|
|
|
Educational Philosophy
and Goals of Neighborhood Christian School
The educational philosophy of Neighborhood Christian School is based on a
God–centered view of truth and man as presented in the Bible. Since God created and
sustains all things through His Son, Jesus Christ, the universe and all life are
dynamically related to God and have the purpose of glorifying Him. This especially is true
of man who was made in God's image, different in kind from all other creation, with the
unique capacity to know and respond to God personally and voluntarily. Because man is a
sinner by nature and choice, however, he cannot in this condition either know or honor God
in his life. He can do this only by being born again through receiving Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord, and thus be enabled to do God's will, the ultimate purpose of his life. |
The entire process of education is seen as a means used by the Holy Spirit
to bring the student into fellowship with God, to help him become mighty in the Spirit, to
assist him in developing a Christian mind, to enable him to think God's thoughts, and to
train him in Christlike character qualities so that he can fulfill God's total purpose for
his life personally and vocationally. He is taught the Bible so that he may understand God
as well as his own true nature and so that he may function as a whole person, spiritually,
mentally, physically, and socially. He is taught to see all truth as God's truth and to
integrate it with and interpret it by God's Word. He is educated as an individual with his
own unique abilities and personality who learns to live and work with others at home, in
the church and in a changing secular society. He interacts with and is taught by parent
and teacher models who are themselves born again and have this perspective on life.
The authority for such an education comes both from God's command that children be taught
to love God and place Him first in their lives and from the fact that parents are
responsible for the total education and training of their children. Working in cooperation
with the parents, Neighborhood Christian School becomes a partner in giving this
education.
From this philosophy stems the following goals of Neighborhood Christian School:
For the intellectual growth of the student, Neighborhood's goals are to:
- promote high academic standards within the potential of the individual as uniquely
created by God and to help the student realize his full academic potential;
- help the student communicate by teaching the fundamental processes of reading, writing,
speaking, listening, and mathematics;
- teach and encourage the use of good study habits;
- motivate the student to pursue independent studying areas of personal interest;
- develop creative and critical thinking and the proper use of Biblical criteria for
evaluation;
- develop good citizenship through developing understanding and appreciation of our
Christian and American heritage of responsible freedom, human dignity and acceptance of
authority;
- discuss current affairs in the various fields and relate them to God's plan for man;
- produce an understanding and appreciation for God's world, an awareness of man's role in
his environment and his God–given responsibilities to use and preserve it properly;
- engender an appreciation of the fine arts through the development of the student's
understanding and personal expression.
For the spiritual and moral growth of the student, Neighborhood's goals are to:
- teach the Bible as God's inspired Word and to develop attitudes of love and respect
toward it;
- teach a child to pray and grow in intimacy with Jesus Christ;
- lead the pupil to a decision of confessing Christ as Savior and Lord;
- develop a desire to know and obey the will of God daily;
- equip the student to carry out the will of God daily;
- impart an understanding of each Christian's place in the church;
- develop proper attitudes toward godliness and sin as they grow in the "fruit of the
Spirit";
- teach submission to authority;
- encourage the development of self-discipline and responsibility;
- help the student develop for himself a Christian world view by integrating life and
studies with the Bible; and
- teach the basic doctrines of the Bible (see our Statement of Faith).
For the personal and social development of the student, Neighborhood's goals
are to:
- help the student develop his personality by accepting himself as a unique individual
created in the image of God and by developing his own capabilities;
- teach the student to treat everyone with love and respect since they, too, are made in
God's image;
- make the student a contributing member of his society;
- promote responsible understanding of time as a God-given commodity;
- show a realistic and Biblical view of life and work and provide skills both for personal
relationships and for future endeavors;
- develop both good and proper attitudes toward marriage and the family and also the
understanding and skills needed to establish God–honoring homes;
- promote physical fitness, good health habits, and wise use of the body as the temple of
God;
- impart a Biblical attitude toward material things and to encourage students to use them
for God's glory.
For working with the family of the student, Neighborhood's goals are to:
- cooperate closely with the parents in each phase of the student's development,
especially as it relates to Neighborhood's school program;
- help the parents understand the school's purpose and program;
- aid the family in Christian growth and help in the development of a Christ–centered
home;
- assist parents in keeping up with the changing culture and its effects on the home and
implications for their children;
- encourage regular attendance and involvement in a local church as a way to honor God and
experience Christian growth and fellowship.
|
|
|
|
|
|
