“Virtually Unique”

            These were the words of our speaker this past summer at the seminar sponsored by the PR teacher's association.  They were used in regard to the thinking and practice of our churches and particularly of our schools.  How is it that we are different from others?  Is this a good thing?  What does that mean for us? -

            Logically, unless we are different why should we exist?  As if you all don't realize this, but it has taken and continues to take a lot of money, time, energy, etc. to have our little school.  There are many other Christian schools in the Grand Rapids area that would be just as easy to go to (or maybe easier considering the busing situation).  Or what about the free government schools? We have to be special and to demonstrate that specialness.

            In my mind, it starts with our core belief in the sovereign grace of God in which He has willed to extend His covenant salvation to His elect in Christ.  He has ordered this to be done not just in an outwardly random method, but generally, to bring His people into this world in the lines of generations of believing parents.  These parents are to joyfully enter into the training of the covenant seed (Deuteronomy 6) and be responsible for that education through others (Galatians 4); i.e. the parental Christian school.  These truths immediately separate us from those schools that operate from an Arminian perspective of evangelizing admittedly non-Christian students and having an operational structure of being either church-run or independent of parental control.

            What is the Kingdom?  What is the Christian to strive and pray for, and seek first above all else?  If one thinks that it is a future kingdom on this earth to be brought about by believers (with the help of common grace in the unbelievers), then the instruction, activities, attitudes can not help but be different from us who see the kingdom within us now, and according to our Heidelberg Catechism, seek growth in understanding and numbers in the Church, and persevere in patience until the coming of Christ.

            Then, looking at the content of our instruction, our view of history sees the world serving the central purpose of God stated above, all things therefore focused on His purpose, rather then Church history as an aside.  Science classes do not question God's revelation of how He created in 6 days.  We deal and yes, discipline in the context of seeing the students as maturing children of God, who have His Spirit in their hearts.

            Yes, by God's grace we don't strive to be different for difference sake, but we will be unique as we conform our labors to His revealed will.