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Faith formation in at Grand Rapids Christian Schools is based on the belief that God loves us and invites us into a relationship with Him. GRCS aims to cultivate in students and staff a desire to actively participate in God’s Kingdom as Christian disciples.

Grand Rapids Christian acknowledges that  faith formation is a combined effort involving the school, the home and the church. While the home is the primary and most biblically grounded environment for faith formation, the Christian school also plays a significant role in this process.

Forming faith can be described in a variety of ways . One helpful approach is to consider it within the framework of Knowing God, Loving God, and Serving God. This threefold focus guides how faith is fostered through academics, worship, and service to God.

For more information about Faith Formation at Grand Rapids Christian Schools, please contact Tom DeJonge, Superintendent, at 616.574.6000 or click here. 

We believe in one God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has revealed himself in the Holy Bible. This God is present today and controls both humankind and history. We believe and confess that:

• God shows himself through all he has made - for God has made everything
• God shows himself in justice and mercy over against the sin and evil which has invaded
• God's creation;
• God shows himself and the way of salvation in his Word the Holy Scriptures;
• God shows himself most fully in his Son Jesus Christ who, by a miraculous birth, became a human being for our sake, suffered, died and was raised to conquer the power of sin and the curse of death under which we all live.

Further, we believe and confess that:

• Jesus Christ is now the Lord of all things, both in the created world and in the Church - the fellowship of the redeemed;
• Jesus Christ is now gathering and preserving his Church so that her members may be his servants in this world; Jesus Christ shall return on the day of the Father's choosing to judge all humanity, the living and the dead.

This faith clearly has consequences for the church and the Christian home. It also has special consequences for those involved in Christian day schools, which exist in concert with the home and the church for the nurturing of Christian teaching and life. Because the Lord is Lord of all life, we profess and declare that:

• Our students will be presented with the basic message of Scripture and the redemption that has been given in Christ.
• Our students will be instructed in Scriptural principles that will guide them in mature living - in its spiritual, intellectual, and behavioral dimensions.
• Our students will be encouraged to recognize the greatness and the mercy of our Lord in every area of life.
• Our students will be guided into a true knowledge of God's world, of its history, and its culture.
• Our students will be enabled to assess the values of the age from the perspective of Christ's redemption and rule over all the world.

Because our Lord is Lord of all life we further profess and declare that:

• Obedience to God involves us in a thorough investigation of all reality, and that students and teachers alike should seek to integrate their personal faith with all areas of learning;
• Obedience to God involves us in an urgency to promote this Lordship of Christ within the communities of our schools and throughout the entire world through the agency of the schools as well as the church and family.

All this we profess and declare in the sure and certain hope that as we nurture our children in the knowledge and love of the Lord, God himself will guide, preserve and bless these efforts through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony (shared with permission by the Christian Reformed Church in North America) is the Christian perspective that guides Grand Rapids Christian Schools. The Contemporary Testimony provides biblical perspective for the entire curriculum. It also affirms that the purpose of education is to enable students to become spiritually wise, world-engaging citizens of God’s Kingdom.

Prepared to follow Christ with faithfulness, resilience, and humility in a broken but hopeful world.

• Affirm students, parents, and colleagues as children of God and servants in His kingdom.
• Contribute to the Christian community by sending their children to a Christian school and being an active member of a Christian church.
• Model biblical principles when working with students, parents, and colleagues.
• Encourage and nurture the faith development of the students.
• Share their faith articulately with students, parents and colleagues.
• Integrate faith and Christian values in instruction and curriculum.
• Motivate students to recognize and use their God-given gifts to work in God’s kingdom.
• Live a God-honoring life in keeping with the Basis of Grand Rapids Christian Schools.

Prepared to engage with a diverse range of people and ideologies.         

• Show awareness that the students in our schools comprise many different backgrounds that encompass our view of diversity. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values, national origin, and political beliefs.
• Show awareness and understanding of how these differences are articulated in a school setting with different communication needs, learning styles and behaviors.
• Create a welcoming and inclusive campus and classroom for all students.
• Show respect for and, in turn, expect respect from all students, families, and colleagues on a daily basis.
• Work to create a learning space and experiences that will motivate and engage the abilities of diverse learners.
• Model cultural respect in interactions with students, families, and colleagues.

Prepared to work in a team environment, articulate ideas, and consider multiple viewpoints.

• Effectively communicate with colleagues, administrators, and parents in person, in writing, and using various media.
• Communicate effectively students with respect in ways that build and promote growth and maintain appropriate student-teacher relationships.
• Maintain a positive, collaborative, and responsible partnership with parents.
• Handle confrontations and disagreements sensitively and respectfully.
• Support colleagues personally and professionally, consistently following through with collaborative decisions.
• Collaborate with colleagues to implement curriculum that is aligned to standards.
• Treat confidential information sensitively.
• Show respect for and sensitivity to others when using social media.
   

Prepared to practice hospitality, compassion, service, and empathy for those around them.

• Demonstrate a pattern of behavior which reflects a Christ-centered life both inside and outside of school.
• Present a public presence (e.g., social media, neighborhood functions, church, clubs, associations, etc.) which is widely recognized as positive, open, warm, and respectful of others. 
• Positively engage with community organizations, serving as salt and light.
• Dedicate themselves to the Golden Rule and Christ’s command to love our neighbor.
• Demonstrate an attitude of humility, integrity, and grace.
• Show respect and sensitivity when handling a confrontation or disagreement and analyze issues from a variety of perspectives.
• Interact positively with colleagues and demonstrate positive attitudes.
• Assume positive intent in interactions with the entire school community.

Prepared to actively pursue greater wholeness in the world by working for justice and practicing stewardship. 

• Aid our students to view themselves as builders of God’s kingdom here on earth.
• Allow students to understand and practice action-oriented tasks that are associated with justice and inclusion in their daily lives at school and in their communities.
• Instruct students on the different ways to appropriately resolve conflict with others, and model appropriate behaviors as faculty and staff in day-to-day interactions with colleagues..
• Show a commitment to justice through actions taken inside and outside of the classroom through resolution of issues between students. 
• Show students how to recognize and understand injustice as they work through the curriculum, and help them to find ways to address injustice through community engagement.
• In conflict situations, listen to parents and students from all sides, and try to resolve injustices in a way that best serves all students.

Prepared to identify issues, engage in critical thinking, and persistently work toward solutions.

• Understand that every student is uniquely created by God, fearfully and wonderfully made, and constantly look for ways to make learning authentic for all students.  
• Respond to students’ needs in a timely manner, varying teaching methodology in a way that benefits all learning styles, and offering opportunities for all students to enhance learning outside of the traditional classroom.
• Approach the act of teaching as a way to provide students with the ability to continue educating themselves through discernment and discovery, not just as a means to deliver content.
• Constantly look for ways in which they can communicate God’s truth through their curriculum and encourage students to apply these truths to their own learning and lives.
• Work well in a collaborative setting, sharing and learning from each other and taking advantage of diverse viewpoints to solve and address issues in the school environment.

Prepared to live a life of discovery and wonder in God’s world.

• Demonstrate a realization that learning is a lifelong journey for both students and teachers. 
• Engage in regular reflections and self-assessments, both personally and professionally.
• Critically evaluate new methods of teaching and learning to best engage with their content.
• Create professional learning environments that promote active engagement, participation, and collaboration
• Continue education and training to remain current and meet State certification requirements.  

Romans 12: 6-7
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift . . . is teaching, then teach.

1 Corinthians 12: 27–29
You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. First, God has placed apostles in the church. Second, he has placed prophets in the church. Third, he has placed teachers in the church. Then he has given to the church miracles and gifts of healing. He also has given the gift of helping others and the gift of guiding the church. God also has given the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages. Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone a prophet? Is everyone a teacher? Do all work miracles?

Luke 6:40
The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.  

Titus 2:7-8
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

James 3:1-2
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.