Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad? WRONG

It was 1988 and I was sitting in a celebration Chapel service marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of my college. I remember one of the professors who taught both Bible and History saying most educational institutions that are founded on the importance and unwavering Truth of God’s Word depart from their foundation after 75 years. Princeton, Harvard, and Yale all began to trust in reason, emotions, and feelings instead of God’s Word once they passed 75 years in existence.

Even though this Bible college is now a Liberal Arts University, I am proud to say that my alma mater is now 110 years old and still emphasizes the necessity of biblical worldview as the lens for rightly teaching every subject. We would all like to say that our schools at the K-12 level could say the same, but is this true?

In the past decade or two I have seen a shift in the local church, and likewise in the Christian school, towards an emphasis on relationships and community service. This is not a bad thing because relationships build mutual trust, respect, and improve the school environment. Research shows that the closer the relationships in a school setting, the greater the level of support, communication, team-work, attention, and productivity (Furrow, 2015). Community Service is important because it builds empathy and gratitude in a generation of young people who are motivated by self (Robertson, 2022). Service is also where some students can become the face of Christ to a society that is lost.

Our Christian schools absolutely need relationships (or some would say “community”) and service-oriented initiatives. BUT, two out of three is not good enough. Community and service without Worldview Integration can be found in any non-Christian school. Some of the best relationships and communities can be found in the local bar. The United Way, Goodwill, and Feeding America are examples of top five service organizations. What separates these groups from an organization like Samaritan’s Purse? An unwavering commitment to understand and live out a worldview that has its foundation in Biblical Truth.

The importance of Worldview Integration is voiced by Dr. Mark Eckel when he writes, “Biblical integration is the bedrock upon which the distinction between Christian and non-Christian schools must be built. Simply saying that one has a biblical philosophy of education is not enough… Ultimately, if daily classroom instruction in biblical integration is missing, then a school is Christian in name only (2003, p. vii).

Worldview Integration, or what Dr. Annie Gallagher calls Christ centered education, “is the process of planning and teaching that helps kids think through the subjects in such a way as to connect and compare all content to a biblical worldview. Classroom instruction in all subjects should include learning opportunities for students to discover Truth that already exists in the content” (Gallagher, n.d.). She goes on to point out that Scripture makes the case that intentional focus on developing habits of analytical thinking about worldview ideas based on God’s word is necessary for two reasons. One reason to develop habits of thinking, guided by God’s word, is to defend against what Paul called “hollow and deceptive philosophies.” A second reason to develop habits of biblical thinking is to expose presuppositions and assumptions that are based on worldview ideas that are counter to Truth. (Gallagher, n.d.)

As I have observed some great teachers presenting great lessons, I have found teaching biblical thinking is not a priority in classroom practice. Lesson plans rarely reflect the worldview questions or biblical narrative. Based on my visits to numerous schools and having witnessed years of lessons in a wide variety of schools, I would have to say that worldview integration made up less than 1% of the instructional time spent on a lesson.

This is not new in Christian schools. Dr. Gene Garrick, as quoted by Lowrie (1986) said, “There is a difference between a Christian teacher and a teacher who is a Christian. Too often a teacher who is a Christian moves into the Christian school classroom and carries the same secular bent toward the subjects and even the students which were present in the non-Christian school. In contrast, the truly Christian teacher assures that all the teachings, activities, and relationships are in alignment with his Christian view of life and with the teaching of scripture.” This is an issue that will only increase as more and more believers in the contemporary public school system leave for Christian schools.

As Christian schools across the country have either already begun, or will open in the next two weeks, how much of an emphasis is there on the true distinction between a Christian school and a secular school: Biblical Integration, Worldview Integration, or Christ-centered Instructions (which ever term you like most). This is where we need to live in our schools because it gives everything else meaning. Our schools cannot emphasize Integration alone. Neither can we emphasize just relationship building and service opportunities. It takes all three!

Let me close with one last quote by Dr. Gallagher (n.d.) that demonstrates the connection between the three phases of our schools. “What we think about, the relationships we have, and what we participate in all work together to form or modify one’s worldview.”