The philosophy of Providence Classical School is:

1. God-Centered: We are committed to assist each student in the pursuit of mankind’s chief purpose, which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In His providence and goodness, God has bestowed on mankind the ability to explore, investigate, and discover truths about the universe in order to exercise dominion over it and to bring Him glory. Christian education must diligently strive to develop each individual’s God-given capacities so that they may be used to God’s glory. Therefore, we seek to encourage quality academic work and to maintain high standards of conduct in order for students to achieve their chief purpose.

2. Parent-Primary: We believe Providence Classical School exists to complement, not replace, the parents’ or guardians’ God-ordained responsibilities as their child’s primary nurturers and teachers. The primary responsibility for education rests not on the school, the Church, or the State, but on the parents/guardians to whom God entrusts children. Providence Classical School is seen as an extension of the family unit, rather than as an extension of the State (as the public schools are), or as an extension of the Church (as many other Christian schools may be). Therefore, we believe that as long as a child is under the parents’/guardians’ authority while undergoing formal education, he/she should be trained in a manner consistent with and complimentary to his or her primary home environment.

3. Bible-Based: We believe that true knowledge is impossible to attain without recognizing all truth as God’s truth. We believe that God’s character is revealed not only in the Scriptures, but also in every facet of His creation. God cannot be rightly separated from history, literature, mathematics, science, or any other academic discipline. Therefore, we seek to integrate the truth of Scripture into every aspect of our educational program.

4. Redemption-Driven: We believe that the only prudent way for a child to make sense of this life, living and all of human history, is through the lens of God’s redemptive purposes from all eternity. What has always been central to God’s purposes in His relationship to humanity is to have from among them a special people of His own who are: His people; His treasured possession; the apple of His eye; a chosen people; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; a people belonging to God; the sheep of His pasture; the children of God; and the body of Christ. The scarlet thread that binds together all of human history is how a merciful God, according to His sovereign purposes from before the beginning of time, redeems a fallen humanity and graciously sustains them through a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will seek to help our students view the human journey since its creation from a redemptive framework. view the human journey since its creation from a redemptive framework.

5. Grace-Dependent: We believe that it is vital for each student and their parent or guardians to understand that the good news of the Scriptures is that no person can ever gain eternal right-standing with a Holy God by earning or meriting it. It is a common doctrine in almost every known religion in the world that to have the favor of their god and any hope of eternal life in that god’s presence is to earn it by living a life of commendable good works. The Gospel message of the Scriptures is that the favor of God and eternal life have no chance of being secured by the commendable works of any person. Therefore, we seek to communicate that mankind’s only chance of having right standing with God, now and eternally, is by trust in God’s undeserved gift of a Savior who has achieved right standing with God for His people by paying the penalty for sin through His suffering and death.

6. Heart-Focused: We believe that the most effective way to build exemplary character and commendable behavior in our students is to lovingly and consistently expose and deal with the motives of their hearts. is to lovingly and consistently expose and deal with the motives of their hearts. Jesus made it explicitly clear in the Sermon on the Mount that we focus on the wrong thing when we view the height of holiness from the perspective of whether we have committed murder or adultery. Instead, Jesus says we need to begin to weigh our holiness by our motives, whether we have anger or lust in our hearts. So, behavior is important but God is not impressed with Pharisees who have learned to neglect the motives of their hearts. Therefore, our focus will be on the internal, hidden motives of the student’s heart in order to effect significant and lasting change of character and behavior.

Further reading: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp

 

Long term vision for school - Vision Statement