FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS, OBJECTIVES, MISSION AND PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Foundational Beliefs of Calvin Christian School:
Calvin Christian School seeks to educate children of parents who share these basic Biblical beliefs:
only when home and school are in agreement can education succeed.
1. The Bible is the divinely inspired, infallible written Word of God
(II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21), the only rule of faith and life.
2. God reveals Himself in Scripture as undividedly Triune ĺ Father, Son and Holy Spirit
(Matthew 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4).
3. God is Creator of the heavens and the earth
(Genesis 1:1): the entire universe bears His fingerprints
(Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20), and He continues to uphold His creation by His eternal power and providence.
(Psalm 104)
4. God is eternal, completely sovereign, all-knowing, everywhere present, supremely just, the overflowing
fountain of all that is good. (Psalm 90:2, 139:1-12; Job 9:19, 42:2; Matthew 5:45; John 1:16)
5. God created mankind in His own image, reflecting Himself in righteousness and holiness, as well as
granting natural endowments such as speech, creativity, knowledge, and authority to rule.
(Genesis 1:26-27, 28; James 3:9)
6. Mankind died spiritually by sinning against God, and physical death came into the world as a result.
(Genesis 2:17; 3:6-7, 19, 24)
Every human comes into the world with the corrupt nature received from our first parents, Adam and Eve,
condemnable in God's sight, inclined by nature to hate both God and neighbor.
(Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12, 15-19)
Unless the sinner is reconciled with God, that sinner will perish, enduring eternal punishment.
(Romans 1:18; II Cor. 5:12, 17-20; Matthew 7:23, 10:11-15; Luke 16:23; Revelation 20:10, 14-15, 21:8
7. God graciously chose to save from the fallen human race those He gave to His Son, Jesus Christ
(John 6:37, 39; 17:6), by sending Him into the world to redeem fallen human beings from sin and its
consequences. Jesus Christ, the eternal and divine Word of God, took on a sinless human nature at His
incarnation
(John 1:14), lived a life on behalf of His people which fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the
law of God, and died on the cross to atone for their sins.
(Romans 3:21-26)
He was then raised for their justification. (Romans 4:25)
8. God graciously grants faith to believe in Jesus Christ and so to receive His saving benefits.
(Philippians 1:29; Acts 13:48; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Only through belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ can we be made right with God
(Romans 3:24,28); nothing we do can make us acceptable before God.
(Isaiah 64:6; II Timothy 1:9)
Therefore, we say that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone. (Romans 3:28)
9. In the life of a believer, good works are the necessary result of saving faith in Jesus Christ.
(James 2:17; Ephesians 2:10)
Christians are called to live holy lives of gratitude to God for His great salvation.
(I Thess. 4:7)
10. God regards children of believers as holy, and distinguishes them from children of unbelievers
(I Corinthians 7:14). God's promises are for the children as well as their believing parents.
[This is the basis upon which children of believers were circumcised under the Old Covenant and are
baptized under the New Covenant. (Genesis 17:7; Acts 2:39; Colossians 2:11-12]
11. Whether in the Old Testament or New, God saves sinners in the same way ĺ through Jesus Christ and
faith in Him. The revelation of His plan in Jesus Christ became increasingly clearer as history moved
from the Old Testament into the New (Romans 4:3,6)
12. At the end of history, Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and dead;
(Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15)all will give account before God.
(II Cor. 5:10)
Only those who have been saved by Jesus Christ and made righteous through His atoning blood will escape
eternal condemnation and live forever with Him.
(Matthew 25:46)
Objectives of Calvin Christian School: Calvin Christian School holds to the following objectives:
1. That the Holy Bible is the foundation of CalvinÁs educational program. 2. That the primary aim of Christian parents in seeking Christian education is to equip each child to live a Christian life as a member of the Christian community in society. 3. That CCS shall be a living challenge by word and deed in this community, whereby all students and teachers demonstrate that the Kingdom of God comes first in their lives. 4. That the Bible is pertinent to all ages, and that CCS shall teach so that the Bible becomes meaningful to the student in the time in which he/she lives and in the place God has placed him/her. 5. That CCS shall meet or exceed the academic standards of the state with respect to the faculty and administration and the basic curriculum.
Mission Statement:
Calvin Christian School exists to provide an excellent Christ-centered education to children
of believers. In support of parents and in cooperation with Christian churches, Calvin will
provide this education from a Reformed perspective. Meaning, we help such children
see God's creation through the perspective of God's Word, understand God's redemptive and providential
work throughout history, and live lives of Christian service that exemplify love for God and for their
neighbors.
Parental Responsibilities:
As parents, we believe in maintaining a Christian home where Christ is honored and where prayer and the
Bible are a part of our daily lives.
As parents, we believe that maintaining membership in a Protestant Christian church and actively
participating with our children in worship services and other activities is an integral part of the Christian
life.
As parents, we agree that in the matter of discipline, the student is subject to the disciplinary action
of the faculty and administration. It is understood that we will be given the opportunity to discuss
disciplinary matters with the faculty, administration, and Education Committee. If a problem still exists,
we may address the Board of Directors, whose decision will be final.
As parents, we agree to make full payment of tuition and other charges as outlined in the Tuition
Policy, and to make payments on no less than a monthly basis, paid in advance. We recognize that failure
to do so will be sufficient grounds for dismissal.
What Does It Really Mean to be Reformed?
Let’s say you have a cousin from Atlanta, Georgia, and one from Brooklyn, New York. One of them calls you on the phone. Can you tell which one it is just by how they say, “Hi there. How are you doin’ today?” Of course you can! That’s because even though your cousins both speak English, they each speak it with a different accent.
That’s a good comparison to use when talking about different groups of Christians. We all speak the same language in many cases, but we speak it with different accents or emphases. Here at Calvin Christian School, we speak with a Reformed accent. And, if you’ve always wondered what “Reformed” really means - - and if you've ever felt like you needed a translation - - here are some things about just what that word means for Calvin Christian School.
Reformed Christians emphasize the Bible as the foundation of all we believe and all we do. That means that we are reshaped (or re-formed, get it?) by what God’s Word says, not by someone’s opinion or by what modern society says is a good idea. The only opinion that matters is God’s, and we learn about what God says in the Bible. From that holy Book, we can learn about God, ourselves, the world, and the relationship between God, ourselves and the world.
The Scriptures tell us many things about God: how He has worked in the past and how He works today. Reformed Christians read that Word and see a theme: God is in control! He is the sovereign God: the One who is ruling and the One who is in charge. That means that no matter what the front page of the newspaper says, our world is not spinning out of control. God has all things in His hand, and He will work them out according to His divine plan.
One of the most important things that is under God’s control is our salvation. God does the work of saving us, providing a Savior while we were yet sinners. We can’t save ourselves. We don’t earn or deserve eternal life with God in heaven. Our salvation is a gift - - by grace through faith - - because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. God’s control over our eternal destiny is the source of great comfort! It doesn’t depend on my good works (which are never good enough) or my feelings (which are bound to vary). Salvation depends on an all-good, loving, merciful, sovereign God who never changes.
When Reformed Christians look at the story of the Bible, they notice another thread running through the Old and New Testaments: the idea of covenant. God makes covenant promises with Noah, Abraham, David, and the children of Israel. Even when the human parties don’t hold up their end of the agreement, God is faithful. Amazingly enough, God wants to include us in His covenant as well! God promises to be our God and we will be His people, and He makes that promise to us and to our children.
That’s why Reformed Christians believe so strongly in Christian education. Calvin Christian School partners with Christian homes and churches to work together in the important task of raising children to know and follow Christ. But Reformed Christian education is about so much more than chapel and Bible class. It’s about how the Lordship of Christ affects every area of life, every subject, every action, every recreation. So Calvin Christian School emphasizes that science and history, recess and band, lunch time and basketball practice all have to do with our faith in God. There’s no area that’s not sacred; there’s no part of school life where we can hang up a “Keep Out” sign for God.
Education from a Reformed perspective often uses the idea of Kingdom – God’s Kingdom. That’s a Kingdom which is already here, but is not yet fully realized. God is still working today to redeem the world He created and loves, and He asks us - - His creatures - - to join Him in that redemptive work. That means we don’t run away from this world or hide from it just waiting to go to heaven. No! God calls us to work for Him and His kingdom today to redeem all aspects of life: movies, music, politics, Power Point.
That opens up an exciting world of possibilities for Calvin Christian School students; God can use them in a wide variety of jobs in the future. Our job today is to help them learn, so that they will be ready when God calls them into service.
One way to explain what Reformed Christianity is all about is to go back in church history and explain the connection between churches on the family tree of denominations. But Reformed ideas aren’t really just associated with one church; the word “Reformed” is a way of explaining and acting on faith that crosses denominational lines. This emphasis on the Word, a sovereign God, His covenant faithfulness, His Kingdom and our role in it, is just one way of speaking Christianity with a particular accent.
And at Calvin Christian School, we hope that’s coming through loud and clear.
Calvin Christian School is open to students from homes where Christ is honored and served. No discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or national origin is made in the admission of students or the employment of staff.