with and accept everything they are told without question.   Therefore we shouldn’t be surprised, as alluded by Voddie Baucham, that when we send our children to be trained by Caesar, they come out acting like Romans.* That is the purpose and design of education.

However, if we desire our children to think like God thinks, and act the way God desires us to act, then we are going to have to send them somewhere else to be educated.  Many parents choose to teach their children at home, to make sure the worldview of their children agrees with their own.  Others choose to send their children to Christian schools because they know the teachers and the things taught are more in line with the things of God.

What harm is public education for your children?  Plenty!   As parents we only get one shot at raising and educating our children.  Once they have been taught and trained, it is next to impossible to counter or change their worldview.  If we send them to Caesar, they will be Romans.  Therefore we want to get it right from the beginning.    What will you choose?

* “We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.” ― Voddie T. Baucham Jr., Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God

Why Christian Schools - Part 2 - The Public School is a Great Place for My Kids to be Salt and Light

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

"You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”  These are familiar quotes from the gospels usually attributed to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.  Many of us have been motivated by these statements of Jesus to be active in our jobs, neighborhoods, even the world to let our “light shine before men so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  It is one of the marks of a disciple, that we are willing to step into the world to represent Jesus and all that He teaches.  It is common then, that a parent, desirous of teaching and training a child to be a disciple, would think that a perfect place for their child to be salt and light is on the campus of the local public school.  After all, if we pull all of our children out of the public school to put them in Christian schools, who is going to be left to witness to the masses in our schools?  It is a question truly motivated by a love for the lost and it may almost seem uncaring to counter it.  Yet it deserves a carefully reasoned response.  There are some assumptions that are being overlooked to conclude that God would have us place our children in the public schools to be “salt and light.”

The first assumption to address is that schools are mission fields.  They are not.  Schools are specifically designed to impart certain knowledge and train pupils in a specific worldview or way of thinking.  It is not the same as sending a missionary to go to a foreign land to labor among the people and in the process of living life among them, influencing them in such a way as they would listen to and receive the good news of the gospel.  Schools are designed to do just the opposite.  Young people who are impressionable and teachable are brought to adults who impart philosophies and ideas that may or may not be in line with truth.  At its very best, public education teaches some form of truth, but it extricates if from the whole truth that includes God as the ultimate Mover and Maker of the world.  We also know that some of what is frequently taught in public schools is in opposition to the truth as revealed by God in His Word.  How is it possible then for a child to assert influence over anyone in a setting where it is by design that they are the ones to be influenced?  And the worldview they are presented with and taught is not one based upon the truth of God’s Word, but the worldview the government desires its citizens to have.

A second assumption is related to the first and is that a child is a missionary.  The problem is nowhere in the scriptures do we see children being called to be missionaries.  Instead we see over and over and over again the emphasis placed on parents to teach and train their children.  Consider the following:

Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 – And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Ephesians 6:4 – Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Here are two passages that clearly indicate that our children are not to be doing the missionary work

of adults who have developed more fully in their thinking.  Instead of being teachers, children are to be taught.  Certainly parents play a major role in this training and our local churches assist.  But when you consider the sheer number of hours that our children are under the teaching and training of their teachers at the public school, there are not enough hours in the day for us to begin to counter what may be taught as truth but is not.  When most parents ask their children what they learned in school, the answer is “nothing.”  The students themselves are unable to communicate what is being learned that might be dangerous to them in terms of their thinking and worldview.  How is a parent ever able to make sure truth is weighed in with the false ideas presented?  Many times, we find out after we see the fruit of this false knowledge worked out in the life of our child.  Then, many times, it is too late.

Please be aware that I am not implying that God can’t or won’t use children to affect others.  I know you can give me examples of many times God has been so gracious as to accomplish His work through our kids.  But just because He can and does sometimes, does not change what our children are primarily supposed to be doing (learning the truths of God) and what we are supposed to be doing (teaching our children the truths of God).  Nowhere does God command us to make our children into little missionaries.  A good friend and colleague of mine, Franklin, puts it this way: “Nowhere in scripture are parents with a choice compelled to have their children taught in a secular institution.  If anyone can show me scripture that says otherwise, I will change my position.”

The final thing to consider in this discussion is not a false assumption but a brutal truth.  As parents, when we drop off our children at the public school, we are implicitly transferring our authority to the teachers and staff and implying that we agree with what they teach.  Our children, trusting us, feel it is safe to accept what is being taught and for the most part do so without hesitation.  It is as though we were teaching them ourselves.  Are you in Biblical agreement with everything the public school teaches? What about 90%?  50%?

When you bring your child to the door of a Christian School, you transfer the same authority.  Are your beliefs and teachings more in line with what the Christian school teacher is teaching your child or the public school teacher?

I will continue this series on “Why Christian Schools” next week.

Find out more about Faith Christian School at www.faith-christian.org

Train Up A Child

by Dick Buckingham

Administrator

There has been something heavy on my heart over the past several months and I have been ruminating about it often.  It is: “Why would Christian parents who have a choice send their children to the public government schools?”  Another way of putting it more pointedly...why would the godly send their children to be discipled in an ungodly system?

I know that by that very statement, some of you are already putting up a defense. You may be thinking that I am biased as a result of my position as the administrator of a Christian School.  Why wouldn’t I speak negatively against the competition?   Doesn’t the Chevy dealer try to convince you that a Ford just doesn’t measure up?  (Everyone knows it doesn’t, but we will save that for another time!)  This is not about me trying to preserve my job or increase my influence.   Believe it or not, I was just like many who thought public education was just fine.  After all, I attended and graduated from a public school.  What affect did it have on me?  The implication in that question is that public education didn’t affect me and I turned out just fine.  How often I have heard parents say that very same thing as a justification that putting their children in public schools will not be a detriment to them.

The truth is, the very fact we make such a statement as that, shows that we were profoundly affected by the public education we received.  The effect is that we cannot understand or discern the difference between a system that teaches a worldview where man is the main course and God is a side dish at best, and a Biblical worldview that sees God at the center of everything.  We can’t see it because our own worldview has been tainted by the public education we received.

God graciously saved me when I was in junior high, so much of my formative schooling years was at a time when I was immature in the faith and biblical understanding.  I was diligent about learning the truth as revealed in God’s Word, but understanding there was a different way of looking at things was the furthest from my experience, because I continued to be in the realm of public education on a daily basis.   While I endeavored to integrate my faith into my school life, it was relegated to being part of the “extra-curricular” Christian club on campus meeting before or after school, and a released time Bible study held daily at the Mormon facility across the street from the school.* Unfortunately, the way I was taught to think and honestly the way I thought, was not much different from any of the other students on campus.  We listened to our teachers, took what they told us as true, and applied it to our lives without ever considering what the Bible had to say about it.  I was taught a secular humanist worldview which places man at the center, and around whom all things revolve.

Following high school (not as a result of high school, but God’s grace) I knew I wanted to be involved at some level of ministry.  I had done some music with my church youth and had enjoyed being before people and encouraging them with words of truth.  My thought and assumption was that I would train for the pastorate.  In pursuing this goal, I wound up attending a small seminary in Philadelphia.  For the first time, I was being taught all things from a Christian worldview.  As we talked about history and life from this perspective, it was like I had been viewing the world through a window filthy with the grime of the world, and it had now been flung open so that I could see easily and breathe freely the fresh air of God’s perspective of our world.  My worldview was radically changed in a relatively short amount of time.  My initial thought was, “every Christian should go to seminary to get their eyes opened as mine had been opened.”  I still had not realized that the problem was that I had been taught a worldview as a child that was contrary to the truth.

My education in worldview perspective, though, was not over yet.  After a few years serving as a youth pastor, I was given the opportunity to teach in a Christian school.  I thought it a great opportunity to continue my ministerial work with youth.  Little did I know that it would radically transform my life and thinking.  Now I was teaching some of the very same things I had learned in high school but it was with a curriculum from a Christian publisher with a Christian worldview.  Since my eyes had been opened in seminary to a correct view of the world, I could now see the potential of teaching children correctly about God and His world from the beginning.  I became excited about the potential of training children in the truths of God and helping them to integrate them into their understanding in history, science, math and English.  I began to see Christian teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19, emphasis mine)

Education as the way to teach and train children from Christian families with the correct worldview from the beginning, grounding them in the truths of God so that they would be strong and not waver in their faith.  It was truly discipleship as Jesus had commanded in the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and

Some 30 years later, I am still serving in the ministry that I believe God called me to, seeking to teach a Biblical worldview perspective to students from Christian families.  It has not been an easy road.  The greatest opposition that it has faced has been from the very ones you least expect it from, Christians.  I am convinced that it is at least in part because they have been trained in a secular worldview when they attended public school and they simply cannot see the difference.

Can you be honest enough with yourself to answer the following questions?  Could it be that your public school education affected the way you think about the world?  Could you be thinking it is harmless for your children because your own worldview has not been thoroughly transformed to a Biblical worldview?

Over the next couple of weeks I will continue to address this subject in several blog posts.  I will consider some of the following concerns that I hear from parents:

• Shouldn’t our kids be salt and light in their public schools?  Are we just going to abandon this important “mission field?”
• Why not public schools?  What is the harm?
• The Christian school doesn’t have band, choir, drama, (you fill in the blank). Isn’t my child   going to be at a disadvantage when they compete with students from public school who did?
• Does God’s Word really compel us to put our kids in Christian Schools?

*Probably needs some explanation.  In our community, there is a strong Mormon presence.  As a result the political powers that be in the local government and school boards allowed a provision for Mormon students to choose to leave their high school campus one period a day for “released-time seminary” as it was called.  The Mormon church conveniently supplied a building usually right across the street from the high school for these students to go.  Not to be outdone, the Christians in the community insisted upon nothing less than the same opportunity for their students to study God’s Word with those who elected this option.  Sometimes the Mormons would even allow the Christian group to use their facility.

To learn more about Faith Christian School, please visit our website at www.faith-christian.org 

Keeping Kids Healthy

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Assistant Principal

It never fails...during the first two weeks of school, someone always gets sick in my household.  Last year, it was me - a miserable round of bronchitis.  But this year, it is my husband and my four-year-old, the two who don't go to school.  We had one of THOSE weekends...fevers, naps, whining...you know how it goes.  My older two are staying away - like the family has a  plague.  They want perfect attendance and want to stay healthy.  So, I decided to do a little research to see if I could help my family have a very healthy year.  Here is what I've discovered:



This is my four-year-old, Drew, feverish and resting on Sunday.

Rest
A well-rested body is necessary to keep an immune system healthy.  Keep the bed time as consistent as humanly possible - even on the weekends.  Good rest also reduces stress; stress can have negative effects on an immune system.

Eating Right
We all know that a diet rich in vitamins and minerals is essential to good health.  However, that may be a little more difficult to do in packing a child's lunch.  Carrots and yogurt have good immune system support and are easy to pack in a lunch box.  Did you know that trail mix is full of Vitamin E, iron, and potassium?  We know that oranges are packed with vitamin C, but kiwis, guava, and sweet red bell peppers are full of the same.  One of my sons loves the mini peppers I send in his lunch.  Add a little ranch dressing and he's all set.

I've been wanting to try kale, but wasn't sure how to get my kids to eat it.  Kale is rich in vitamins and beta carotene.  One mom suggested that kale be cut up and added to tuna, chicken, or egg salad.  This seems like a great way to sneak in some immune boosting vitamins.  Does anyone have a good recipe for homemade kale chips?  Share with us in the comments below. 

You can find more immune boosting ideas for a lunch box at:  http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/healthy-school-lunch-superfoods#slide-1

Avoid Sugar
Dr. William Sears, a nationally recognized pediatrician, says that 100 grams (or 8 tablespoons) of sugar "can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40%" (Sears, 2013).  One hundred grams of sugar is equivalent to drinking two sodas.  It may be wise, for more than one reason, to be aware of how much sugar a child is taking in each day. 

Stay Hydrated
Drinking lots of fluids is not just a help when you are sick; it can assist in preventing those sicknesses

in the first place.  Water adds oxygen to your blood cells - which helps them to function better.  It flushes out the toxins your body takes in.  It very simply keeps your mouth wet, which will prevent dust, dirt, and germs from lingering too long.  Be sure to send a water bottle with your child and encourage them to drink throughout the day...even in the cooler months.

Wash Hands
This is the one we as parents stress over and over again with our children, and it can't be said too many times.  This is the number one way to assist in preventing illnesses.  My sons wanted a small bottle of hand sanitizer to keep at their desk to have handy when hand washing just isn't possible.  It may seem obvious to us, but remind your kids not to share water bottles and food.  It always surprises me when I see two teens drinking out of the same container, but it happens much more than we would like to admit.  Also, remind  your child to keep his/her hand out of the mouth and nose.  Nervous habits, like biting nails, can add a good number of opportunities for germs to make their way in.


If you have other suggestions for keeping your kids healthy and well, please believe me when I say, I would love to hear them!  Leave them in the comments below.  Here's wishing you a healthy new school year!


References
Sears, W (2013).  "4 Habits that Weaken the Immune System." Ask Dr. Sears.  Retrieved from  http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/foods-boost-immunity/4-habits-weaken-immune-system

Back to School

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

That means different things for different people. 

For students, it is a time filled with excitement and apprehension as they begin new classes with new teachers, and for some, at  new schools.  That vast majority of students approach school optimistically.  Their hopes are high to develop friendships that will last more than just the school year.  They assume that their teachers will take genuine interest in them and will seek to impart more than just knowledge.  They look forward to the extracurricular events such as sports and musical programs.  These are an important part of growing up and developing the talents that are God-given.   New school years are filled with so much promise for students as they come ready to grow.  My counsel for students is enjoy; take full advantage of every learning opportunity.  Don’t place too much importance on the social aspects of school.  The way life often works out, you will have great friends, not only from school, but from other parts and seasons of your life.  These, too, will have greater significance.

For parents, the experience is bitter sweet.  Yes, it is nice to get back to a routine where you as the parent are not the only caregiver for your child all day long.  Now you are able to have a bit more freedom to pursue and enjoy things that went by the wayside during the summer.  But there is also the hectic schedule that is just beginning.  Not only do your children need dropped off and picked up from school, but their lives are suddenly filled with piano lessons, soccer practice, dance class, and on and on.  Instead of slowing down, it seems like you double down, and go twice as fast to twice as many places.  And, on top of that, is the homework.  Yes, it is your child’s homework, but you know very well how much help they will need and require from you.   Mom, dad, hang in there.  You will be amazed at how quickly this season of life passes you by and it is over.  Enjoy these days with your kids and look for ways to make memories with them that will last a lifetime.  Do your best to slow down once in awhile and take it all in. Laugh often.

For teachers, it is an exciting time welcoming the students back to school.  It is one of my favorite  times of the year!  Seeing the students, welcoming them genuinely, and letting them know that you anticipate a fantastic year.  For good teachers, the first day of school is not just back to work and the end of summer vacation.  It is what you live for.  It is a calling that God has brought you to and there is no greater experience than interacting with your students and being His tool to open knowledge to them.  Yes, there is a measure of labor and you know there will be times that some students make it difficult.  But it is all worth it.  Teaching is an honor and privilege, a most wonderful, exciting and fulfilling activity for which someone graciously pays us.

For me, back to school is all of these things.  I am sitting here today realizing that since I was 5 years old, I have been going back-to-school in one of these roles every year of my life with the exception of 2 or 3 years.  I was a student through high school, then college and seminary.  Very shortly thereafter, I began to teach and have been doing that for the last 28 years.  In the midst of all of that, my three boys started many years of school as they completed their education.  As I have grown older, I still feel that anticipation of a new school year.  I still long for the first day when students and teachers come together and set course on another year of learning and discovery.  It truly empowers me to prepare classes that I may have taught many times, but now for a new group of learners.  I can think of nothing I would rather be doing today than going back-to-school.  May God in His mercy grant me many more years to participate in this wonderful process of beginning anew!

What are some of your favorite back-to-school memories as a student, parent, or teacher?

The Transition to Middle School

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Principal and Mom to a 7th Grader

In one week, my oldest child will be a junior higher.  I spent this past weekend getting him ready.  We had long talks about what he might encounter.  We bought school supplies.  We packed things away and I tried to cram every bit of wisdom I have into two days.  How does a secondary principal get her child ready to enter the land of the secondary student?  Here are some of the ideas I felt it was important to cover with my son this weekend.

Organization
Being organized is a key to success in junior high and high school.  The best way to organize is with a three ring binder, but with the limited time to put things away at the end of class, a child needs a stuffing place.  There are binders now with a built in pocket where a student can stuff papers quickly.  In the first few weeks, sit with your child each night and show him/her where to put the papers.  He will quickly pick up on the concept and hopefully continue on his own.

Locker Life
Learning to live out of a locker and backpack rather than a desk can be a big transition.  On the first day, access to the locker may be limited (due to time) and slow (due to the learning curve).  Send your child to school with his/her binder, a few notebooks, and some writing utensils.  Pack the rest of the

supplies in a bag that can be brought before school the next day.  Then, your child can leisurely set up his locker without the pressure of getting to class.

Supply Overload
Without a desk, the supplies a student needs can weigh down a backpack.  Have your child store extra pens and pencils in pencil box and keep it in his locker.  Extra paper and notebooks can be kept there as well.  That way, when they are in need, they can make a quick stop and be refueled for their next class.

Where to Go
Moving from class to class can be intimidating.  Be sure to attend any open house available and allow your child to take his/her schedule and move from class to class.  Having the path already in mind can assist in alleviating a child's first day jitters.

Growing Up
The topic of conversations begin to change as children enter junior high.  The topics and temptations become more serious and sometimes life-changing.  My husband, son, and I enjoyed breakfast and a "date" to discuss these topics.  We encouraged him to honor God above everything - in conversation and action.  It was important to us to equip him with the tools he needed to grow up from boy to young man.  What topics do you need to cover with your adolescent that will ready him or her to stand firm in the faith?


I thought sending him to Kindergarten was tough, but here we stand, at the brink of manhood.  There is only so much preparing we can do.  Commit in these days to fervently pray for your son or daughter.  Pray that God will strengthen them, encourage them, provide for them, and meet them in the time of need.  I'm excited to watch what God will do as Levi enters the new world of junior high.

School Begins: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

Summer is almost over and school’s beginning is just around the corner.  It is this time of year that students begin to look forward to school beginning.  More and more students that I speak to these days can’t wait to get going at school with their friends, teachers and learning.  It is not so much that they are tired of their summer vacation, but they have had ample time to recharge their batteries and they are eager to continue on the quest for knowledge.  This is an exciting time of year when everyone, including parents, is gearing up for a new school year.  But a successful school year start does not just happen.  The best starts to the school year are ones where we carefully plan and prepare our children.  Let me share a few ideas.

Correct summer habits.  During the summer time, children often stay up late, sleep in and generally keep whatever schedule they want.  A wise parent is one who begins to bring back a schedule for his or her children a week or two prior to the beginning of the school year.  Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, but aren’t able to correct several months of a lack of schedule overnight.  I know it is difficult to communicate to children that it is time to start going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting up earlier to get ready to arrive at school timely, but you will save yourself and your child much difficulty in the first few weeks of school if you prepare them before hand.  Make it fun!  Plan some early morning activities that they can look forward to!

Out with the old.  While we are talking about less than helpful habits, let’s not overlook the tendency our children have to sit in front of the television or video game for long periods of time during the summer.  This is not something that can continue if they are to be successful in school this year.  Help them begin to trim back on their TV and game time and choose to do other things that will help them to stimulate their minds.

Activate their bodies. While children are generally busy and active during the summer, it is helpful to get them moving a little more, getting their bodies awake and ready for a more active routine.  Try to schedule some exercise each day.  In fact, you could combine this one with the first suggestion and plan to go a couple of mornings a week to a neighborhood park when they can play and exercise to get their brains going and fresh.  It will be much cooler then as well.

Feed their brains.  Let’s face it; we all let nutrition go out the window a little during the summer time.  Who doesn’t enjoy the dish of ice cream before bed or the bag of popcorn while watching a movie on TV?  But we also know that what we feed our bodies is what fuels our bodies and our minds.  Start getting your child back in the habit of making good food choices and tone up their eating habits.  The side benefit is that you can get back on the wagon again yourself!

Stimulate their thinking.  I know we really are not supposed to take a break from thinking about things over the summer, but let’s all admit that we do kind of let our thinking and intellectual habits slide as well.  If your child hasn’t been reading all summer, make sure they read a book or two prior to the school year beginning.  Get a book yourself and sit down and read at the same time.  Replace some of the TV and game time with this good and helpful practice.  Nothing can stimulate the mind like a good book.

Get their number.  Try to find ways to get them to brush up on their math skills.  For the younger ones, have them count forwards and backwards, add and subtract.  For those a little older, review the multiplication tables.  You can make this fun by doing it with things you are already doing.  Have them add fractions as you are using a recipe to put dinner together.  Have them count the number of steps it takes to make one lap around the playground and figure out how many steps they ran in 8 laps. For the older students, ask them to differentiate the coefficient of the tangent as x approaches 0.  Well, ok, that may be a bit much, but you get the idea.

Structure, move, eat right, and stimulate their brains.  Little things that you can do in the next couple of weeks to get your child’s school year off to the best start ever!  Even I am getting a little excited about the beginning of school just thinking about it!

What is Life?

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

Every other year, I have the challenging task of working through the difficult course of Ethics with our junior and senior students.  We approach this first from a philosophical perspective before taking specific ethical issues and trying to respond to them Biblically.  This is a challenge that I am increasingly finding more difficult.  The influence from our society and the long-term effect of evolutionary thinking has caused many to curve from truth.  Most of us move about our day to day lives using little more than a feeling as to what is right and wrong.  Indeed, God has given each of us as part of His reflected image a sense about morality.  Unfortunately, due to being marred by sin, none of us gets it right all the time and many seldom do.  As a society, we struggle with changing morals usually by taking a poll or survey and going with what the majority feels is right.  As a result, what is unacceptable now may become acceptable in the near future and often has.  There is a crisis of morals in our world and it is increasing because we aren't doing a good job of instructing our children about some basic absolute truths.

The first and most important truth that we must impress upon our children is that there is an absolute standard of ethics.  It is not one that is subject to polls or opinions, but has been carefully crafted and communicated to us by our Creator.  So often, critics insist that we cannot push our belief system upon someone who doesn't share our belief system.  While most would agree with that basic conclusion, the premise it is founded upon is faulty.  The assumption is that the ethics we say are absolute are the product of men or a religious perspective.  The reality is, they are the declaration of the Maker of us all, and His pattern given to us to function in this world.  It is true, I have no right to foist my opinions upon another and insist they must change theirs to match mine.  But it is God’s right to do so, as both Framer and Judge who will hold accountable.   We may not like what He has to say, but He has every right to say it, press it upon us, and hold us completely to its standard.

A second important truth, that needs to be impressed upon our children, is that life is a precious custodial gift bestowed upon us all by a gracious Creator and He requires us to treat it as would a caretaker, to promote it, maintain it, and treasure it no matter the cost.  So many of the issues we wrestle with in our society today have to do with the definition of life.  Questions regarding the ethics of abortion, suicide, assisted suicide, capital punishment, euthanasia, and more all hang from this one pendulum.   

In a particular year, on a test given at the end of this Ethics course, I asked my students to consider a woman who had been brain damaged due to an accident and required care for just about everything she did including being sustained with food and liquid via a feeding tube.  There was little hope of recovering any amount of significant function that would allow her to be productive.  Yet her condition was not so severe that she required extraordinary medical help to stay alive.  Other than the daily hygienic care everyone usually does for themselves, the only medical convenience was the feeding tube to provide daily sustenance.  The question I asked was, would it be Biblically acceptable to remove the feeding tube from this person to allow them to starve, dehydrate, and die.  Though we had talked about life during this course, all but one felt the Biblical thing to do was to remove the feeding tube.  Needless to say, I was shocked and dismayed.  None of them based this on any scriptural passage or example but upon what they deemed to be a definition of life.  They used arguments based on definitions that true life is only present when one is fruitful or productive.  Some assumed that life is our personal possession and that we may discard it at any time and for any reason.  Others suggested that since life with God is so much superior to this one, ending this life to enjoy that one is justified.  One even went so far as to give me Webster’s definition, as though this was the absolute answer and would settle all question.  The problem is, it doesn't matter what Webster or anyone else thinks about what life is.  The only thing that matters is what God thinks about life and how He defines it.

As soon as we begin to try to qualify what is life and what is not, we have entered a very dangerous area that

opens the door to all sorts of problems.  If life is defined on the basis of how fruitful one can be, then there are many in our society that should be “graciously” put out of their (our) misery because they can no longer or may never have been able to contribute something.  And who is to say what the level of contribution has to be in order to be determined worthy of life?  If receiving life giving sustenance from a tube is the line that we draw, then no infant in the womb deserves to live as they are sustained only by life’s original feeding tube.  Several of them felt if the person themselves had expressed a desire that they not live in such a way, then that was justification for the removal of the tube and starving them to death.  But isn’t that just suicide, and the removal of the tube assisted suicide?  So much of our society believes that life is something that is our personal possession and we are free to do with it whatever we choose.  It is a grave error when we view life is such a way.   Did we do anything to produce life in ourselves?  Did we create it?  Purchase it?  Earn it?  Then how can we claim that it is ours?  If it is not ours, then whose is it, and what is our role in handling what has been granted to us?

In Genesis 2, we see that God determined to fashion man in His own image and He breathed into man the breath of life.  Thus life belongs to God and He alone bestows it as a custodial gift upon each of us.  It is not like a gift that our parents give us which we feel free to abuse and discard as we please.  It is the most precious gift given to anything that God made and our Maker requires us to give it the highest regard and care.  Therefore He gives instructions and commands that we are to hold life in the highest regard and do everything we can to promote and maintain not only our own lives, but the lives of others.

Though I had taught my students this perspective of life from God’s Word, I was unable to persuade them to hold fast against the pressure of our world.  A Christian school teacher cannot do it alone.  A Christian pastor or youth leader cannot do it alone.  As Christian parents, we must understand the high responsibility we have to impress this upon our children.  The influence of the society around them is great and takes all our concerted effort to overcome.

Finishing Strong

by Dick Buckingham, Administrator

II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

The apostle Paul, in arguably his last letter to his protégé Timothy, makes this interesting and profound statement: I have finished the race.  Paul often uses the race analogy when referring to the lives we are living for Christ.  In I Corinthians 9:24 he says,

“Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

This verse has been the theme verse for our students this year and we have focused on running the race of

our lives with passion.  Passion is that element that often separates one racer from another, between getting or not getting the prize.  One of the things we love to see in an athletic contest is someone who gives it all in order to go a split second faster, or jump a fraction of an inch higher.  We seem to intuitively know that giving our all is the right and best way to live and we admire someone who does it, and does it well.  Many a race has been lost by pulling up too soon.  Every good coach knows to impress upon his athletes the importance of running hard through the tape before slowing down.  They push this just as hard in practice races as they do the actual race.

I often remind my students that we are given opportunities throughout life to practice finishing strong and we should use them to make it the pattern of our lives to give it our all, all the way to the end.  Such opportunities are things like school years which end each May.  Students can practice doing their work and being faithful to their studies at a time when they feel more like coasting and sitting by the pool.  Many a parent (and teacher) knows how difficult it is to motivate children with “Spring Fever.”  We may be able to look back and remember how difficult it was for us to focus and stay motivated and keep going strong to the end of a school year.  We may want to give our children a pass and feel like the school ought to take it easy on the students as the year winds down.

What I want to impress upon you as a parent is that there are some lifelong implications to how we finish things.  The way we practice the race is the way we will run the race.  If it is our habit and pattern to coast as we come to the end of the school year, we may likely do that in college.  When we could have received high grades, our grades are satisfactory or even mediocre.  We may tend to take it easy as we transition from one job to another or one position to another within our company.  Instead of giving our all for as long as we are employed, we may see our effort begin to wane as we approach retirement age.  We all know what a lame-duck politician is.  They are in their last term of office and the closer they get to the end, the less they accomplish. 

More importantly than all these, there are spiritual implications as well.  Instead of remaining steadfast all our lives and serving the Lord every day of our lives until he calls us home, we may begin to take it easy in our walk and not be so concerned about the Lord’s work as we once were.  Our place in heaven may be secure, but our reward will be affected.

The apostle Paul left nothing on the table.  He gave every effort up to the very end of his life to serve the Lord and others.  He was able to say without apology, “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

Once in a while, we see this kind of commitment in people we know.  My mom went to be with the Lord just about two weeks ago.  She was 81 and lived a life of service to the Lord.  Though weak and frail and prone to illness, she never ceased to pray for others, to encourage others in the faith, and to do whatever she could to serve others, up until just days before her Savior called her home.  She is one who can with Paul say, “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”  As a result, she is now hearing the “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from her Lord.

What about you?  If your life on this earth came to an end today, would you be able to make that proclamation?  How are you finishing?  Are you finishing strong?  Are you encouraging finishing strong  from your children?  Are you leading them by your example?

Well Done

by Dick Buckingham

Administrator

Some of you may have just thought of your favorite cut of steak cooked to perfection.  The juicy thought makes your mouth water in anticipation.  However, that is not the kind of “well done” I had in mind.

Last week, Faith Christian School had the privilege of hosting an accreditation site visit team from Christian Schools International (CSI).  This was the culmination of a years-long process to provide outside certification of what we have been faithfully doing for our 25 years of existence.  Being accredited, while not required for private Christian schools, does provide a number of benefits for students who attend when it comes to applying to colleges and universities and transferring credits to other high schools around the country.  While it was not a critical step to take in the earlier years of our school existence, it has become increasingly more important over the past couple of years.  With the onset of many other educational choices for students such as charter schools and online schools, accreditation is the simplest way for a school receiving a student to have confidence that the previous educational institution was doing things well and up to acceptable standards.

We rejoice that the team from CSI voted unanimously to accredit Faith with no exceptions or provisions.

While that is really wonderful and something we praise God for, far greater were the words the team spoke to us in commendation about what they observed as they intensely looked at our school, examined our staff and students, and asked some deep, probing questions for two days.  Essentially, the team said to the Faith Christian School board, administration, staff, parents and students, “Well done.”

Well done.  How incredible those words are!  What life they give to our soul!  This year’s spiritual theme at FCS comes from I Corinthians 9:24, “Run the race in such as way as to win the prize.”  What we have related to our students is that the race we are running is our lives and the prize we are seeking is nothing less than to hear our Lord God say to us at the end when we finish, “Well done!”

Those two little words carry such great impact on us as they recognize what we have done and express the contentment and pleasure of the One who is speaking them to us.  I can say without hesitation that it is not the praise of men that I long for.  It is not to make a name for myself or to have some legacy that memorializes my life.  The one thing I want more than anything else is to hear the voice of my Savior say, “Well done!”

Yet, when I heard these words from the accreditation team, I realized how I much I benefit from hearing that from others.  These words not only justify what I have done and the sacrifices I may have made, but they propel me to strive for even greater heights.  They empower me to try things I may have only dreamed of doing before.

Well done.  Two little words, very easy to say.  Two words we all have in our vocabulary and available to use as often as we like.  Two words that will lift the spirits of the people in our lives and cause them to seek loftier goals.

When was the last time you said “Well done” to someone important in your life?  Your children?  I am in my mid 50s and my dad is over 80, yet I love when he tells me that he is proud of me.  Your spouse?  Nothing means more to me than to have my wife tell me she appreciates some small thing that I have done for her.  Your pastor?  Your teacher? Your boss?  Your co-worker or classmate?  You can add to the list.

You have an incredibly powerful tool available to you to bless and encourage others.  Who will you say, “Well done” to today?

Stamp of Approval

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Assistant Principal

When I first came on staff at Faith 17 years ago, we began working towards the process of accreditation.  Next week, all the work will be celebrated when five professionals in the field of education visit our school and decide whether to recommend us for accreditation.  Recently I was asked to explain accreditation and the only thought that came to mind at the time was "stamp of approval."  An organization comes in, looks at everything, and says, "Yes, this school is doing what it needs to do to educate young people."

In the few days the team will be on campus, they will interview teachers, parents, and students.  They will observe in our classrooms.  They will spend time reading through our documentation:  our handbooks, our manuals, pages and pages of paper.  They will get to know our school from every angle and at the end of the week they will tell us what we are doing well and where we need to improve.  Then they will make the recommendation for or against accreditation.

As this process of accreditation has been prominent in my thinking, I wondered:  is God in the business of accreditation?  When He looks at me, and sees all my documentation, do I measure up to His standard?  Alone...there is no way!  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  "All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Psalm 14:3).  On my own, in my state of sinfulness, I am not accredited by the Lord; I cannot meet His standard.

But there is hope! "God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8), and if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead we are saved (Romans 10:8).  It is through this faith that we are accredited.  Genesis 15:6 says "Abraham believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness."  Paul brings that home by telling us in Romans 4:23-25  "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." 

There is only one step in God's process of accreditation and that is faith in Him alone.  I only have to present one piece of documentation...the Lamb of God.  I am so glad that when God looks at me, I already have his stamp of approval...not because of anything I've done, but because when He looks at me, He sees someone who did everything right:  Christ himself.

The Stool of Education

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

Educating a child is much like a three-legged stool, with each leg being critical to the success of the student.  The first leg is the child themselves.  The student must have a desire to learn and a willingness to put in adequate effort in study, memorization and practice to accomplish an adequate level of learning.  There is at least an equal amount of responsibility that the child bears for their success as a student.  The old adage, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” is certainly true in this matter. 

The second leg is that of the teacher.  It is important, almost essential, that there be someone to lead and direct an education.  Without it, the student would wander into whatever he or she felt important and would likely miss what truly is important.  Teachers are critically necessary to make sure the things that align with truth are studied and that a broad area of knowledge is pursued.  The concept of one who has the knowledge gained by years of preparation, study and experience overseeing the education of a youngster is very ancient and across all cultures.  It is the natural tendency of every parent to try to impart a measure of knowledge about life in general to their child.  We all prefer to learn something we don’t know from someone who does.  If someone has more experience than we in a certain area, we look to them as somewhat of a teacher to assist us in our growth. 

The often overlooked leg of the stool is the parent of the child.  This person is critical to the child’s education as one who helps the student understand their responsibility and assists the teacher in making the applications of knowledge that was learned.   Parents aren’t expected to teach the details, but to be able to support what the teacher has given and encourage the responsible response of the student.

These three legs are necessarily tied together and the “stool” of the child’s education will topple if they are not.  Sometimes, we see an adversarial relationship develop between the child’s teacher and parent.  This only has dire consequences for the student and their progress.  Invariably, this child is struggling, perhaps even failing, mostly because the bond between the teacher and the parent is broken.  Often, the child is not held responsible for their part in the education and all three legs fail at once.

So how do we keep these legs tied together to work for the success of the child?  What can a parent do to support the teacher and school in its effort to educate their child?  Below I have compiled a list of things that I have seen over the years that great parents have done to support the school.  The result has been successful students.  This list is not meant to be exhaustive or complete.  There may be many other things good parents do.  Please feel free to respond to this blog with other ideas or success stories.

1.    Remember teachers are adult professional educators who have worked hard to be prepared to effectively teach students.  They have the same goal and desire that you do with your child: success.

2.     Show respect.  While we may not always agree about everything there is no reason to show disrespect toward an individual that is laboring to help your child.  There is too much of a mentality in our society that it is right and appropriate for a parent to defend his or her child against any one no matter if the child is right or wrong.  We need to remember we are on the same side and working toward the same goal.

3. Don’t assume you have the whole or correct story from your child.  As with all fallen humans, we tend to “modify” the truth that we might look more favorable in its light.  This seems to be certainly true in the case of students.  Particularly when a negative report is given by our student about their teacher, we must avoid the temptation to assume it is fully and completely true.  Wait until you hear the other side of the story before you make conclusions and respond.

4.     Realize that teachers are a wealth of information about parenting.  Not only have many of them experienced parenting first hand, but they have also had close contact with a number of other parents through the school and can share good ideas, and warn of bad ones.  I have had many parents seek me out for advice about things other than academics.

5.     Remember teachers are imperfect and do make mistakes.  Even with the best intentions, teachers will err like the rest of us.  Just as we desire grace in matters such as these, so does your child’s teacher.  Offer grace generously as did our Lord to all of us who are saved.

6.      Life has become very hectic for parents.  Please consider putting down the remote, leaving the clubs in the garage on a Saturday morning and getting rid of other distractions in your life so that you can parent your child.  The one thing they need from you most is your time.  As the father of three grown men, I can attest to how quickly these years pass by when they are young and most in need of my attention.  There will be time later for those other things if they really are important.

7.      Life has also become hectic for students.  They want to be involved in many activities outside of their academics and often they get overwhelmed.  While there are many wonderful things students can participate in, they need help in prioritizing what is truly important and what they need to spend their time doing.  For some students, school may be all they are able to handle.  A parent should not feel like they are withholding some important experience from their child if they are unable to handle karate, soccer, and basketball, piano and dance lessons on top of school work.  Put the extra stuff in its proper place.

8.      Simplify your child’s life.  Many times our students are running constantly from one thing to another.  Or they feel it is necessary to give large portions of time to socializing on their phones or computers.  Look for ways to make life simpler for you and your child.

9.     Don’t stress over grades.  I am fully aware of how our society likes to measure everything on a 100 point scale.  But grades are at best a snapshot of how a child is doing on a few things and doesn’t really reflect how a child is doing over all.  For an in-depth evaluation, talk to your child’s teacher.  They can give you a clearer idea if your child is working hard, showing respect, paying attention, and doing everything they can do to succeed.  Sometimes this will also be reflected in their grades, but not always
.

Make that stool as strong as it can be for the educational success of your children!

Cause God Said So

by Jennie Smith, Secondary Assistant Principal

One of the more common questions I'm asked as a teacher is: (can I get  a drum roll please?)
Why do I have to learn this?

This question can take many forms.
     When will I ever use this in my real life?
     What is the point of learning this?
     Why, Mrs. Smith, why, why, why?! 

Have you ever been faced with that question from your kids?  In the midst of a challenging project or homework assignment, you may find that your children wonder what the purpose is of learning and school.  I'll tell you the top two Biblical reasons I give to my students and children - feel free to use them as needed with your own kids.

The first reason comes from Genesis 1:28.  The New International Version reads like this:  "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.' ”

God commands Adam and Eve, among other things, to subdue the earth.  The King James Version uses the word "dominion" - Adam and Eve are to have dominion over the earth.  The idea of dominion is to have control or rule.  My question to my students is: how can you have dominion over something you know nothing about?  Imagine someone becoming a CEO of a company, but he has no knowledge of what the company does or how to run a business.  How successful  can that boss be?  God has called us to subdue the earth and the first step of doing so is learning about it. 

So, reason #1 to the question "Why do I need to learn this?" is "God says so."
Reason #2 to the question is "Jesus did so."

We don't know too much about the childhood of Jesus.  But from the small portions we do know, we see that Jesus had a desire to learn.  When his parents couldn't locate him when he was 12 years old, they found him in the temple learning from the rabbis.  Luke 2:46 says "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (NIV). It follows to say that Jesus "grew in wisdom and stature." (Luke 2:52, NIV).  So, if Jesus grew in wisdom, and sat and learned and asked questions from the teachers of his day, so should the rest of us.


God said so and Jesus did so -  two good reasons to do just about anything, including learning the tough stuff.