Creativity is the phenomenon of transforming something out of nothing or something into something wholly other than. God’s educators have at their disposal the most transformative power in all of creation—the agape love of God. It is the reason the scripture says that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. They are created anew because of God’s unconditional acceptance. Such acceptance results in creative transformation. Read more
On several occasions when Jesus acted on behalf of those in need the scriptures state that His acts were precipitated by “compassion.” The Greek word for compassion is splagchnízomai derived from splágchnon which is often translated “bowel.” It means to feel deeply from within. This word was also used to describe the motivation of a Samaritan when he came upon a person who was left in a debilitating condition by others. Read more
It is possible, as evidenced in God’s word, for religious organizations to be institutionally profitable and missionally poor. This happens when the means by which organizations exist take precedence over the ends for which they exist. It is the essence of institutionalism. Like all institutions, religious ones are prone to allowing the well-being of the institutions (the means) to supplant the well-being of people for whom they are established (the ends). Read more
The word that’s translated “Christian” appears three times in the Bible beginning in Acts 11:26.
And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
In Antioch, the followers of Christ were distinguished from other followers (disciples) with the more definitive term “Christian.” A person’s followers or students were their disciples. For example:
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” (Mark 2:18) Read more
The account of the temptations of Jesus by Satan contains a claim by him to having all authority which Jesus did not deny.
And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:6 NKJV) Read more
A Persistent Need
There are millions of school-age children in this nation and around the world who are academically disenfranchised, culturally diverse and disesteemed, and economically disadvantaged. The persistent challenge is how to effectively educate a child who:
We call them A.C.E. children for short. Education is the greatest hope for an effective and successful life for these A.C.E. children, yet most do not learn well in the schools they attend. This is true even though many A.C.E. students are in well-resourced schools with highly qualified educators utilizing proven pedagogical practices. For several decades, billions of dollars and multiple school reform efforts have failed to improve the plight of A.C.E. children.
My vision is such that I must wear corrective lens to see clearly. With my natural eyes, I can see but everything is blurred. I must wear corrective lens to see clearly. By the same token, with their natural eyes, educators can see the children they teach but they are out of focus—a blur.
To see the child clearly, an educator needs to put on God’s corrective lens. God’s lens, however, are not designed for the eyes that are in the head but for the eyes of the heart.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened… (Ephesians 1:17 NIV)
When children are seen through the eyes of the heart they come into clear focus Read more
Simply put, the more resources available to a child, the more assets a child has for productivity. Resources are like capital gains. Low-resourced children possess very few of the capital assets necessary for being productive. As a result, a quality education which historically represented the way out of poverty has all but eluded them. An education that should hold out the hope of attainment for low-resource children often becomes an instrument of containment to a life of poverty. They are often locked in at the bottom with little to no hope of acquiring the capital necessary to be the productive and resourceful individuals they can be.
It is relatively easy and natural to celebrate successes and victories whether in education or life accomplishments. It is more challenging, on the other hand, to celebrate the path that God often chooses for His people to get to those accomplishments and successes. Consider Joseph whose brothers sold him into slavery landing him in the house of a government official and finally in the government’s prison. Joseph did not understand why things happened the way they did. It was not the path that he would have chosen for his life in his desire to follow God’s leading. On the contrary, there were unwelcomed “assignments.” While he had had some successes that were celebratory in nature, the circumstances and people along the way certainly were not.
| What is commonly believed that the People of God Can’t Do in Public School | What God Can Do with and through His People in Public Schools | Implications |
| The people of God can’t
pray in public schools.
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God’s people can pray without ceasing in public schools.
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. pray without ceasing 1 Thess. 5:17
· The Scriptures do no prescribe public praying · Prayer is inward, not outward · Nowhere is it recorded where Jesus prayed with someone · Jesus practiced praying for people, not with people · Prayer is a matter of conversing with God, not with students
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| The people of God can’t share the love of Christ in public schools
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The people of God can show the love of Christ in public schools | · Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:16
· Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1Pet. 2:12 · Providing poor children with a life altering education is a good work that honors Christ and shows His love in the same manner as feeding hungry children. |
| The people of God can’t use a biblically integrated curriculum in public schools (a written curriculum). | The people of God can live biblically integrated lives in public schools (a living curriculum). | · Transformation is not limited to a matter of precept upon precept, but also life on life.
· There is an abundance of Christian testimonies of lives that were impacted and transformed in public schools. |
| The people of God can’t lead a child to Christ in public schools. | The people of God can be used by the Spirit of God to lead a child to Himself in any place at any time. | · Being in a Christian school is no guarantee that a child will come to know Christ.
· Being in a public school is no guarantee that a child will not come to know Christ. |
| The people of God are limited in what they can do in public schools because God was kicked out of public schools. | God is omnipotent and omnipresent He can use His people in any way in any place at any time. | · The psalmist stated, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” Psalms 139:8
· God does not inhabit institutions or buildings; He inhabits His people. · Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2Cor. 2:14 |
| The people of God can’t declare truth in public schools | God’s people can live truthful lives by their examples of godliness | · But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. Jn. 3:21
· The truth can be lived in any place at any time · Just as a person can live a lie in any place at any time |
| The people of God can’t do ministry in public schools | When God’s people are filled with and led by His Spirit ministry takes place wherever they are. | · Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Cor. 2:14)
· that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of… (1Pet 3:1) |
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