Why Choose Christian Education?

/ Frederick Christian Academy/

The last full week of January is designated as National School Choice Week (NSCW) across America. Frederick Christian Academy has proudly supported NSCW (https://schoolchoiceweek.com/) and in 2022 even participated in their annual NSCW video along with at least 49 other schools from across the nation. But why is it that school choice is so important to me, to Frederick Christian Academy, and should be for all parents, especially Christian parents? As with all things let’s start with the biblical mandate for education.

While God’s Word does not mandate which subjects we ought to be teaching our children in order for them to obtain the “American Dream”, it does have a bit to say regarding the education of the next generation. The two most well-known verses are Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6.

Ephesians 6:4 – “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

While Ephesians 6:4 directly speaks to fathers as the head of the home, it is really written to all parents. Paul reminds parents that their God-given parental duty is to mentor, counsel, and encourage their children in the ways of the Lord. However, Proverbs 22:6 broadens this concept to include anyone who has the opportunity to educate a child. While the God-given mandate for education is on parents, all who participate in the education of children need to ensure that students are taught and trained “in the way that [they] should go.” But what are the ways in which all students should be trained? Here are two of them:

1.       Love God – The most important part of a child’s education is that they learn to love their Savior. In Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Moses lays out this mandate for all that are a part of the family of God.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

It is imperative that we diligently take every opportunity possible to teach our children to love God all the time and to all the time love God.

2.       Live Like Christ – Not much is said in the gospels about Jesus’s childhood. Luke, though, summarizes His childhood in one verse, and it’s a verse we need to pay attention to.

Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Just as Jesus developed in four different areas, it is important that our children are taught and trained to also develop in these four areas.

  • Students need to learn to be wise. Wisdom requires a base level of knowledge along with a degree of understanding that allows them to wisely use the information in both familiar and new contexts.

  • Students need to grow in their stature. Stature carries the idea of both physical growth and character growth, and both of these areas are important in a student’s education. Students must have both their physical bodies and their character honed and developed.

  • Students need to grow socially. Luke mentions that Jesus grew in favor with man. The next generation needs to be trained on how to appropriately interact and communicate with the world around them.

  • Students need to grow spiritually. Luke reiterates what Moses commanded in Deuteronomy 6. Our students need to be brought up to Follow Christ Always!

Education is all about looking to the future. While it is tough to truly consider life after graduation while our kids are in kindergarten, elementary, or even in middle school, we all know that the purpose of an educational institution is to prepare students for life after high school. This is why school choice is so important. Parents deserve to have options so that their children can be taught in the way that they feel best prepares their children for adulthood. Frederick Christian Academy desires to assist parents in educating their children in accordance with Biblical principles by providing high quality spiritual and academic programs while encouraging students to live Christ-centered lives. If that resonates with you, then I encourage you to consider Frederick Christian Academy as your option of choice.