Grace Christian School

The Grace Christian School Philosophy. The philosophy of education at Grace Christian School includes five key pillars which support the overarching methodologies for everything we do. Those pillars are: (a) the supremacy of Christ (b) the learners need for a relationship with God © the primacy of the parent-child relationship (d) the commitment to a non-denominational evangelical theology and (e) the importance of an excellent education.

The Supremacy of Christ. We believe that all education must start with the acknowledgement that Jesus is the unique Son of God and is Lord of all. The book of Colossians informs us that Jesus is the head of everything and that in Him all things hold together. With this understanding we approach every subject matter with the foundational belief that the integration of faith and learning is not something we do but something we discover. Jesus is already present within the subject matter; it is our duty to seek Him out.

The Learners Need for a Relationship with God. Humankind was made in Gods image different in kind from all other creation with the unique capacity to know and respond to God personally and voluntarily. However because people are sinners by nature and choice they cannot in this condition enter into fellowship with God. As a result the entire process of education is seen as a means used by the Holy Spirit to bring the student into a personal relationship with God to help him become strong or mighty in the spirit to enable the learner to think Biblically and to train him in Christ-likeness. To this end the learner will be equipped to fulfill Gods total purpose for his or her life personally and vocationally.

The Primacy of the Parent-Child Relationship. The book of Deuteronomy establishes parents as the primary educators of their children. In the educational process after our relationship with Christ there is no more important relationship than that between parent and child. It is improper for the school to usurp the role of the parent in the education of the child. As a result we seek to partner with the parent and walk alongside the parent during the education of their children.

The Commitment to a Non-denominational Evangelical Theology. God has called Grace Christian to be a school and not a church. We believe that the church has an important role in the spiritual formation of a child and the Lord has given GCS a separate function in that development. We seek to provide a solid Biblical foundation for our students that will support the ministry and goals of many evangelical churches throughout Southwest Michigan. We seek to respect the denominational beliefs of the various churches represented in our school while holding strong to the inerrant Word of God as our guide through life. At the same time we hold to an unapologetic evangelical theology which believes in the necessity of spiritual regeneration by grace through faith in Christ alone. To this end we present the gospel message to our students giving each one an opportunity to receive Christ as his or her Savior and also provide opportunities for others to grow deeper in their faith.

The Importance of an Excellent Education. The mission of Grace Christian School is to inspire students to impact the world for Jesus Christ through an excellent educational experience from a Biblical worldview. Our students will be best able to impact the world for Jesus Christ when they have a well developed Christian worldview and are fully equipped academically as life long learners. We seek to hire excellent teachers create a challenging curriculum and utilize the finest textbooks in order to prepare our students for the next step in their educational path. We believe that excellence is not a destination but a journey. As a school we endeavor to improve our instructional program in order to pursue excellence..

The Grace Christian School Concept. We believe that when the home church and school are working together centered on the person of Christ we see the best possible educational outcomes for our students.