Over the many years I have been a principal in a Christian school, I have heard one particular argument over and over: Christian education is too expensive. I have been blessed in that all four of my children graduated from Christian schools. Having gone through that experience, and after doing a little math, I would generally agree with the argument that Christian education is expensive. Based on some rough math, my guess is that educating a child at a Christian school from K-12 would cost approximately $65,000. That is a lot of money, especially when comparing it to a ‘free’ education at the local public school. So, what then is the advantage of a Christian education?
There are two major reasons why a Christian school education is worth every penny. The first major benefit is the Christian school teacher. Christian teachers pray for their students. Praying for someone increases the level of care and concern for those that are being prayed for. Christian teachers are also aware that they are mentors to (disciplers of) their students and they take that role seriously. Luke 6:40 (A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher) is not merely an empty statement but is something that is lived out on a daily basis in Christian schools. Christian teachers embody what it means to live a life following Christ (I know that there can be improvements in this area, but that is true of all of us). Students learn from the words that a teacher uses but even more from the life that is lived out in front of them. Being a mentor/discipler also includes the idea of caring for students. I have seen teachers at SCS praying with (and for) students and taking time before school, during breaks, and after school to meet with students and care for them; this is not only about classes and academics but also about life issues. This level of care is something that Christian schools, above all other schooling types, are uniquely equipped to provide.
The second major reason why a Christian school education is worth every penny is because that is where children develop a biblical worldview. (Barna defines “biblical worldview” as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today). Barna goes on to say, “Sadly, few people consistently demonstrate the love, obedience and priorities of Jesus. The primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus. Behavior stems from what we think – our attitudes, beliefs, values and opinions. Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most [Canadians] have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life. We’re often more concerned with survival amidst chaos than with experiencing truth and significance“.
Why is a biblical worldview important? Dr. James Anderson puts it like this, “Here’s the first reason, worldviews matter because they play a central and defining role in our thinking about the world, about ourselves, and about other people. I’m sure most of you have seen a house being built, perhaps even in your own neighborhood. What’s the first part of the house to be built? The foundation, of course. It’s, well, foundational. That’s the part on which everything else rests. What’s the next part to be built?
The framework, which provides the basic form and shape of the house. The foundation and the framework of a house define it more than anything else. And your worldview is like that. It provides the foundation and framework for all of your thinking about the world, for how you interpret your experiences and how you respond to those experiences.
Now, when that house is finished, can you see the foundation and the framework? Well, no, not usually. Does that make those parts any less important? Of course not. And the same goes for our worldviews. They usually sit in the background rather than the foreground of our thinking, but they still play a central and defining role. Your worldview shapes what you believe, what you say, and what you do with your life more than anything else. And for that very reason, it is crucial to have the right worldview.
And that leads me to my next point, here’s the second reason why worldviews matter. Developing and applying a Christian worldview is an essential part of our sanctification as believers, our growth in godliness, and spiritual maturity. Developing and applying a Christian worldview is an essential part of our sanctification as believers, our growth in godliness, and our spiritual maturity.
Here’s the third reason why worldviews matter. As Christians we are called by God, not only to think in a Christian way ourselves, but also to engage with people who aren’t thinking in a Christian way, because we want to honor God and love our neighbors, including our non-Christian neighbors. For the sake of honoring the truth and for the sake of proclaiming the gospel, we want to engage with non-Christians in a thoughtful and fruitful way, in a way that really gets to the root of our differences rather than focusing on surface level disagreements.
And that means that we should be aiming to engage with non-Christians at the worldview level, by understanding their worldviews, helping them to become aware of their worldviews, and exposing the shortcomings of their worldviews.”
That process should happen at home, at church, and at school. The problem is that most parents are not trained well enough to teach their children a biblical worldview. Most churches also do not teach a biblical worldview. That only leaves Christian schools. At SCS, we offer our students biblical worldview training in every grade and in every subject. Having a biblical worldview will strengthen their faith and help them to live it out more consistently throughout their lives than if they did not have a biblical worldview.
Of all the reasons to find a Christian education valuable, having Christian teachers who teach all subjects through a biblical worldview is the largest benefit. (And, while there are Christian teachers in the public school system, they cannot care for their students in the public system in the same way as they can in the Christian school system.) For me, being able to educate my children in a Christian school where they develop a biblical worldview and are discipled by Christian teachers is worth more than any amount of money.
Principal's Ponderings 