Th
is book written by a great-grandson of Churchill was a great reminder of how God can use a single teacher to influence the world through a loving investment in the life of a single student. Mrs. Elizabeth Everest, Churchill's nanny was the only one from his home who visited Winston during his 11 years in residential school from age 7. She was described as a "... passionate woman of prayer" who taught Winston well by helping him memorize Scripture, kneeling with him to recite his daily prayers and explaining the world to him "in simple but distinctly Christian terms. Her role in the formation of Churchill's worldview was still evident later in his life when he often paraphrased or quoted Bible passages in his speeches. Even in seasons of doubt, he instinctively saw through eyes formed with a biblical outlook. This is why he could inspire hope, call for strength and faith, and most importantly grasp the true meaning of Nazism and its threat to civilization."
Transformed teachers transform students who transform the world.
There are a lot of interesting podcasts available including the Throwback episode on January 25, 2021 featuring a discussion of the history of Christian schools in Australia over the past 40 years that was held between Dr Daniel Pampuch. CEO of Christian Schools Australia and Dr Maria Varlet, Head of Research & Innovation at Crest Education in Melbourne, Australia. Dr Pampuch puts a compelling case forward that to retain their Christian distinctive, schools must be explicit and intentional about the essential elements of Christian schooling.
At Gordon College a lawsuit is attempting to clarify which employees can be classified as "ministers" because of the religious mission of the entire college. A narrow interpretation of "ministers" would make it very difficult to restrict employees to those whose beliefs and lifestyles supported the Christian goals for which the college was established. A ruling in this case could have implications for other schools and mission organizations as well. Unfortunately, this question doesn't just exist in US law. It also exists in many churches who see Christian school teachers as "just teachers" rather than an integral part of the mission of the church. The working assumption seems to be that only those in "sacred" activities are ministers while those in "secular" activities don't have a God-given calling and responsibility as they serve their neighbors in all kinds of practical ways.
Given recent narratives around the “evangelical” political movement in the USA, a question arises: Do America’s Christian independent schools contribute to political polarization?
David Hunt, Cardus' Education and B.C. Director has written an interesting article on this question that is published by CACE (Center for the Advancement of Christian Education). He mentions that a recent Cardus Education Study shows that churches and religious charities overcontribute to the common good, as do Christian schools and their graduates. He concludes, "More than any other graduates, those from Protestant schools show the greatest propensity to have an obligation to take action against wrong and injustice. This inclination gives me hope, not just for my dramatic neighbours to the south, but for the world."
Barna Research has consistently probed the beliefs and behavior of Christians in the US. Their analysis gives us a glimpse of what is happening in the pews—and classrooms—where Christians gather. It is sobering to see how much the worldviews of the culture that surrounds us have influenced us despite the best efforts to align the church's view of God's world with God's revelation of how He views His world that He's given us in the Bible.
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