Foundations
Every successful organization must have a purpose for existing or it will eventually face a crisis that will cause it to go extinct. Organizations are often founded on enthusiasm for an idea, or project, yet without a strong foundation that will stand the test of time. For the benefit of our families, in the next few editions of the Eagle Flyer, I am going to review the documents and the philosophy that make up the foundation of Grace Academy. The foundation is formed from the Bible, our Statement of Faith (along with the complete doctrinal statement), our IMPACT statement, and our Expected Student Outcomes (ESO). To be clear, the IMPACT statement and ESOs are not stand-alone documents, they are rooted in the Bible.
It might seem obvious that a Christian organization such as Grace Academy would have the Bible as its foundation. If this were true, then there would not be so many schools that were established on Christian principles that are now Christian in name only. Over time, almost all schools drift from their allegiance to the Bible by promoting principles that appeal to more people yet compromise biblical truth. Few actually renounce the Bible, instead, they undermine it.
We are faithful to the Bible because it gives us the thoughts of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. In the opening pages of the Bible, we learn of God’s creation of the world and how its perfection was ruined through Adam’s sin. The remainder of the Bible is the story of getting back to perfection, though it will be better because of the painful work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to win the salvation of God’s people. In this long narrative that covers the arc of history from beginning to end, we find the reason to have a church that establishes a Christian school.
We have a Christian school so that following generations can know what the Bible teaches, what the Bible says about mankind, and what principles govern the world. Our teachers instruct students in the Bible at every level to form a Christian worldview so that they will be able to explain the difference from a secular worldview. We also want our students to know what God thinks of sin and how people should respond to it. God seeks followers who will worship Him now and forever. The creation leads us to worship the Creator, and we need the Bible to discover this truth. Everyone must personally respond to this fact that affects their eternal destiny. Finally, the Bible gives us the principles that govern the world. These principles take up the majority of the school day as students receive instruction in science, social studies, math, English, and a number of other subjects. We do not just teach facts, we teach from the perspective of the Bible.
There are many reasons to establish a school and the Bible is not a necessary foundation. There are many schools that exist without mentioning the Bible at all, or if they do, it is only as an item in the literature department. We share many similarities with these schools because our activities and practices are the same, but in the end we will be distinct because of our biblical foundation.
