Stacey Miller, Head of School, offers some answers to common questions about school choice.

Don’t Public Schools Need Christian Kids To Be “Salt” and “Light”?
(See Matthew 5:13-16)

If our plan is for Christian students to be salt and light in the public school, it does not seem to be working very well.  While there are some isolated “success stories,” our children seem to be more influenced by their culture than they are influential on their culture.  That is not surprising; if you put a white glove on your hand and rub it in the dirt, does the glove get dirty or does the dirt get “glovey”?  There are plenty of sources to suggest that Christian young people are leaving their faith in greater numbers than they (or their non-believing peers) are embracing it.  Who is influencing whom?   At the very least, we need a different strategy, and Christian school can be a critical part of that strategy.

The truth is that most kids are not going to be salt and light just because that is what their parents want.  Kids want to be liked and accepted.  They want their clothes to look cool and their hair not to look “stupid.”  They want to be invited to the party.  They want to hang out,  talk, text, and chat.  For the most part, they do NOT want to be different.  Although we need to teach them how to be confidently Christian in a post-Christian culture, the best way to so that is to bring them up in an environment where honoring God is normal and admirable.  Later, when they are “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,” (Colossians 2:7) they will be more likely to know the truth and stand for truth in the public arena.

Public schools, like every public domain, need a Christian presence, and Christian children need to be involved in outreach.  One answer to the first need is Christian teachers, not Christian students.  Public school teaching is a high and worthy calling for the adult believer on whom God has placed that burden.  Second, children can be involved in evangelistic efforts of the church or participate in sports or other recreational activities in the community.  These opportunities can provide Christian children with meaningful relationships with diverse populations while still allowing them to receive a distinctly Christian education.