The “Tags” put on Christian Education

By Ron Van Der Pol

The Christian school seeks to impart a biblical world and life view, while providing academic excellence. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).  The foundation upon which an education system is based is therefore important.  Since our children spend a huge amount of their time in school, parents want their faith to be instilled in their children not just at home and in church but in the classroom too. Parents need to be confident that their children will receive an education that contains biblical training and centers on the sovereignty of God in and throughout every subject, elective, club, co-curricular, and extra curricular while providing an outstanding and rigorous academic program of preparation. The title, “Christian” evokes many ideas and reactions when linked to schooling.

How do we identify, put a value on, and even link ourselves with, Christian education? In a culture where we “tag” everything, here are three tags to consider:

The “Name Tag”

What is in a name?  The name “Christian” in Christian school stands out in a mighty yet, sometimes, precarious way.

The goal of Christian education is to guide children towards an understanding that God is sovereign and is at the center of every area of knowledge. Not only that, but Christian schools also strive to sharpen students biblical worldview while allowing God to mold their hearts in submission to Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in them, and equip them to be servants of Christ in the world.  It becomes essential for a Christian school to work along with the home and church to rear up a child in the knowledge of God and the truth of his Word.

When we see the title Christian in a school’s name, we often think, small, private, and even struggling.  It can be seen as precarious, especially in terms of budget and finances. Questions often come up such as, “how much will tuition increase next year?" Or, “will there be staff cuts?”  But there is so much more in the name Christian.  The word itself raises the banner of Christ. It symbolizes our devotion to him. In Christian education it represents a devotion to demonstrate Christ’s reign in every area of life to its students.

The “Price Tag”

There is no way to put a price tag on a child’s heart and mind or to calculate the worth of a young person. What's the value of a Christian education? Should we spend money today that we could earmark for college? Is a Christian school really worth its price tag? There is no doubt that meeting the high costs of tuition does stretch a family’s budget. Many of today’s Christian parents are more concerned with the value of their investment in the education of their children, and they want validation for their choice. Christian schools need to be more committed than ever to answer the question, ‘how do we know this is the right investment’? 

The “Hash” Tag

A hash tag is a keyword or phrase preceded by the hash symbol (#), that people include in their social media posts. Essentially, it makes the content of your post accessible to all people with similar interests, even if they’re not your followers or fans.  For instance, let’s say you’re a Christian school and want your audience to understand the importance of branding its message through the symbolism of its logo or mascot.  In the case of Sheboygan County Christian High School, the brand would be “Eagles”. A simple  “#scchseagles″ search on a social network will open a dedicated news feed with all SCCHS Eagles latest updates, news, and events for Sheboygan County Christian High School.

On a larger scale, what would be the hashtags that would identify the key components of Christian education? Would #christianeducation, #biblicalworldview, #teachingdiscernment, #biblicalfoundation, be some of the key hashtags that would link and distinquish Christian education and its important role? The benefits of a school that centers on, and teaches from, a biblical worldview, are numerous.  They are benefits that shape young people for a life of preparation and service to God in his kingdom. If you were to add more hashtags behind the words, “Christian education”, what would they be?

Let’s face it, we are in a society that puts name tags, price tags, and yes, even hash tags on so many things – even education.  How and what kind of tags will you put on Christian Education?

Ron Van Der Pol

Director of Marketing and Admissions

Sheboygan County Christian High School

The mission of Sheboygan County Christian High School is to work in conjunction with the Christian home to help students develop the biblical understanding, the tools, and the proper heart necessary to serve God in His world.