February 03, 2012 at 11:10 PM

We have just completed a data management unit in grade 7/8 math class. The students have grown increasingly aware of the manner in which we find data presented to us. Bar graphs, histograms, stem-and-leaf plots, scatterplots, line graphs, circle graphs, tally charts, frequency charts. We studied and created examples of each of these. While doing some online reading of past issues of Christian Educators Journal, I was intrigued to stumble across a frequency table in an article entitled “Living the Biblical Story" (Bev Norsworthy). And so I scanned the chart….

Category	Frequency
Quality of education	31
Learning environment	31
Teachers and staff	29
Family, church, school concordance	22
Training different from non-Christian schools	18
Role of the Bible	11
Student related	8

I was curious how last week’s math topic of frequency charts crossed paths in such a timely manner with the everyday reality for Christians in living out our part in His story and so I continued reading. The above statistics arose from someone’s attempt to use an internet search engine to get a sense of how Christian schools in our day and age make a case for Christian education. Each category above defines a different benefit of Christian schooling. Do you see in the list why you have chosen Christian education for your child(ren)?

The article moves on to explore some of the underlying views Christian parents and educators alike use to support Christian education. There’s the fortress view (sometimes known as the greenhouse view), protecting our children from worldly influences. Next, there is the apologetic view, proudly pointing to stronger academics or more effective discipline than the public school counterpart. Besides these two, there is the concordant view in which the OCS mission statement has some foundation as it puts forth the partnership of the Christian school with parents who seek to raise their children in the light of God’s Word. Each of these are views which I have heard articulated by current and former parents at Orillia Christian School. It should be no surprise that our families have chosen OCS for different reasons.

So then, how do we promote Christian education? Or do we look deeper yet as the author of the article challenges, digging into the depths of God’s redemptive plan and how He has invited us to know Him deeply and to tell the next generation his marvelous deeds? Do we stretch ourselves to view how Christian education, while perhaps meeting our needs as reflected in these differing views, goes deeper than our thoughts and passions and needs and instead serves God and brings Him glory as He goes about restoring and renewing lives in the greatest story ever told? He has invited Christian parents and children, educators and students, to live out His story proclaiming shalom and love in a language all can understand. That's the language we desire to speak at Orillia Christian School as we take our everyday, ordinary life—our sleeping, eating, going-to-work, (going-to-school - added phrase mine) and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering (Romans 12:1). Now, do we have a story to tell or what?!