Why Christian Education

Abraham Lincoln famously said, "The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next." Martin Luther, centuries earlier, wrote: "I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not unceasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt."

Both of these men correctly understood that education is more than the passing on of knowledge through academic instruction.  Education has to do with the whole child, including the knowledge they acquire and the character that results from that process.  The education students receive today will ultimately impact not only their future, but that of the culture they inherit. 

Jesus had something to say about the education process as well. “A student is not better than the teacher, but the student who has been fully trained will be like the teacher.” (Luke 6:40 NCV) Not only is the content of what is taught important to the education process, but the one who is teaching the content is of paramount importance. Students who have been “fully trained will be like their teacher.” Having Christian role models who teach your children and support the core values of parents will help ensure that students embrace those values, rather than the secular values of the culture at large. 

Parents are ultimately responsible for the education and values passed on to their children.  In Deuteronomy 6, God instructed the Israelite parents: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. And Paul, writing to the Church at Ephesus, said: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV)

At Berean Academy, we are committed to educating the whole child, impacting the head, heart, and hands of our students. Our core values include academic excellence, a biblical worldview, and Christ-like character. It also includes a “partnership” with the home and local church. When the home, school, and church are all teaching the same core values and principles, it creates clarity and continuity that students need to mature and grow.

David Funk

Head of School