Building a Virtual Christian Academy
If one were starting (from scratch) a brand new Christian School, what would be the top priorities in its formation? What have DC Alumni gleaned from life and from their experiences all around the world, that could benefit a Christian institution right now? What failures have you seen in your own local schools and what significant improvements have they made? What was done well / poorly during your days at DCHS - and what could still have an impact on students today? What things work well in the business world, the university level, or your church community that might translate into the classrooms or to the administration of a Christian School in 2012?
There are no right or wrong answers here - just thought it would be a fun, lively and insightful discussion topic! And I also thought it would be very cool to draw from the collective wisdom of our sagely alumni family... Who knows, your best suggestions might actually be stepping-stones to real, positive changes in the world of Christian education tomorrow! We welcome your thoughts, comments and awesome ideas!
35 years ago I walked out of Dayton Christian High School for the last time, never to return to the school on the hill. I think it was symbolically fitting that DCHS was located on a hill, from which, especially during the winter from the top floors, the panoramic view of the Gem City could be seen.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, a Christian school should be that light upon a hill, clearly seen and an ever present institution impacting not only those within its halls, but all those within its light…
As far as providing the basics of elementary and high school education, that will be the simplest task. Dayton Christian was always good at that task, but so are a lot of schools. It is not the quality of the education that should be the main goal of Christian education.
Christian education should be viewed as a partnership of the parent, church and school, raising children who,
1. Come to a personal relationship with the Lord.
2. Grow in that relationship with a knowledge of the Word, sure of the doctrines and foundations of that faith and able to defend their faith against the attacks that come.
3. Develop a world view that is guided by that faith so that all that they do, every decision made as they go through life is made in light of that world view.
A frightening statistic today is the percentage of young people who have “abandoned their faith” by their early 20’s. We see it all around us, and you can look back even at the classes from 30 + years ago. How many of the graduates from DCHS are still walking in a close relationship with the Lord, having raised another generation of children who also love and walk with the Lord.
The goal of DCHS should be to develop partnerships with parents and churches where this becomes the goal in every life they touch. When this happens, then the influence of the “graduates” of DCHS will make a bigger and bigger influence in the families, workplaces, communities where that graduate goes, no matter where in the world that may be.
I so agree with Mark! He completely put into words what I think is also important. I cannot really add anything but will expound on my two words.
ReplyDeleteI see in our Christian institutions, churches and schools a need to meet people where they are in life. Sometimes we are all over the ones who appear to have it all together and neglect the ones who seem to be in crisis or may not to appear to have it altogether. And we are even guilty of doing this to the children of those who may be in crisis. We need, as Christians to become more like Jesus and His attitude towards others. We are all the same in His eyes. Instead of shunning or neglecting those in crisis or the ones who do not seem to have it altogether, we need to be embracing them. We need to be wrapping ourselves around them and walking with them.
Compassion,is the key word in Christianity. Authentic. Real. I spent hours talking with my children about the realness of Christianity. The youth are looking and searching for realness maybe that's why many are falling by the wayside. We need to live by what we speak and teach. If we speak of Love and in the next breath make a racist joke, is this showing Love? If we speak about respect but in the next breath condemn and disrespect our brother, is this showing respect?
To build a "perfect school" in my opinion these two key words must be in place and being incorporated into the philosophy of the schools foundation. Clicks should not exist nor bullying. Never be tolerated. If the school incorporates the philosophy of Marks words and add these two key words, a perfect school could be built.
If I've learned anything in life, it is how important relationships are to all of us. More focus on developing relationships needs to be the better part of the spiritual aspect of Christian education. Your relationship with your Creator, your parents, your fellow classmates, your siblings/family, relationships in business, in dating, in everything you do... it's about building those relationships on the reality of what they are meant to be.
ReplyDeleteOut of respect for those relationships, we are able to find where we fit in them. It wasn't until about 10 years ago I learned that Jesus Christ was not only holy and revered, but closer than that - He was my Friend!
I think we need to bury future failures in relating to others by honoring the teachings of Our Savior in healthy relationships where we live up to the responsibilities we have to love one another. As that love becomes real to even just an acquaintance, we draw others to HIM!
Obviously the Bible is foundational... But what individual tenents should one draw upon when considering this question? I don't dispute that there are many excellent reference points regarding the raising and education of children in scripture. But for the sake of this discussion, it would be great to solicit more concrete and specific suggestions, a creative "wish-list" and practical applications.
ReplyDeleteI guess that as you begin to consider the subject more deeply, the challenges (and the diversity of thought that can be found in the world of Christian Education today) become a little more apparent...
Unencumbered by finances, norms, geography, denomination, history, constraints, politics, etcetera - are there some ideals to which a school could aspire? It would be interesting to explore!
A strong focus on apologetics during the middle school and ESPECIALLY the high school years is a necessity in my mind. I can't tell you how many times I reflected on Mr. Pyles 12th grade Bible class when defending why I believe what I believe. But it can have a stronger impact if the students' congregations are doing something similar. I know DCS does its best to keep congregations informed and engaged in the curriculum, but I would hope that a new school would explore new and more effective ways to do this.
ReplyDeleteAs a college Business professor, the issue of ethics and personal responsibility is paramount in my students' understanding of the business world. However, many of them fail to see a connection between their behaviors (e.g., illegal music and movie downloading, cheating in school, lying, plagerism) and unethical workplace behaviors.
They have limited practice (and sometimes ability) in looking at life through another's perspective and many fail to see their role in society's ills and God's plan.
I also believe many young people are easily disconnected from Christianity because we (adults) have not done an effective job in teaching them empathy and personal responsibility.
Based on the above, I would suggest having more opportunities for personal application and having in-depth (non-political) discussions on current social problems as a first step towards helping high school students see how everyday choices impact the world, their future careers, and the furthering of Christ in the world.
Thank you for offering such a stimulating topic for discussion. I have more to say but will spare everyone for now!
One thing that was definitely right was the faculty starting the day out with prayer and worship. The focus so frequently over the years of looking to the Lord for our needs and for wisdom and help was blessed by Him over the years.
ReplyDeleteSome of the Spiritual emphasis days were great times of growing both individually and as a group.
Students commented so many times how they appreciated classes starting out with a devotion, prayer, and sometimes a song.
Scripture memory program is good. The Holy Spirit has used the verses that I memorized with the students many times over the years. Hiding God's Word in our hearts is always blessed in the long run!
For me, the "perfect" Christian academy, would have a strong and balanced education. Teaching Christian values & principles would start off each morning, followed by high quality courses taught by the best teachers in each field.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I took AP classes at DCS and did very well in my courses, the transition to college was brutal. I was not as prepared as most of the other students in my college courses and ended up taking a lot of remedial courses (in math & science) to get myself up to where I needed to be.
DCS was excellent in providing spiritual guidance. A "perfect" Christian academy would also provide exceptional career or educational guidance to prepare the students for what comes next. And, we would end each day with a time of praise for what we had been given that day.
A study conducted in 2011 by the Barna Group showed that "84% of Christian 18 to 29 year-olds admit that they have no idea how the Bible applies to their field or professional interests". A more troubling statistic relates that "59% of young Christians disconnect either permanently or for an extended period of time from church life after age 15".
ReplyDeleteIs there anything that our "Virtual Christian Academy" could do to help reverse these trends?