How to raise your children in the Christian Faith?

Every Christian parent’s biggest priority must be to raise their children in the faith. The consequences of failing to disciple our children in Christ are eternal, so nothing we do could be more important. In this article, I would like to give you five specific ways you can insure your children will receive a firm foundation in Godly living.


Have a time of Bible reading and prayer every night before bed.

The point of this time is to make a life-long habit of daily devotions. There are many children’s Bibles available in any Christian bookstore or online. Any of them are good, but make sure what you use is age-appropriate for your specific child.

Live the Christian faith yourself.

While I know this is obvious, how many kids hear their parents curse, see ungodly entertainment in the home, or experience an unloving, unforgiving environment? I don’t mean that we as parents have to put up a perfect front to our kids. Actually, I think it can be more powerful for a young person to see mom or dad admit a mistake and ask for forgiveness.


Another important component for demonstrating a Christian lifestyle is a daily devotion. It is good to have a daily time of prayer and Bible study with your children, but it is even more important for them to see you have your own personal time of devotion. After all, nothing is more crucial in our own development as disciples.

Get your kids into Christian music.

I know of no other art form that connects with a kid, especially a teenager, than popular music. Being able to introduce your children to Godly music is a vital step toward helping them see how their faith intersects with real life. With my own children, I spent very little time on traditional kids’ music. As a musician myself, I wanted my son and daughter to know good music, and I’ve never regretted making modern, Christian music available to them.

When real-life problems come up, help your kids see the Biblical way to respond.
When my son was a second grader, he confided in me that a girl in his class was saying mean things to him. I wanted to call the teacher and get the girl in trouble, but instead, I showed Caleb Matthew 5:43-48 and then we prayed for this girl, just like Jesus taught. Not only did this problem give me a teachable moment into Caleb’s young life, it also showed both of us the power of prayer, because this classmate stopped bothering him after we prayed.

Christian Schooling

If you are a Christian, Christian school will benefit greatly in the study of the Bible. The Bible is the basis for every Christian faith. Learning more about the Bible is always a good thing. This will be a requirement in most Christian schools. Even if you aren't a Christian, you can benefit from the teachings of the Bible. The Bible teaches many life lessons and should be studied by everyone. If you want to find good Christian Schools then you can visit Christian Schools Directory.


In summary, I want to comfort parents who may be feeling guilty. If you haven’t done much for your children’s spiritual development, now is the time. And please remember, anything is better than nothing. You don’t have to be a world-class theologian to do any of these five things, but I know the pay off will be worth it, both in quality family time, and in the fruit your efforts bear in your own family!

Christianity and Outcome-based education (OBE)

Outcome-based education (OBE) may represent the most serious threat to both public and private education we have faced in recent years. While generally described by state and federal education leaders as a program developed at the grassroots level, it in fact seems to be a very carefully orchestrated effort to implement federal guidelines and apply them to public and private schools of all types and to home schools by means of more comprehensive compulsory attendance laws, changes in requirements for approval of teacher-training programs, and changes in teacher-certification requirements.

As researchers have reviewed the goals of OBE, they have found them to be remarkably similar from state to state, and in many cases the goals are virtually identical. How could this happen if they had been generated at the grassroots level by educators working independently to develop goals uniquely designed to satisfy the needs of their community? Obviously, they were not developed in that manner but rather were produced through strong influence from a common source.


It is not only the political and religious conservatives who are expressing concerns about OBE. The liberal element of the educational establishment also has reservations. The use of business criteria for evaluation of schools is one of the concerns. They see this approach as focusing too much on input/output factors that are of more importance to business than to society as a whole. Others opposing OBE see its proponents as having oversimplified the problems and their solutions, and they are not certain that the results of OBE will be any more satisfactory than the present system.

Like many issues in education, outcome-based education is difficult to describe or define. There is no generally accepted, comprehensive definition. There is no generally accepted, comprehensive model to examine. Some of the terms commonly given to programs of education we have come to associate with outcome-based education are Exit Outcomes, Lifelong Learning, Mastery Learning Restructuring, Result-Based Education, and Turning Points Curriculum. Why so many different names for essentially the same thing? One might ask whether the object is to confuse the public. Some of these ideas are relatively new, but most are revisions of older programs previously considered and rejected or of programs that have been tried and have failed. All, or nearly all of them, can be found in former President Bush's America 2000 and President Clinton's Goals 2000 programs.


Three Types of Outcome Based Education

According to William Spady, director of the International Center on Outcome-Based Restructuring, there are three types of OBE: traditional (which utilizes the school's existing curriculum and alters its objectives to focus on OBE-type outcomes), transformational (complete OBE structure that requires restructuring of the school, its faculty, and its curriculum), and transitional (which falls somewhere between traditional and transformational). Most opponents of OBE cite examples from transformational OBE.

Are these programs harmful, and should parents object to their implementation in local public schools or even in Christian schools or home schools? Yes, they are harmful; and yes, they should be opposed. But they must be opposed with reason, or we will once again simply be labeled "reactionaries" and "opposed to progress." If the average citizens currently opposing OBE knew what is already going on in their own local public schools, they would in many instances be more shocked about that than about what is presently under consideration as OBE.

It is important for everyone to understand that educational methods are generally not inherently good or bad. It is how the methods are implemented and with what they are associated that assign to them qualities of good or bad. An understanding of that concept is essential to the evaluation of any educational program. Many of the ideas encompassed by some forms of OBE are not inherently bad; they are bad because of the manner in which they would be implemented.

Outcome components

Outcome components identified by the Odyssey program are the following: communicator, collaborator, creative producer, critical thinker, and concerned and confident citizen. In every description of OBE that I have seen, the focus has shifted from an emphasis on the cognitive domain to the affective domain. This means the focus is on attitudes, values, feelings, and emotions rather than on subject-matter content. One cannot help wondering how a program that places less emphasis on the development of knowledge and skills can help us compete more effectively with other nations whose systems of education supposedly are already producing more able students. Outcries from enraged citizens in Gaston County have been so b that their entire Odyssey program may possibly be scrapped as a result of loss of funding from their major supporter.


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been involved in the development of OBE over the longest period of time and seems to have achieved the highest level of development to date. When the State Department of Education proposed moving to OBE in 1992, 545 outcomes were developed that were to be evaluated at the conclusion of a student's education. These were shortly reduced to 55. The following are illustrative of these outcomes:


1. All students develop interpersonal communication, decision-making, coping, and evaluation skills and apply them to personal, family, and community living.

2. All students understand and appreciate their worth as unique and capable individuals and exhibit self-esteem.

3. All students relate in writing, speech, or other media the history and nature of various forms of prejudice to current problems facing communities and nations, including the United States.

4. All students make environmentally sound decisions in their personal and civic lives.

Role of Christian Parents in Outcome Based Education

The issue of choice in education is once again very popular. Although those who support OBE have probably never considered using choice for their own ends, it would be very easy for them to do so. Choice programs give parents the option of choosing public or private schools for the education of their children. A predetermined amount of money would be available to parents to place their children in a public school district where their children would not normally be eligible to attend. The choice funds would help them purchase those services. Or parents could choose a private school, sectarian or nonsectarian, to meet the educational needs of their children. It sounds great to parents struggling to find more acceptable means of educating their children. But the historical record clearly reveals that government regulation follows government money. Choice plans that were used by Christian parents to pay for education services at Christian schools would make it easy for the government to increase its controls on these schools with the support of parents.


Parents, especially Christian parents, need to become involved in expressing their opposition to OBE, particularly at the local school district and state legislative levels. The experience of others has demonstrated that little can generally be gained by attempting to work through the educational bureaucracy because these people are not accountable to the public. However, school board members, state legislators, and, in some states, the state superintendent of schools are subject to popular election and, consequently, must take the views of the public into consideration. If you do not know whether your local school district or state is involved in OBE, contact local school board members or call the school district office and make an inquiry. It is best not to indicate whether you support or oppose OBE when making your inquiry.


OBE is just another reason that Christian parents should seriously consider placing their children in a Christian school or home schooling them. Most Christian parents who attempt to provide education for their children through the public school system meet with serious disappointment.

Can Secular Texts Be Part of Christian Education?

Should both Christian and secular curriculums be part of your child’s education?

Henry Morris‘s Quote from Education for the Real World:

"Christians have, for half a century, been concentrating on evangelism and ‘personal’ Christianity, almost completely abandoning science and education to the evolutionary humanist. It is not enough merely to win individual students and teachers to Christ, important as that may be; we must win education to Christ!"

There is no middle ground. Either education rests on a biblical perspective, or it comes from man’s point of view. Every Christian Schools educator would heartily agree that the goal is helping young people love God with all their hearts, souls, and minds. The discussion begins only when we try to define how that goal should be pursued.


Do Secular Texts Teach Students How to Discern?

Many home educators believe that they can accomplish the mission with a secular text—just so long as they are skilled in detecting the secular agenda and have the ability to refute the false views and insert biblical views. Some parents who want to train "Christian thinkers" believe secular texts will teach their children to discern between good and evil.


A conscientious parent may use God-denying, humanist materials to point out illogic and contradictions in the other side, but the question remains: why would someone so dedicated to developing a Christian worldview use as his main tool one that is written from his opponent’s view? This is reverse thinking, isn’t it?


Biblical truth is the basis for discernment; once that discernment is firmly in place, humanistic and hedonistic thinking can be recognized, examined, and refuted. Secular books ignore the Savior, who received "power over all flesh" and to whom "all power is given." How can secular texts then be useful in the Christian homeschool?

Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." The "fear of the Lord" suggests that obtaining knowledge is more than a mechanical process; it also requires a relationship. To be truly Christian educators, we turn to Him who is the source of the knowledge we seek.

Not All Subjects Are Equal, Are They?
Others have different reasons for not using Christian textbooks exclusively. They believe that some subjects are not necessarily "Christian," that mathematics, for instance, is neither Christian nor secular. But such neutrality is impossible. Every text is written by an author who has his own beliefs that permeate the book. Should the slant for Christians not be Christian?

Or others may believe that some subjects are not crucial to Christian education. To illustrate, let’s think of a two-story house. In the upper story we place the "spiritually important" Bible class and the study of Creation. In the lower story we are likely to place the "less spiritual" math, grammar, foreign language, and elective classes. The problem is that God does not separate learning into upper and lower levels. There is no learning that takes place aside from values.

Are Secular Texts More Credible?

Still others feel that secular texts lend authority to their curriculum. They believe that Christian textbooks are somehow not as credible. Many times it is not the content but the viewpoint itself that causes their concern. They fall prey to the liberals’ tactic of making Christianity seem less than academically respectable.

Frances Patterson, an assistant professor at Valdosta State University, says, "Textbooks and materials used in Christian schools are clearly biased toward a conservative fundamentalist outlook."2 She, of course, meant this as a criticism. To the Christian educator, however, it should be an encouragement, not a worry, that a secular humanist recognizes a significant difference between a Christian worldview and the secular. Secular texts are biased too.

Is There a Solution?

The liberal attacks do serve a purpose: they keep Christian publishers on notice. Christian materials must be exactingly written, use good pedagogical methods, and have excellent craftsmanship—in all student texts, teacher editions, and ancillary materials.

The Philosophy of Christian Discipleship

The dictionary meaning of a disciple, as we all know, is a follower, who imbibes in himself the beliefs and preaching of a mentor, and spreads it religiously, conscientiously and devotedly to mankind – irrespective of their caste, creed or genre. In the history of Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel.

A true Christian is a person who conveys and radiates the doctrines of Jesus Christ and leads others to abide by his spiritual disciplines and follow biblical training into a path of Christian Discipleship, in the truest sense of the term. Every religion has its own forms of communion and philosophy. Likewise, Christianity also has its own systematic and comprehensive statutes, which are to be adhered to, with dedication, fidelity and diligence to the fullest.

What Does the Bible Say About Discipleship?

Luke 9:23 EVS – And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 2:42 ESV - And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Luke 14:27 ESV – “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:26 ESV - “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

To walk on the way of Christ and to put up to his principles with constancy is not an easy task. A person following Spiritual disciplines needs to overcome the luring desirability and luxuries of life; and devote him to selflessness, sacrifice and undying love for all living beings. He needs to follow the words and thoughts of The Lord and work more and more towards studying them, praying them and making them his sole objective to survive. He should have the indefeasible spirit and urge in viewing Jesus in all the spheres and aspects of life. The main philosophy for Christian mentoring is “No pain, no gain”. Christian mentoring is nothing but overpowering another person through wisdom. Every person has to come across thorns while traversing down the way of life.

In Christian discipleship, any pupil is a learner. He needs to gather experience from the ‘pain’ received by others, and apply the same in his life in order to ‘gain’ wisdom. Thus, it can be understood that a man cannot survive alone. The Holy Lord had created men as social beings and he needs to maintain his companionship with others to sustain on earth. This is one of the greatest ethics of Christian Mentoring. Man should adorn himself with courage and an indomitable spirit that would lead to a higher platform of life. Christian Schools also play important role in learning and leading Christianity.


Biblical training is the path to a Christian’s higher values of life. When undergoing his sacrifices and difficult tutelage of Christianity, a Christian disciple thoroughly and dedicatedly studies the Holy Bible and The Lord’s words; but it is not merely about knowing or understanding the teachings. Biblical Training is about imbibing and adopting the teachings and wisdom of Lord Jesus Christ into everyday life.

Role of Quality Christian Education In Children‘s Life

All parents look forward to see their children succeed in life. In fact each parents wishes for a bright future of their children. One of the greatest ways parents can be assured this will happen is by blessing them with a quality Christian education. No matter what children dream to be, but religious education provides the strong foundation necessary to prepare them for a life of service that honors God.

A true Christian is the one who is devoted towards God and understands the importance of God worshiping. The major responsibility for providing children with a quality Christian education belongs to the parents as well as academics. There are various Christian academies that focus to impart Christian principles as part of the teaching session from the early childhood. Online Christian Schools Directory helps you to find best Christian kindergartens, preschools, elementary, middle and high schools.


The learning process is initiated from the pre-school where the main focus is on the physical, spiritual, mental and social development of the children. Christian Academies considers every child as a gift from God and therefore, they provide the quality education along with God's love by showing concern, care and kind words.

The most important tool parents and teachers have been given to educate children is the Bible. The Word of God provides the basis for a quality Christian education. Proverbs 1:7a says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” God is therefore central to the development of character. The ultimate objective of Christian education is that God will be recognized and obeyed in all areas of life. Regardless of the class or subject, Christian education looks to the Bible for absolute truths.


A child’s education is to be rooted in a Christian view of life and must be God-centered with the Bible as the foundation and guide. Bible-believing parents are commanded to demonstrate a lifestyle of character, leadership, service, stewardship, and worship, as they model the example of God’s Son to their children. However, since Adam and Eve, every parent has continued to rebel and fall short of living as God desires. Thankfully, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8b). He has also provided Christian parents with a way to teach these vital characteristics to their children by using the Bible as a textbook.


The success of a Christian education is determined by whether or not students are prepared to live a lifetime of Christian service. Christian schools must educate children in a way that helps them reflect the knowledge learned during their preschool through high school education and discover their call of obedience to God. Students must be taught to respond to their own unique abilities, needs, and sinfulness with an obedient response to the Lord. They must know and fully accept the Bible’s words, and then go out into the public and professional world to serve Christ. By living in Christian service, they will strive to love everyone and seek to transform today’s sinful, self-seeking culture into a world that praises God and not the accomplishments of mankind.

How to Improve Christian Education System?

What we consider education is mainly information sharing with little application or practical use. I am just as guilty of this as a pastor as anyone. We all assume that if a person understands the Bible that they will follow it. Unfortunately that is usually not the case and a sermon or even a small group Bible study isn't likely to bring about the transformation that we're looking for.

I believe that people who deeply study God's Word end up being better Christians but not because they know more. They make a better attempt to follow God for the same reason that they study more - they love the Lord. At best, Biblical education has an indirect effect on a Christian's life. A person knows more about God so they love Him more. Because they love Him more, they want to follow Him more.

This is why discipleship is important and why more education doesn’t reach the desired goal. Education isn’t at fault, but rather the lack of follow up and application. Disciple groups aim for application and provide follow up on learned skills. Jesus obviously spent a lot of time educating His disciples. They heard all of the sermons that He preached to the masses and there was additional instruction just for them as well. We only have a small fraction of what Jesus taught recorded in the Bible. But Jesus didn’t stop with just telling the disciples what was right and wrong and explaining the Bible to them. He made them live it.


Jesus sent His disciples out, two by two, into the towns and villages ahead of Him. They preached and performed miracles. Then they came back to Jesus and reported all that they had seen and done. Jesus gave follow up instruction based on what they reported. This is how discipleship truly works. A person lives out their daily life in accordance with what they have been taught. At the next meeting they report how things went and adjustments are made and further instruction is given. Christian Schools are best source to teach your children our religious values, you will be confident that your children are growing in Christian education.

Education is great, but it can’t do it all. A person can gain the same information by reading a book or by hearing a teacher instruct on the topic but one will be more valuable to them. Millions of students wouldn’t need school if they could just read it in a book. Likewise, discipleship takes education a step further and makes it more applicable to a student than simply being instructed does. This is why education is a start but not the finish line.

Why should we choose Christian Education for Our Children?

Christian education is a very broad topic. In general, Christian education could be considered any education that is based upon a Christian worldview or teaches Christian principles. The word intentionally should be added to this definition however. Even our public school system teaches some Christian values such as honesty and integrity without endorsing Christianity as they are generally accepted good traits. Moreover, because the US has a Christian heritage there will always be some Christian principles taught even if they aren’t acknowledged as Christian in origin.


What is Christian education will vary based on the context of whether it takes place in a school setting or within a church. In formal education it is impossible to make math Christian but overall the school may strive to grow students into mature Christians. This would make it a Christian school and one would receive a Christian education there. In the context of a church, Christian education should only have one goal, make fully functional Disciples of Christ.

There are four things that separate Christian education from other types of education – people, purposes, products, and processes. In respect to people, Christian education is different because it involves Christians. Christians are the students and more mature Christians are the teachers. This can be found in any public school in America however, so that is not all that is required. The most important person in Christian education is the Lord. God is involved in the education of Christians, both as the subject of the education and as the giver of spiritual gifts. The spiritual gifts are then used for the glory of God, completing the circle.

The purpose of Christian education is different because it involves the reconciliation of our relationship with God. All Christians have already been forgiven and that part of our relationship with God has already been restored. However we continue to sin and need to continue to ask for forgiveness. We are taught to seek God in prayer and to worship Him. The more we do this, the more we attain spiritual maturity.

The products of Christian education are brought as a result of the purpose of Christian education. As a believer is brought into maturity, they will worship the Lord more deeply and whole heartedly. As they attain maturity, they will seek out others to pass on their knowledge and begin the discipleship process over again, this time as the teacher.

The final thing that makes education Christian is the processes. This is probably the biggest separation from secular and Christian Schooling. The Bible is the core textbook in Christian education. The people are devoted to one another in a way that is not found in normal teaching. As a result of using the Bible as the authoritative textbook, the education is Christ-centered and focused on the disciplines that Jesus taught.