Christian children in Public Schools

I prayed and prayed until God gave me my answer. My answer was to keep my children in public school for now.
My son is an intrevert (if I spelled that correctly), plus he is very visual. He is raised at home by us "the parents" to teach him about the Lord. We talk honestly and openly with him as well as our daughter. They both have chores around the house before and after school too, and they are both A-B honor roll students. They are both active inside and outside the house with our church and sports. We do daily family devotions and they do their children devotions together, they also do them alone. We always put God above all else, then family, then friends. They talk about their days with us, and we have had many past discussions about many things such as the "world being millions of years old", well we tell them what we know, and ask them to have the Lord lead them. They both do a quiet grace at lunch time at school. My son always says he just laughs at what the teachers have said sometimes, and he takes the test, but tells us that their wrong, and that he knows that. As I said we put God first, and I was thinking about home school, but it is just not the right time. They are wonderful children, and God has truly blessed us by allowing us to raise them. It is our responsibility to make sure that they are raised for God not anyone else. We spend the majority of time at our church and with our church family as well as teaching each other. Both our children know the Lord, and they both have a very close relationship with him. My son was saved just over 2 years ago, and my daughter is asking a lot of questions about salvation etc.,
When they bring something home regarding a certain subject (I check their work) we discuss it and pray about it together. You see I don't claim to know all the answers, but we work together as a family, and our job is to raise them for God and give them a solid foundation. Which hopefully will in turn follow them as an adult.

 

Dear Seekohana,
I applaud your efforts to teach your children while they are in your presence. But, consider that they are at public school for many more waking hours than you have them. The Lord is not honored in most public schools. Of course, what you do is between you, your husband and Jesus. But, I just ask you as a sister in Christ to consider what they do learn in the many hours they are there in the school.

HCL

 

I definitley think there is no absolute right/wrong answer to this question.
But, from my experience, and that of my 2 younger sisters--here is my input--
We all went to private, Christian school until 10th grade, then we switched to public--
All of us would tell you that in the years between 10-12 grade, our faith grew more in public schools than in Christian school. Yes, we faced temptations, and adversity, but we let God use that to increase our faith and take Jesus to a lost public high school. I think if my kids are walking strong with God, that placing them in public schools may help others come to know Jesus. Most are saved before age 17, statistically, and God calls each and every one of His children to the mission field. "The Harvest is plentiful and the workers are few." Its hard to reap a harvest if you are not amoungst those who need "harvesting".

 

Abbey,
That is wonderful that you and your your sister grew spiritually and were able to witness as teens in public school. But, that is not the way it works all the time. And we must consider too that a five year old or even a ten year old does not have enough maturity to stand up to a homosexual teacher or a bully who tells them they cannot talk about Jesus.
That is why homeschooling is so important to the development of a child. There they can be discipled by those who are, hopefully more wise than they and learn from them how to do everything from witness, to defending the faith, to doing their banking. Discipling has always been God's way. Jesus did not send his disciples off the a few classes. He lived with them, ate with, even slept near them as evidenced in the Garden of Gethsemane.

HCL

 

Let me inform you that I prayed and prayed until I got my answer from God, and he wants the children to be in public school right now, I'm not saying that it is forever, but for now God answered my prayers and I must obey. It doesn't mean that I fully understand, but I must obey his word.
Also, my children go to school on a military installation in Hawaii, and they go to school from 8am to 2pm and on Wednesdays they go from 8am to 1:15pm. We pray in the morning, they pray at lunchtime (my children are 11 and 8), they pray when they get home, when we go to church. They do Patch the Pirate every night along with their childrens devotion every night. We do a family devotion every night too. We discuss the bible, learn, and spend just as much quality time as someone who would be home schooling in most cases. I'm sure there will be a debate. I am doing as God tells me to do, and I will not because you may think it is wrong disobey him. Also, my children will debate, and discuss with their teachers and us when things come up that are not what they know to be true. We watch many different videos a few being my children know about dinosaurs, and how the earth is not millions of years old. For example my son had to do a paper on evolution etc., and at the end of his paper he stated that this information is from school text and it is not true to his beliefs. The teacher still graded him with an A for his work, and also commented on what he said, she was proud of him for standing firm on his beliefs. They are strong in the Lord, and right now my son even has been taking a friend from school to church with us. He is going to our revival with us. My daughter is asking many questions about salvation etc., We raise them with and hopefully the way God would want us to. We make mistakes along the way, but we as parents also let them know that we make mistakes. My son also prayed about being homeschooled, and he said God told him not now stay where you are. Obviously God has a reason to have them in public school. Afterall God uses children too.

 

I go to a Christian school now, but all my life I have gone to public school. I am going to be a sophmore this coming year. I got saved during my 6th grade year and since that time, I began wearing skirts and people notice stuff like that. Little things like that give the more richer and classier people more things to nag at me about. I was always teased in school because I did not fit in right. I am working my way through private chrisian school on work scholarship, and believe me, it is worth it. The high schools now a days are so bad. The things people talk about and do is ridiculous. It is hard for a kid to be going to a public school and trying to keep a good testimony for the Lord while trying to have at least some "good" friends. ALl I am saying is that for me at least, the higher kids get in grades the more peer pressure and everything is going to come upon our shoulders to try and do drugs, hang out with the wrong crowd, etc. The devil works at kids in public schools.

 

It's statements like that that gets public school defenders upset...

public school teaches things that homeschool normally cant. Like group projects...

and how to shine a light in the world of darkness.

shield your children if you want... but I'm telling you... it's unavoidable... and even Christian Colleges can be a new experience...

I'm speaking as a teen who is home and public schooled... and when the time comes for me to have children of my own they WILL take classes at the local school(s) because I feel it's a nessecity.