Adventist Education

[Dr. Shane]

I send my kids to an Adventist school and it costs me a lot of money. In fact, it is a real burden on my budget. I grew up mostly in a single-parent home where my mother sent us kids to Adventist schools through 8th grade and I know it was a great burden on her. I have had conflicts and disagreements with individuals at the school but overall I must say there is no better decision I have ever made than to send my kids to that school.

First, let me share how the school has helped me. There have been times that I got frustrated and lost my temper. There are times I have placed unreasonable expectations on my children's teachers and the school administration. Since it is a church school and supported by a handful of constituency churches, I attend church with the same people that educate my children. So during these times when I have become frustrated, church elders have put their arm around me in love, sit with me and taken me to the cross. I am sure I would lose my temper just as quickly at a public school but there would be no one to pick me up and help put me back together.

Second, the school installs a love for Jesus by not only teaching the Bible but creating an environment where being a Christian is cool and thus a positive form of peer pressure. I often hear my children singing hymns at home or while driving in the car. I will hear them point out how a TV character is making wrong decisions about life. If I forget, my children ask me to pray with them.

Third, because the school is supported by constituency churches, I know many of the parents of my children's friends. Many of them are Christians and set an example of a Christian home. Sometimes my children will ask me why we don't do something like their friend's family. When birthday or slumber parties come up I don't have to worry about what kind of environment my child is going to be in.

Fourth, it allows my children to make friends that will last all this life and into eternity. Not only will they be able to stay in touch with their friends on social networks like Facebook, the annual alumni weekend allows the school's alumni to come back to see each other and be spiritually inspired. The social life created by the school for my children I would never be able to accomplish if I home-schooled them.

Fifth, it exposes them to God-glorifying music. In some cases, it installs a love for such music. Public schools offer music classes. Our church school requires it. Music is an essential expression of our faith. Music is powerful. Advertisers discovered long ago that the right jingle will sell products but even before that music was drawing the hearts of believers closer to God. My children have learned to play piano, drums and saxophone at the school. This overflows into our home where our family worship time has become filled with music with even more instruments.

Sixth, the sacrifices bonds me to my children. A mother carries the child in her for nine months and then gives birth. There is a natural bond. Many fathers don't normally start bonding until the child is born. The process takes longer and differs from man to man. Men do tend to be the providers in many homes and providing for his children helps strengthen the bond. Jesus taught that where our treasure is there also is our heart. Just check a man's bank statement and it will quickly reveal what he loves. My first investment in my children started with diapers, clothing and baby toys. That stepped up a notch when they went off to Christian school.

Seventh, the Christian school completes the community triangle for raising a child. Two good parents are just not enough. It takes a community to raise a child. That community takes the shape of a triangle. One side is the home, the other side is the church and the last side is the school. Each side has to interact with the other two sides in order to form the community. Since public schools do not interact with the church it cannot serve as part of the community triangle. I attend church and worship with the people working at the school. My children attend Sabbath School with the same kids they see at school. We all benefit from this community. Even those who do not have children in the school are taking part in the community with the families that do. We are not independent. We are interdependent. We depend on each other spiritually, emotionally and financially.

I know when I was a child the school helped out my mother a lot but I also know she paid for a portion of our education and it was a sacrifice for her. I never got new clothes as a child. I got used clothing either from the Goodwill, Salvation Army or our local church. Many times the local church brought out a box of food to my family and I remember digging through it with my siblings after the church brothers had left. We live in a sinful world and there is a great controversy taking place between Christ and Satan. Yet God has made provision for us. He has set up His church as a shelter to get us through to that day when He will come and take us home. Ask me why I send my children to an Adventist school and I will give you seven good reasons.

[nuff sed]

Shane: Thank you for your thoughts. I wish that more Seventh-day Adventists felt the way you do about Christian Education. Too many Seventh-day Adventists have bought into preparing their children for this life early. The exodus of so many of our youth seems to point out that they are not receiving enough spiritual guidance from the home no matter what their parents think. I still like the old example of the child's life being like a three-legged stool. Church,home,school..If you leave off any leg the stool will not stand... Nuff Sed

[Stan]

Story well written, Thank you Shane.

[Gail]

[Neil D]

[cricket]

It's nice to see a story of successful Adventist education! Thanks for sharing.

[Naomi]

Thank you Shane for sharing ... hopefully it will serve as inspiration to others.