The family is God's original institution on earth. It is the basis of the nation of Israel, and the Bible uses its roles not only to describe relationships within the church, but also to describe God’s relationship with the church: He is our Father, Christ our husband. Furthermore, exhortations to cultivate godly families is a hallmark of the New Testament epistles (1 Cor 7:1-16; Eph 5:22-6:4; Col 3:18-25; Ti 2:2-10; 1 Pet 3:1-7). In sum, the family is pivotal in God’s plans for humanity. Thus, it is of the highest priority to our church to support and equip godly families. Of course, one of the most important responsibilities a family has is to train their children to be godly and productive members of the church and society. Much of this is done through their child’s education—whether public, private, or homeschool.
For many years now, our families have benefited from each of these models. Yet, as we shepherd our families through the challenges they are facing, we have noticed a couple of issues that may make these options less than optimal for our families. The first is that with the teaching of LGBTQ and CRT, the mandating of masks and vaccines, and declining academic standards, many families no longer feel that their local public school is a viable option for their families. Unfortunately, many of these families feel that they neither can afford private school nor possess the skills or time to homeschool. A second issue is that Christian private education, as we now know it, may have an ominous future. Should the Equality Act ever pass—making it illegal to reject someone because of their homosexuality—the very concept of a Christian school that is faithful to Scripture would be put in serious jeopardy. Of course, we do not know what the future holds and are hopeful that the courts will continue to vindicate our constitutional rights, but we should not be naïve and assume that our freedoms will necessarily endure as they always have; we must prepare for whatever may come.
Yet, there is something good that has arisen from these educational difficulties: a recommitment by parents to the responsibility to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6:4). For children to be educated truly and biblically in our modern age, increased parental involvement is non-negotiable, and this is just as the Lord would have it.
Therefore, the elders of Grace Church, in considering how to best serve the families of our church, have decided to launch Grace Academy: a home-based private school that features in-person instruction by credentialed teachers which accentuates the homeschool education that students receive for the majority of the week. By adapting this model, Grace Academy will:
To apply, or for more information, visit graceacademy.org.
Options available for your student’s education from Grace Church, grades K–12.