What a great mission, to know that you are called to be a teacher, especially in a Christian school.

Remember this, when you stand in front of your students, at that moment in time you are the most important person in their lives. Your actions, attitudes and words can have an amazing impact on their lives.

The responsibility that comes with the designation TEACHER can be a burden… or a passion! In a Christian school especially, that passion as God’s messenger can have eternal consequences.

Your students will leave your classroom and get on with the rest of life.

When they leave, they will take part of you with them.

Will that part of you…

* direct them to God?
* encourage them to excel?
* impassion them to mission?

You do get it, don’t you?

All this God-stuff puts an amazing and awesome impetus on teaching in a Christian school. Or at least it should.

We must not be content with being “as good as the public school.” We must transcend that measuring stick and create one of our own.

It is extremely critical that we grab hold of the idea that we “are more than conquerors.”

We cannot become content with apathy, for a growing apathy diminishes the ability to think critically. Once our critical thinking becomes moldy with apathy, we run the extreme risk of becoming apathetic towards God.

That’s why we have entered this profession called teaching. Our passion is to help achieve a sense of radical excellence that makes Christian school educators unique in the world of learning and leading.

It is our passion to help those in Christian schools to catch the vision of what it will take to set a standard rather than reach a secular standard that has been shown repeatedly to be infused with fatal flaws.

To create our own unique identity in the world of learning, we need to focus on some rather foundational items.

* seek radical excellence by returning to traditional values
* develop outstanding leadership that is infused with courageous vision
* create schools that are sharply focused on and committed to scripturally based mission statements

Speaking of passion, three teachers with over sixty years of combined service in several Christian schools nationwide, both as classroom teachers and administrators, have reached one inescapable conclusion.

We have begun a journey towards creating a national movement that promotes a system of excellence, possesses a unique identity and encourages mission-focused operation. This growing action MUST be ignited and fueled by teachers and administrators who develop a genuinely professional dialogue system that works.

To that end, we are encouraging Christian teachers to join us in developing a national forum of communication that will eventually enable us to create a local voice that is respected and listened to. You can read more about our efforts by checking out the site noted in my author bio and reading a document called “The PACT Report” that develops the concept of a Professional Association of Christian Teachers.

So the charge is simple.

Keep the Faith, Fight the Fight.

John Hitchcock is enthusiastically involved in his forty-fifth year in classrooms, both in New York State and California. Half his career has been in Christian Schools and the other half in Public Schools. He is also an adjunct professor in a four-year university.

Read more about his personal and corporate mission to raise the “learning level” of students to a point of Radical Excellence by returning to the use of Traditional Values. Discover practical methods for doing this at http://education-for-excellence.com

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Are you a Christian and wondering if home schooling is right for you? Well consider this. If being in a world where displaying your religious preference in public schools is becoming less tolerated is something that bothers you, Christian home schooling is a good alternative. It presents an opportunity for you to incorporate learning about the Bible and God within your daily lessons.

However, this may not be enough of a reason to home school your children. A disadvantage is that it may shelter them from interacting socially with children their own age. Being around non-Christians is also a great way to teach a child tolerance. Also, there are Christian schools that incorporate Christian teachings within their curriculum. However, tuition to a private school is not always affordable. This makes Christian home schooling a logical option.

There are other reasons to home school. Some public schools may be located in areas that are unsafe. If you are a Christian missionary, it doesn’t always make sense to split up your family, especially if you need to move to a foreign country. You may also be in the military and need to move once or twice a year. Changing schools constantly can be traumatic to a child.

If you decide to home school your children, there are a lot of Christian home schooling support groups that can help you choose a good curriculum and offer other forms of support. Some encourage socializing, while others support you emotionally. You can find Christian home schooling support groups online, or you can ask some local churches.

Home Schooling provides detailed information on Home Schooling, Home Schooling Curriculums, Christian Home Schooling, Home Schooling Online and more. Home Schooling is affiliated with Online Distance Education.

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Christian boarding schools encourage learning through a Biblical life skills curriculum, biblical guidance, church attendance, home discipleship courses, devotion times and community living. Students are taught various aspects of life like forgiveness, leadership, money management, failure management, adherence to truth, self-value, boundaries and respect, mood management, self-control, time management, authority and various issues that relate to dating, sex and marriage.

Children, who have learning disabilities receiving treatment by individual therapists, group family therapy, integrated education and treatment and round-the-clock supervision. They also provide several recreational activities like horseback riding, sports and games. Teaching students to make the right choices in life led by spirituality and religion is the aim of Christian boarding schools.

There are also Christian boarding schools meant for troubled kids. These schools deal with children who come from troubled homes or have gotten into trouble using alcohol and/or drugs. They are also special boarding schools for children with eating disorders, violence/bullying, teen pregnancy or oppositional defiant disorders. They them help these children to overcome problems like ADHD, depression, stress, learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obesity, and more. Special needs boarding schools offer secure environments that foster positive attitude and therapies that include counseling for the entire family. With smaller student-teacher ratios of 10:1, they ensure compliance with accreditations from organizations like the Association of Christian Schools International, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) or the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation.

Boarding Schools provides detailed information on Boarding Schools, Boarding Schools For Troubled Teens, Boys’ Boarding Schools, Christian Boarding Schools and more. Boarding Schools is affiliated with Military High Schools [http://www.e-MilitarySchools.com].

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Many people erroneously assume that if they are not a Christian that they can not attend a Christian school. Or, that you can’t attend a Christian school of another denomination. This is entirely untrue. Most, if not all, Christian schools accept students of all faiths and beliefs. Some schools may require that you attend a church on a regular basis or attend a church of the same faith. However, most Christian schools only require that you have the same or similar Christian beliefs that they do.

Christian schools are typically priced a little lower than other private schools since they usually are supported by a local church and consider their schools a part of their outreach ministry. Most also offer financial aid to help those who might not otherwise be able to afford private school.

One thing your child will get at a Christian school is an excellent education. Christian schools are held to the same standards as public schools so the classroom time is very similar to public schools. However, Christian schools will also have Bible teaching as part of their curriculum. But you will also find English, Math, Science, Art, Social Studies, History, Home Economics, and other classes that your public school offers. They will also offer many of the same sports such as basketball, field hockey, soccer, track and field and others.

Attending a Christian school is like attending a public school with the added benefit of having Bible teaching. Also, since it is a private school, the class sizes may be smaller and the teaching may be better for this reason. And since Christian schools are run with Biblical principles, discipline problems may be lesser.

Dean Novosat offers information about religious and Christian schools at http://www.godacademy.com
Godacademycom.

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The intention of this article is to offer what I hope will provide a fresh perspective regarding the choice between a Christian college and a secular college.

I’m confident that important characteristics such as academic excellence, internships, school size, location, career opportunities, quality of faculty, variety of programs, extra-curricular activities, etc. can be found at both secular and Christian schools across the country. With that being said, why then should one consider enrolling at a Christian college?

According to the US Department of Education, one group of Christian colleges, CCCU schools, grew over 70% from 1990 to 2004. During that same period of time, all independent four year schools grew 28%, while public four year institutions grew only about 13%. These statistics reveal that there must be something “different” about Christian colleges. I believe this difference can be primarily attributed to the environment, and it is this difference that provides the most compelling reason to enroll at a Christian college.

If you’ve been following higher education in the media over the past couple of years, you’ve likely heard some alarming news from both state and private secular institutions. I believe most people would agree that institutions of higher education in the US have promoted themselves as places of respect, tolerance and diversity. The irony is that there seems to be an ever growing intolerance for diversity in regards to issues of faith, values and even politics in higher education.

Consider the following statement:

At secular schools across the country, people of faith are often not respected and even ridiculed for their beliefs. You may be surprised to learn that I generally don’t believe this statement to be true, nor do I believe this attitude would be allowed at secular schools in this country. However, adding a single word to this statement dramatically changes both the meaning and the accuracy of the statement:

At secular schools across the country, people of Christian faith are often not respected and even ridiculed for their beliefs. If you disagree with this statement, I challenge you to ask a few committed Christians attending secular schools how their professors and classmates view their faith.

While there likely are exceptions to this rule, if you’re considering the difference between a secular and Christian school, the intolerance toward Christian values on secular campuses is an essential issue to consider.

Most fair minded people would agree that the environment where one lives has an affect on that individual. In 1994 a study was conducted that showed that approximately 52% of students who attended public institutions either no longer called themselves “born again” or had not attended a religious service of any kind in over a year. This study was done over ten years ago. One wonders what this figure would look like today.

A traditional college age student begins their collegiate career at about 18 years old. For a student from a Christian home, there are two sets of beliefs that the student likely takes with them that are particularly pertinent:

The student’s Christian faith/values Respect for those in authority While it may be argued that secular schools challenge these beliefs overtly, the greater challenge for the Christian student may be the unexpected collision of these two principles.

For 18 years, most students in this group have a basic and appropriate trust of those in authority over them. Their experience has demonstrated that the vast majority of people in authority positions have their best interest at heart – parents, pastors and even teachers. So what happens when authority figures suddenly have a very different set of values than the students, or even a completely different agenda? While the student has learned the importance of respecting those in authority, that authority figure may be the very person ridiculing the student’s faith, values and worldview. Perhaps this represents one reason why the above study discovered such a large number of students “walking away” from their faith.

Does this mean that if you’re a Christian who attends a secular college, you will turn your back on your faith? Of course not. However, the issue is more personal than statistics and generalities. The real issue is whether or not a Christian college is the best choice for you. While it’s important to consider Christian colleges for what they offer, it’s also crucial to make an honest comparison to the alternative – a secular campus environment.

Some may think that Christian colleges merely offer a “safe haven”, a place that is separated from the “challenges” in the world. I believe this view is unrealistic and flawed. It is disingenuous to think that there are not challenges to overcome at a Christian college in terms of faith, lifestyle, and ethical choices. However, generally speaking, the faculty, staff and students within a Christian college environment are concerned with seeing the student develop in all areas of life.

A Christian college offers more than just the “addition” of Christian beliefs to the educational experience. Christian faith is not merely an “extra” at Christian colleges, it is a critical element woven into the fabric of the college experience. The Christian dynamic is evident not just in chapel or a Sunday service, but also during pizza in the dorm at midnight, during an honest debate over moral and theological principles in the dining hall, and during a discussion of ethics in regards to career and family. The Christian component is noticeable in the classroom, but it is not limited by those walls. I believe this is the real difference of a Christian college environment, as well as a key reason why there has been such tremendous growth at Christian colleges. It is Christian colleges that must encourage true tolerance, respect and diversity, as these are essential principles within Christianity.

Christian colleges offer much more than a “safe haven”, they offer life preparation. Christian campuses should not be viewed as an opportunity to avoid the world, but rather as an opportunity to influence the world. The years spent within a Christian college environment can aid the student’s ability to serve, thrive, and become a modern day follower of Jesus Christ – regardless of their profession. Christian colleges are in a unique position to honestly address the spiritual and moral issues that people of every age face every day. People can spend years in training for their chosen profession, sport, and hobbies. Christian colleges can offer all of those opportunities, but within a Christian context where the student becomes more prepared to impact and live within our world.

Attending a Christian college means you don’t have to settle for only part of the educational experience.

Thom Seagren is president of The Christian Connector a Christian college information resource. The Christian Connector lets you select from over 100 Christian colleges that will send you free information, and awards a $2,500 Christian college scholarship each year.

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