How clear are you on your school’s approach for helping students grow strong in the Lord?

/ mkessenburg

Photo by Veri Ivanova on Unsplash

In 30 seconds or less, explain your school’s approach for helping students grow strong in the Lord! Ready? Go! (Actually do this. Right now.)

How’d it go? If your school has a documented approach for helping students grow strong in the Lord and if you’ve discussed and implemented it, then you probably found this easier to do than…

  • If your school has no schoolwide approach.
  • Or if the approach is undocumented.
  • Or if you and your colleagues haven’t discussed and/or implemented it.

You might be wondering, “What does it look like to explain a schoolwide approach in 30 seconds or less?” Good question. Here’s my attempt—for an international Christian school in Japan (a land where few know Jesus), with most students being Japanese and with most being from unchurched homes: 

“Like Jesus, we care about children. We believe that our students need to grow strong in the Lord by increasing their knowledge of, attitude towards, and faith in Jesus. We also believe positive relationships with students, meeting students where they are, and encouraging students to have an open attitude all help students grow strong in the Lord. To take action on our beliefs, we maintain a healthy learning environment and use SHARE LIFE strategies.” (Took 27 seconds.)

Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

You might also we wondering, “What’s important about a schoolwide approach?” Having a schoolwide approach (1) demonstrates an organizational desire to effectively help students grow strong in the Lord and (2) helps your school’s staff to work together and to support each other in this key endeavor. 

And just like your school benefits from having 1 mission statement and 1 philosophy statement, so your school benefits from having 1 schoolwide approach to helping your students grow strong in the Lord.

Now, you might be wondering, “How can we develop a schoolwide approach?” What comes to mind for me are the following 2 parameters and 7 questions:

(A) 2 Parameters:

  • Collaboratively developed.
  • Documented (preferably not more than a page).

(B) 7 Questions—compiling responses to these 7 questions will help you develop a schoolwide approach:

  1. What’s the relationship between the Great Commission and Christian education at our international Christian school?
  2. Where are our students in terms of their knowledge of, attitude towards, and saving faith in Jesus?
  3. What are our beliefs about helping our students grow strong in the Lord?
  4. What kind of environment helps our students increase their knowledge of, positive attitude towards, and faith in Jesus?
  5. What instructional practices help our students increase their knowledge of, positive attitude towards, and faith in Jesus?
  6. What do we want to avoid as we help our students increase their knowledge of, positive attitude towards, and faith in Jesus?
  7. What helps us focus on using Christian education to help students grow strong in the Lord? 

Please note:

  • You may want to revise 1 or more of the 7 questions or develop your own questions. The main thing is to document your school’s approach for helping students grow strong in the Lord.
  • Here’s a template you can use that comes with the 7 questions, along with sample ChatGPT prompts, sample resources, and sample responses to the 7 questions. 

Photo by kaleb tapp on Unsplash

The point: Get clear on your school’s approach for helping your students grow strong in the Lord! (Hint: Try the template!)

What about you? How clear are you on your school’s approach for helping your students grow strong in the Lord? What’s important about a schoolwide approach? How can you develop a schoolwide approach? 

Get flourishing!

Michael