SCHOOL NEWS

GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Plymouth Christian School will be seeking applications for a lower elementary teaching position and a high school teaching position. We are in need of a high school teacher certified in English, Foreign Languages, Business and Home Economics.

Applicants or anyone seeking further information may contact the principal, Mr. David Engelsma, 965 Plymouth Road, N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505. School telephone: 616/454-9481.

KALAMAZOO

The Providence Christian School of Kalamazoo is seeking applications for a qualified principal-teacher for the next school year. Our school consists of grades K thru 9, with four teachers, inclusive of this position. Those desiring further information regarding this position are requested to contact one of the following:

Mr. Paul DeVisser

2001 East B Avenue

Plainwell, MI 49008

Phone 616/344-8508

Mr. Leonard Timmer

35 Christy

Battle Creek, MI 49015

Phone 616/964-4805

May the Lord supply in this need, inclining hearts unto this work.

ROCK VALLEY/SIOUX CENTER NETHERLANDS REFORMED CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (1-712-476-2821)

The school board is seeking applicants for the 1982-83 school year. Our needs at present are:

Elementary teacher (either primary or intermediate)

May the Lord graciously provide for the needs of all the schools, supplying us with teachers in His favor. Interested applicants should contact Mr. Gilbert Hoogendoorn, President (1-712-753-4555), or Mr. Harold Schelling, Principal (1-712-722-1131).

Applications can be sent to:

Netherlands Reformed Christian School

Rural Route 1, Box 269K

Rock Valley, Iowa 51247

LETHBRIDGE-FORT MACLEOD

The School Board of the Calvin Christian School of Fort Macleod and Lethbridge is seeking applications for three (3) teacher positions for the 1982-1983 school year.

We need two (2) grade 10 teachers and one (1) for the Junior High level. Presently our school offers K thru grade 9. Total enrollment is 229 students. We have a staff of ten teachers.

Anyone desiring more information regarding these positions is invited to contact the principal, Mr. A.H. Verhoef, residence phone 403/328-0495, or school phone 403/320-2162.

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience. Applications to be sent to Mr. Adrian De Wilde, Box 142, Monarck, Alberta, Canada. TOLIMO Tel. No. 403/824-3698.

TIMOTHY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

50420 Castleman Rd., R.R. No. 2 Chilliwack, British Columbia Canada V2P 6H4 (Area Code 604) 794-7114

The School Board of the Timothy Christian School is presently seeking applications for the following three positions:

Elementary Teacher: Intermediate Grade

High School Teacher: Math & Science

High School Teacher: English & Social Studies

Timothy Christian School has a present enrollment of 360 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with a faculty of 20 full-time teachers.

Anyone interested in applying or desiring more information concerning one of these positions please contact our president or principal. The secondary teaching assignments are somewhat flexible. The salary for each position will be commensurate with education and experience. May the Lord, Who alone can incline the heart, graciously provide for our school and our other schools’ needs. The responsibilities, but also the opportunities, of teaching in a Christian school are great.

The Timothy Christian School Board

Rev. A.W. Verhoef, President

9524 Woodbine St. South

Chilliwack, British Columbia

Canada V2P 5S4

(Area Code 604) 795-9075

Mr. James W. Beeke, Principal

10435 McGrath Road, R.R. No. 1

Rosedale, British Columbia

Canada VOX 1XO

(Area Code 604) 794-7109 (home)

NORWICH, ONTARIO

The Rehoboth Christian School of Norwich, Ontario is seeking applications for a qualified principal-teacher and also a senior teacher for grades 8, 9 and 10, for the next school year.

Those desiring additional information regarding these positions are requested to contact one of the following:

Mr. Henry Scholten, Pres.

8 Main St., East

Norwich, Ontario

Canada N0J 1 PO

Tel. 519/863-3825

or

Mr. John Honcoop, Sec.

46 Main St., East

Norwich, Ontario

Canada N0J 1 PO

Tel. 519/863-2127

May the Lord incline hearts unto this work, fulfilling our needs.

CONCLUSION TO LUTHER’S COMMENT ON CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

“The consistories everywhere shall see to it that there are good school teachers, not only to teach the children reading, writing, languages, and the liberal arts, but also to instruct them in godliness and in the Catechism.” Thus our forefathers spoke when they composed our church order at the famous Synod of Dordt, held in 1618 and 1619. This church order was intended to be and has been the standard rule of conduct for the Reformed churches in the Netherlands and for our denomination as well. It certainly is most noteworthy that our forefathers considered Christian education to be a matter of such great significance that a separate article (Art. 21) dealing with this issue was included in the Church Order. The article in the back of our Psalter reads as follows: “The Consistories shall see to it that there are good Christian schools in which the parents have their children instructed according to the demands of the covenant.” Our forefathers obviously felt that Christian Schools are and must be an essential part of the Church of the Reformation.

Anyone who has carefully read the statements of the great reformer, Martin Luther, must realize that our forefathers therefore spoke as true Sons of the Reformation. Since our denomination is a REFORMED denomination, it is clearly our duty to “see to it that there are good Christian Schools.”

Happily, in the past six years there has truly been an awakening in our denomination regarding Christian education. Due to the serious deterioration of public education, parents have become acutely aware of the great need for our own schools. The Lord has inclined the hearts of many; and today in most of our congregations our children have an opportunity to attend our own Christian Schools.

Nevertheless it must be emphasized that the need for our own schools existed long before 1975, which is evident from the fact that our Grand Rapids congregation has been privileged to have its own Christian School since the beginning of this century.

Indeed, there is a very basic difference between public and Christian education, especially today. Public education is education without the Word of God (even in those days when the Bible was still read in the morning) and therefore it is a godless education. The prevailing philosophy of life in public education is humanism, which exalts man to the highest and abases God to the deepest. (Please, note that this statement is not directed at public school teachers, per se, but specifically against prevailing philosophy of education in public schools).

Therefore, if we truly value the never-dying souls of our children and if we feel the solemnity of the promise (or oath) we made “to see these children, when come to the years of discretion, instructed and brought up in the aforesaid doctrine, or help or cause them to be instructed therein, to the utmost of your power,” (For for the Administration of Baptism, question 3) we can not possibly send our children to a public school or to a school where misleading doctrines are taught.

In his preface to Luther’s “Address to the Councilmen of Germany”, the compiler states the following,

“If, as the reformers contended, many of the current doctrines and practices of the church were erroneous and dangerous to salvation, surely parents ought not to send their children to schools where these doctrines were inculcated. Luther, although a consistent advocate of what he considered to be the right kind of education, attacked existing schools in the harshest terms. He referred to the monastic and cathedral schools as “devil’s training centers,” and stigmatized their textbooks as “asses’ dung.” He went so far as to say that rather than send a boy to such a school he would prefer that he received no schooling at all.”

Luther himself says this about education without the Word of God,

“I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s Word becomes corrupt. Because of this we can see what kind of people they become in the universities and what they are like now. I greatly fear that the universities or schools, unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates to hell.”

“Precious young people are neglected and allowed to go to rack and ruin. They are taught neither to believe nor to pray. Their teachers do not know how themselves and are ashamed to accept our instruction or example. Therefore it remains undone.”

Although Luther has clearly shown us our solemn responsibility to provide a sound, Christian education for our children, it should also be stated that sending our children to our own schools is no guarantee that all will turn out well. Some of our children will go astray, if the Lord does not prevent it, in spite of the good education they hve received. Nevertheless, it remains our duty to instruct or cause our children to be instructed in the aforesaid doctrine. Luther makes this abundantly clear in the following statement,

“But you say, ‘Suppose things turn out badly and my son becomes a heretic or a knave?’ As they say, ‘The learned are daft.’ Well, you have to take that chance. Your diligence and labor will not be lost. God will have regard for your faithful service and count it as though it had turned out well. You simply have to take the chance as you would in any other occupation for which you might train your son. How was it with the good Abraham? His son Ishmael did not turn out well; neither did Isaac’s son Esau, or Adam’s son Cain. Should Abraham therefore have given up training his son Isaac, or Isaac his son Jacob, or Adam his son Abel for the service of God? How many bad kings and people there were among the holy and chosen nation of Israel! With their heresies and idolatries they brought on all kinds of trouble and killed all the prophets. Ought Levi the priest to have let the whole nation go on that account, and no longer trained anyone for the service of God? How many bad priests and Levites were there among the tribe of Levi, which God Himself had chosen for the priesthood? How many people has God on earth who misuse all His kindness and all His creatures? Ought He on that account to desist from His kindness and let no man live? Ought He cease to do good?”

Hopefully, the statements from one of the great men the Lord has used in the past to deliver the church from deep spiritual darkness, will cause us to better realize the great importance of Christian education in our denomination. Ignorance was the primary cause of the Dark Ages; and if the Lord does not prevent it, ignorance will also be the downfall of our denomination. Ignorance of the Word of God, ignorance of the history of the Church, ignorance of the way the Lord leads His people, ignorance of the doctrines of grace will be used by Satan to lead our children astray and the Word of the Lord would be fulfilled: “My people were destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). May we therefore be prayerfully vigilant in these very dark times to use the God-given means of Christian education to the utmost of our ability. Let us in this respect also heed the exhortation of Luther,

“The devil does not rest and sleep, and so the spiritual rulers certainly must not rest or sleep either. Otherwise everything will be lost. Even if one watches and toils, it still takes effort and exertion to keep the Word of God pure.”

Christian education itself will not convert any of our children. This is and remains the work of a Triune God; yet it has always pleased the Lord to use means for the conversion of lost sinners. May it please the Lord to abundantly bless the efforts put forth within our denomination to the glorification of His thrice-holy Name, the conversion of our boys and girls, and the welfare of our congregations.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen