What happened to your Christian School?

How about these statistics: 3 of apprx 40 graduating seniors who are still on their first marriage and still in church regularly. Real problems as I see it. Church schools have all the same peer pressure as government schools and sometimes more. BTW I met my wife there over 30yrs ago and then it was stolen and buldozed four years ago.
Thanks -----Bart

 

How many home schoolers or Christian schools teach Industrial Technology to their children?

 

How many government schools or Christian schools teach Holiness to the children who attend? In the long run which is more important, Industrial Technology or Holiness?
Thanks -----Bart

 

BillyShope

Didn't that school know the buddy system went out in about 1975 or earlier?

Some of the poorest schools in the nation are Christian schools in certain states. When the public school does not want the student they go to the Christian school.

I am teaching at a university and love it. It gets me around non-Christian students daily. What I find is that you are dealing directly with the student and not the baby who raises poor students.

Anytime you have parents who have control, you lose control and education suffers. When I taught high school I had a few parents who complained even though I developed the model program for the state I was teaching in and had one of the top programs in the US. One thing I did found was that when I had a problem with a student, in most cases I had an even worse problem with the parent.

Ever notice how it is never the excellent students and parents who complain? It is always the undisciplined who complain.

 

You think it is impossible to do both? Jesus didn't.

Do you not work? Or maybe you do, then you should quit your job. Because holiness is more important than your job. Right?

Ever stop to think that perhaps holiness could be taught very well in Industrial Technology? That's what happened to me by the man who discipled me.

Some of the most evil I have seen is when I pastored. Why do you think the police were called in during an SBC convention in the 1980's. Is that holiness? What would you think of some churches who ask their pastors to leave because they are too godly for the worldly folks? Is that holiness? Who is teaching holiness? The parents and leaders of those churches? Who are they? The ungodly.

The example a parent sets is what children remember. My daughter has been a straight A student in every grade in every class and stands up for her faith among her peers and in class with teachers. She is in the ninth grade. When I pastored I saw very few parents who were that strong. The vast majority of parents have never shared their faith. They are too afraid. My daughter does not understand why adults would be afraid. Who do you think taught her that? An Industrial Technology teacher--her dad. So where is the holiness? To be quite frank there is more holiness among most Christian students at the secular university I am at who are involved with parachurch organizations than most any other church organizations anywhere. It is a fact that some of the local churches are getting their staff from one of them when the student graduates. Those students are learning to regularly share their faith, pray, study the Bible and make disciples. Is that not the holiness Jesus called his disciples to? So where is the holiness? It's in the secular school where the Christians are living out their faith.

Stop and think about where some of the finest Christians across the world are. Christian kids in atheistic countries where the Christians are persecuted.

So where is the holiness?

 

gb,
First of all let me explain that I did not understand the direction you were coming from. I do stipulate as a fact that many "Christian" schools and home school parents do not go far enough in teaching their children. The reason I posted my statement was that without the rudimentary principle or foundation of holiness in Christian life there is no REAL life. It is a wasted life. It is a life burned out in the world for "things corruptable". I understand your position and I am thankful for someone who will stand for the Lord Jesus in a secular position. I do not think it is impossible to teach both. I agree with you on your statement that some of the greatest examples of Christian Character are in areas where it costs something to be called a Christian. I taught my sons the importance of living for God and how to polish stone, build buildings, build and operate a business and be a chimney sweep (among other trades also). I still say though that holiness is the most important issue for a young man who calls himself a Christian.
Thanks -----Bart

 

Does anyone know of any Christian school that teaches students the Christian faith outside of the academic setting of the classroom?

Personally I do not. So I was wondering.

 

Why would a school do that?

What would be the Biblical philosophy that would entail that being the role of a school?

The Family is responsible for the Spiritual development of the children, a christian school is merely a tool that (in some cases) is a help to the parents in the furtherance of that goal by having the child's formal secular education done by an organization with the same philosophy of life and theology of the parents. No more, no less.

 

I am a Christian school teacher, and I have found several interesting ideas on this string. First, I thank God for my own Christian education, which was simply a continuation of the education I was receiving at home from mom and dad.
For a Christian family, this will not be true for the public school, since the public school has not taught Christian morals and ethics for decades. I understand that this won't be true for all Christian schools, but that doesn't mean that all Christian schools are evil.
I have a student, who just came from the public school and she is so excited to hear her teacher's pray in class and share God's Word. She told me that it is much better than hearing and seeing what she did everyday in the public school.
That is not to say that our Christian school is without problems. We have an open enrollment policy which allows many non-Christian kids to attend. We get kids who fight, sell/do drugs, commit fornication, and other vile sins. Of course those are just the Christian kids... my point is, no matter where you are there are problems, but at least in the Christian school we can address those problems with God's Word and prayer, not Freud's word and foul language.

 

The school, church and family ought to be working together to teach people ministry. There are actually colleges that require students to do ministry. Some of the best students come from those schools too.

There are kids that come from non-Christian homes that attend Christian schools. Another reason I ask is that from what I have seen over and over is that in the seminaries and in the world the strongest Christians who share their faith regularly are trained by the parachruch organizations and by their parents. But the number of parents who train their children is close to zero. How many parents do you know who are discipling someone? When I was in seminary I was amazed at how some had been to Christian elementary and high schools and Christian universities and colleges and had never even shared their faith. What kind of an education is that? They had been in Christian evrything but never knew what it was like to be in the world. They never knew what it was like to share their faith with a non-believer.

Christianity is not all about pumping kids up with knowledge so they can be proud and win prizes. But rather teaching them to do ministry and grow.

So many Christian schools are teaching their students like trying to play baseball without the kids ever getting up to bat. It can't be done.

If we look at the way Jesus taught, we do not see someone who had the students sit in a chair and recite by rote but rather he sent them out to do ministry teaching thema long the way.

 

Just because the parents are not doing it properly, does not make it the pervue of the School.

Our school has a restricted admissions policy, so the students are from churches that are of like faith and practice. And they have to agree to the SOF and their parents agree to it and to church attendance. That helps a little.

The kids are getting their formal education in an environment that allows them opportunities to grow intellectually, interact in a controlled social environment, and use their talents and gifts in ministry, since they are all members of churches that encourage it.

Our school is a ministry of our church, it is not a separate entity. Those families who attend our church, and their children attend our school are getting a very well balanced diet of Scriptural truth, and are being encouraged to have a heart for ministry to others. If they only attend the school, than who knows what they are getting outside of the school, but the school is only providing what is its mandate. Preparing the kids for life and ministry, and allowing them opportunites to grow and gain their education in a Word-centered environment. It is not the schools job to ensure that all the students turn out. It is the responsibility of the parents. Taking over the role of parents who aren't getting the job done is not only impossible, but is a bad idea.

 

I would disagree with you. Many parachurch organizations among elementary, high school, colleges and military have a ministry. They are there to reach people at those institutions.

There is no mandate from scripture to back up disobedient parents? In fact there is quite the opposite. Parents do not come before Jesus. Jesus must be paramount.

Mark 10:34-39, ""Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. "For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."

If you have worked in a church you know how many parents lack boldness and have never shown their children the way by their example.

Why should we care about making good church people? Jesus has calleld us to be radical Christians.

I have seen it over and over people sitting in the church who come alive and start doing ministry because someone has challenged them to do ministry with them. When I challenge them I never send them out alone, but they tag along with me for some time before they lead someone else.

If we are not teaching our children to make disciples then who and what are we teaching? If we are not going to make change among the church people then where should it start?

 

The biggest problem with the "Christian" schools is the fact that they aren't the responsibility of the local Church to raise kids....The Bible gives that to the parents...I was homeschooled all the way through and I certainly was not overly "sheltered".
Was I sheltered some? Sure I was. I was not exposed to drugs, premarital sex, alchohol abuse etc. If you think that this isn't a problem, think again.
I think another reason for the demise of the "Christian" School is that now that a lot of parents went to those schools themselves knows how bad they can really be.
I played sports for a Christian school for 5 years and though I was able to find some good friends there, it wasn't all that much better than a public school in a southern "Bible belt" area.

Church schools in my experience have failed. They have done so ultimately because they have been out of sphere of authority given to them by God.

These are of course my experiences with them, I am sure there are people on here that will have better stories but I think that what I have said would be the norm.

 

Perhaps one of the main reasons why many Christian schools have failed was that very few ever had a SPECIFIC written mission statement that CLEARLY delineated to all parties concerned what each school saw as its purpose for whatever grade level(s) comprised that school and then either STUCK WITH that statement or revised it (coupled with their rationale for so doing) and then sufficiently PUBLICIZING such revision(s).

Moreover, if such a school is sponsored by a single local church, does the pastor have the unqualified support of the vast majority of the congregation who will invariably foot the bill(s) for a multitude of items that will not only require purchasing but also maintaining?

In far too many cases, several well-meaning pastors and/or congregrations never took the time to sit back and analyze such things.

IMO, the 1970's was a decade of a lot of what many now consider "Fundamentalist Fads." (No need to elaborate here on what they were or to classify their adherents.) Some of them have succeeded in some cases and are still vibrant today. On the other hand, well ......

If a Christian School is to be an educational rescue mission, then such needs to be clearly stated. If it is to be an academic oasis, that too should be stated. The faculty and staff must also be ABUNDANTLY QUALIFIED to serve in which ever type of school "the powers that be" determine that school should be. Believe me, there's a vast difference in the two!

Can a school manage to do both at the same time? Perhaps, but it's not very likely. For every example you can supply of how one school succeeded in doing one or the other (or both), you've already read the postings of how others were failures.

An 18-wheeler and a hybrid car do have some similarities, but the purpose for each is different and so are the qualifications necessary to drive each successfully.

 

Our Christian school shut down due to declining population, which is also the reason for the closing of our church about a year and a half later.

 

Oh I get it now!

Industrial Technology is what used to be called shop class?


Man! Am I out of tuoch or what???
In HIS service;
Jim

 

I would like to see scripture as to where we are to expose our children to the world so that they might be better prepared for the world. I hear this so much, but have not seen scripture to back it up.

Also, where in scripture are children to be evangelizing? I can't recall one time when a child, other than Jesus at the Temple, was out evangelizing the world. I would really like to see scripture on this. Don't get me wrong. I think it is wonderful to have our children witness to others and have the willingness to share their faith in Christ.

Are we not to train up children in the way they should go? Does that mean throwing them to the wolves?... and that is what we are doing when we send them to public schools.

I thought our public school was one of the very best morally with a wonderful staff--until I started teaching at the school and got to really know the whole spectrum of teachers that were influencing my children.

Thanks for any scripture provided regarding my questions.

 

My kids go to a Christian School, in my opinion, we do it right - although there is always room for improvement

We are now totally separate from the Church that started us. The school pays for itself with tuition dollars, other money that is raised goes into capital improvement etc. Because the school pays for itself with tuition, the academics, sports and other programs must be excellent to keep parents coming back. Our school is accredited by the local accrediting agencies, so our students are admitted to any university they qualify for. Of our graduating class of 35 last year, 100% went to college. We went to schools as diverse as the University of Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M, Lubbock Christian, Letourneau, Dallas Baptist, Texas Tech and Stanford

Our board stays out of the admistrations hair on day to day activites - and we have an excellent administration.

I admittiedly struggled with sending our kids to a Christian school, after all, I was a product of the public school and think I turned out ok (some differ on that opinion) But when I looked at the local alternative - I saw too many druggies, goths, and heard rumors of lesbian bathrooms. My kids were also interested in playing sports, I wanted them to have the opportunity to participate, but know they would never have the opportunity to start in a school of 2500 kids.

Until I have to write the check, I am happy with our decision, and am most happy with the friends my kids have made at thier Christian school. Mind you I dont have my head in the sand - we hear about some of the kids that drink, but we think our odds of the kids making better friends are much higher.

 

My son in law teaches at our Christian Academy. My grand daughter is in kindergarten there. The school had disbanded while the church went through a change of Pastors about 6 years ago, but now it is up and running again with 26 students. There are obvious problems, like not being able to pay good enough to lure teachers away from public school, but we have a retired teacher who was convicted and decided to come back; she is our principal, and an excellent one. I help with the music programs as a volunteer. I also teach piano lessons under the umbrella of the school.

Just thought I would throw that in...and yes, Pastors like to control everything since they are type A people, but thankfully, our Pastor only barges in once in a while, now that my son in law works there.

Debbie C