Educating Our Children from Bret Capranica on Vimeo.
How should we think about educating our children, especially in light of the very strong convictions held by those in home schooling, private schools, and the public school system?
Parents Are Responsible
In God”™s plan, I think the Bible is clear on who is fundamentally responsible for teaching children: parents. Deuteronomy 6 indicates that parents are charged with teaching children God”™s ways throughout the normal flow of life. Ephesians 6:1-4 clearly lays responsibility upon parents to raise their children in God”™s wisdom and ways. Parents are responsible for their children. This seems fundamental, doesn”™t it?
Thus, it is not ultimately the church”™s children”™s ministry that is responsible for teaching our children about God. It is not the student ministries of the church that is chiefly charged with a teenager”™s spiritual life. Neither schools (private or public) nor even the church, as an institution, are ultimately the overseers of who, what, when, where, why, and how our children are educated ““ parents are. That”™s who God charged to be responsible for a child”™s education.
Options are Legitimate
Parental responsibility does not demand parental involvement alone. Certainly the church”™s children”™s and student ministries can be an asset to our children”™s learning more about God. Pastors and teachers are charged with spiritual instruction within the church ““ children included. Thankfully, parents are not mandated to teach calculus to their children. But they are charged with being responsible for being involved in who will teach them. Responsibility to oversee a child”™s instruction does not demand that no one else be included in instructing a child.
Nor should our convictions about education foster a fortress mentality against the world; but rather, a Great Commission conscience ready to engage our world.
So, whether a parent chooses to school their child from home, in a private school, or through the public system, parents are still responsible for their children. And their responsibility does not make other options outside of homeschooling illegitimate. I am persuaded that each home needs to make a decision on this issue based on what would best help their children walk in the wisdom and instruction of the Lord.
I have benefitted from families who have homeschooled their children from pre-school through High School. They are valiant soldiers for truth and commitment to their children.
I have also seen equally wise and involved parents sacrifice much so their children can be a part of a good Christian private school. Doing so was deemed best for their family in the area of the country where they lived and with the providential circumstances of their family situation.
I have also been blessed to see one of the most God-centered homes to which I have ever been exposed raise all of their children in a California public school.
In all of these cases, parents did not neglect their God-given stewardship. Public school families can take their responsibility just as serious as the parents who educate their children at home, or those who choose a private school education.
Personally and Pastorally
Kelly and I have not firmly decided what means we will use in educating our children. Rest assured we will be deeply involved. We are charged with the responsibility to oversee their education. We won”™t mindlessly delegate it to someone else.
In ministry, I pray that the local church can be a place that affirms, assists, and supports those who choose to home school their children. I am thankful for churches and Christians who have worked together to form excellent private schools and I want to affirm and encourage their labors. I am also most grateful for Christians who find their calling as public school teachers and for parents who energetically involve themselves in the public school system. All of these are legitimate options while parents still maintain responsibility for their children”™s education.
It is most unfortunate when a church finds within it niche schisms over where children are educated. Such is not a fundamental gospel issue. Such disunity does not display charity or humility. It is dividing over something that is not even a secondary doctrinal issue. It is one where varying positions can, will, and should exist within a local church without pitting families and children against one another.
As a pastor, I enjoy the responsibility being involved in my children”™s development, and seeing the church embrace with unity, parents who have various convictions on how they will exercise their responsibility for their children”™s education.
