Preparing Students for Secular Colleges and Universities

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility--young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
--Daniel 1:3-4

One of the myths about Christian education that we dealt with in an earlier post was that Christian schools are appropriate for preparing students for Bible colleges but not secular colleges and universities.

As we indicated in our response to that myth, this couldn’t be further from the truth, especially in the case of institutions like Christian School of York that have a rigorous college preparatory program and are accredited by both Christian and secular organizations.

There is also a deep scriptural foundation for the idea that it is good for those who have had an intensive religious education to go on to be educated in the learning of a secular society in which they are, if you will, “in the culture but not of the culture.”

Furthermore, there is demonstration in scripture that the background of religious education can serve believers well when they undertake secular learning. The story of Daniel and his friends is a salient example. Their strong grounding in Jewish teachings put them in a position in which they drew the attention of the King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, which selected them to be educated in “the language and literature of the Babylonians.”

Daniel and his companions eventually attained high positions, and in the early stages of their relationship with the king’s court the fact that they stood their ground on the issue of observing Jewish law became a source of admiration. And although their steadfastness ultimately led to persecution, the persecution became an opportunity for them to minister to the Babylonians about the power of the God of Israel.

The Daniel story is an excellent model for how a quality Christian education in our time can leave the student well prepared to succeed in secular universities and professions, while also preparing them to minister to nonbelievers by standing out as examples of diligence in work, faithfulness to moral principles, and obedience to God’s commands.

As in the case of Daniel and his friends, the experience of the Christian school graduate moving on to secular higher education and work comes with both privileges and responsibilities. But those responsibilities are what make the experience so enriching to one’s walk with Christ.

Teaching the Bible

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
--2 Timothy 3 14-17

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
--Romans 12:2

Perhaps the greatest source of weak faith and spiritual immaturity among Christians is insufficient exposure to scripture. To grow, we need to be fed continuously with God’s word, to such an extent that it becomes a part of our being, restructures our minds, and reshapes our thought processes.

A steady, daily diet of God’s word eventually gets us to a point at which we begin to “think biblically.” Responding from a scriptural perspective to the challenges that face us daily becomes almost a matter of instinct, as natural as the reflex to flinch when a fly zooms toward your eye.

The earlier in a child’s life that a Bible habit is established, the more likely the habit is to persist into adulthood. That’s why, at Christian School of York, daily exposure to God’s word becomes part of the routine, beginning with the pre-K level, and culminating with the advanced, in-depth Bible study in which our high school students engage.

In addition to equipping students for their spiritual lives, Bible study in an academic setting has the added benefit of further enriching their education in literature and language arts. Reading, discussing, and writing about scripture helps students develop skills in critical thinking and communication that can enhance their future efforts not only in Christian studies but in a variety of other fields, including literature, history, social sciences, and more.

In other words, as Paul says, it leaves us “equipped for every good work.” Bible study can, therefore, be an important part of a general college preparatory academic program.

Responding to Myths About Christian Education

Who is wise and understanding among you?
Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done
in the humility that comes from wisdom.- James 3:13

Are common misconceptions about Christian schools stopping you from considering a Christian education for your children? Let’s take a look at some myths—and the associated realities.

Myth: Christian education is appropriate if the goal is for your child to go to a Bible college, but not to a secular university.

Response: According to the Association of Christian Schools International, the majority of graduates of Christian high schools go on to secular universities.

Students and their families may lean toward a Bible college or secular university for a variety of reasons, including career goals; spiritual and cultural concerns; the personality, interests, and aptitudes of the individual student; and many other factors. However, if the goal is to equip a student to pursue either path, it’s important to look at such issues as accreditation when choosing a Christian school.

Christian School of York, for example, has dual accreditation from the Association of Christian Schools International and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the latter of which is the same organization that accredits public schools in the region. The college preparatory program at CSY, moreover, is designed to match or exceed those of the best public school systems and private schools. As such, our graduates have gone on to a variety of higher education settings ranging from Bible colleges to Ivy League universities.

Myth: Christian education shelters students too much from the world.

Response: Take the phrase “too much” out of this myth, and it’s no longer a myth. Christian schools do help shelter students from a variety of negative influences—spiritual, cultural, and otherwise. And that is a good thing, particularly in the earliest years of a child’s education, when they are at their most vulnerable and impressionable. Jesus said in Mark 10:15 that we must “receive the Kingdom of God like a little child.” Yet the pace at which our culture pushes children away from the state of innocence of early childhood seems to accelerate constantly, making it that much more difficult to approach the Lord from a place of childlike innocence as older children and adults. So the more we can shelter our children from these influences, the better.

Students in the upper grades are challenged to develop a biblical worldview of their own. There is no better environment in which to do that than within the context of a Christian school solidly founded on God’s word working in conjunction with the local church and family. The goal at CSY is that a graduate knows what he/she believes and can defend it based on God’s word. By equipping students with critical thinking skills at all levels in a solid Bible based environment, students are ready for the harshest of secular encounters.

We must remember that the world is not as God intended. He created a perfect environment for Adam and Eve in which to flourish. Sin and evil entered when they chose to disobey. God’s intent was for them to enjoy the protection of His presence in that environment.

Myth: Because they have been sheltered, graduates of Christian schools may be more vulnerable to having a crisis of faith in early adulthood, once they get out on their own, either at secular colleges or when they begin their working lives.

Response: A period of doubting, questioning, and finding oneself is an almost inevitable a part of the young adult experience, and Christians are no exception. God clearly wants His people to be “strong, firm, and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10). But in our fallen state and imperfect world, we all have times when we stumble, and young adulthood is one of the periods when we are most prone to do so. While God does not condone our stumbling, He uses those times to help us grow and mature in Christ, “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4). And those who have gained a firm foundation for their faith, such as the foundation that can be gained with the help of a Christian education, are likely to not lapse as far--and they’re likely to recover their faith more quickly. We don’t send children out to the mission field to fend for their own. When is the last time we sent an 18 year old to another country as an ambassador or diplomat representing our country?

Myth: Christian education costs too much--just think how much I could save for my children’s college education if I sent them to the public schools instead!

Response: Let’s face it: running a quality Christian school—paying excellent teachers, building and maintaining facilities, providing up-to-date instructional materials, and all the expenses associated with running any educational institution, public or private—is not an inexpensive proposition. So the cost of tuition can, in turn, be a significant sacrifice for families. But what price should we put on the ability to protect our children from the negative influences of secular culture, and to provide a spiritually guided context in which they can learn the skills they need to succeed in the world? Moreover, a look at some of the components of today’s family budgets suggests that certain adjustments, sacrifices, and economies can be made to help offset the cost of tuition:

• Average cable TV bill: $71.00 per month, according to Multichannel News
• Average cellphone bill: $73 per month, according to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
• Average monthly payment on a new car: $400 per month, according to The Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research

Looking at these figures and thinking further about other budget components they bring to mind, one can see that reducing or eliminating certain expenses can go a long way toward covering the cost of tuition. It may be simply a matter of setting priorities and making some well-chosen sacrifices. Further, these figures suggest that paying Christian school tuition need not be mutually exclusive with a college funding plan. And don’t overlook the potential contribution of financial aid programs available at many Christian schools, including CSY, which can help make tuition affordable to families from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.

Myth: Due to their stance on issues like evolution, Christian schools aren’t effective in preparing students for science and technology fields.

Response: The mind of God is infinite. No matter how diligently we study His creation through the sciences, we ultimately realize that “these are but the outer fringe of his works” (Job 26:14).

Christian schools rightly take issue with scientific dogma on such issues as the origin of the universe and of man and, especially, with the implication that these theories are not compatible with a theistic point of view.

But the operational study of fields such as chemistry, biology, and physics is not at all incompatible with our faith. From the periodic table of the elements to the elegantly simple “four-word language” (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine) of recombinant DNA that now appears to encode all the complexity of the life we see around us, the structure and workings of the creation are part of God’s general revelation of Himself to mankind: “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Roman’s 1:20).

Particularly in schools such as CSY that are dually accredited by both Christian and secular organizations, the standard of science education can match or exceed that of the best public and private schools. Students leave such programs well prepared for higher education in science and technology, and have the added benefit of a spiritual context to their education that enables them to reconcile science and faith.