Our World Belongs to God - continued

“Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony” (used with permission by the Christian Reformed Church in North America), is Grand Rapids Christian Schools’ (GRCS) operative governing statement of the Christian faith.  The Contemporary Testimony guides GRCS in three important ways.

1. The Contemporary Testimony summarizes the basic doctrines taught in the Bible and affirmed in all Christian traditions: the divine inspiration and final authority of Scripture; God the Holy Trinity; salvation through the incarnation, obedient life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and heavenly rule of Jesus Christ; the regeneration, sanctification, and empowerment of God’s people, the church, by the Holy Spirit; and our future hope of resurrection and eternal life in God’s Kingdom, the new heaven and earth. The Contemporary Testimony presents these doctrines as they arise from biblical history—the creation, fall, redemption, and consummation of God’s Kingdom.  Our world belongs to God because he created it, sustains it, redeems it, and is guiding it to its glorious destiny.  This is the vision of Christianity taught at Grand Rapids Christian Schools.
   
   
2. The Contemporary Testimony provides biblical perspective for the entire curriculum, not just religion courses.  It specifically locates nature, human life, marriage, family, sexuality, education, science, technology, economics, politics, government, social justice, language, arts, music, recreation, sports, church, and worship within biblical history: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.  In each subject area we ask:
1. What is God’s original order and design for this part of his creation?
2. How did the fall adversely affect it?
3. How does redemption through Jesus Christ restore and enhance it?
4. How can we “seek first God’s Kingdom” with lives that reflect and promote his redemptive work in the world?
   
   
3. The Contemporary Testimony provides perspective on students, schools, and the purpose of education.  God wants his children to love and serve him with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Primary Christian nurture is the responsibility of parents and families.  Schools are ordained by God to affirm and expand Christian nurture as children acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for adult life in society.  The purpose of Christian schools is to enable each student to develop his or her gifts as a spiritually wise and competent citizen of God’s Kingdom, not just a home-maker, income-earner, and good citizen.  In addition, the school community should exemplify the fruits of the Spirit.  Order and discipline are motivated by love and tempered by forgiveness so that each student can experience the love of Christ and follow him.

To read “Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony”, click here.