discipleship model

Southwest Christian High School embraces a Discipleship Model in its philosophy of education. This means that the staff and faculty endeavor to build up students as disciples of Jesus Christ in every aspect of the school: in the classrooms, in sports, in the hallways, in fine arts, through discipline, at weekly discipleship group meetings, at Chapel, on service days, on mission trips, in our social events … even through our admission process.

Students who enroll at Southwest have already professed faith in Jesus Christ, and yet we have diversity among our students in terms of denominational background, faith journeys, race, gender, income level, and national or ethnic origin. Each student is upheld as a distinct, gifted individual--loved by God and created in the image of God.

Our Discipleship Model also means that our staff and board are fully committed to educating students in all subjects (math, science, English, foreign languages, history, fine arts, etc.) through a distinctly biblical worldview. This does not mean that teachers throw in a random Bible verse in a lecture just to make it “Christian.” Rather, a biblical worldview is expressed first and foremost out of a staff that lives by the Spirit of Christ, empowered by Him to live righteously and lovingly. The staff starts the day with morning devotions and prayer, and students are often prayed for by name. Faculty teach their subjects “in light of the Word of God, since it is impossible to truly understand creation without knowing the Creator!” 1

At Southwest, the curriculum stresses the understanding of a biblical worldview as well as other worldviews: Secular Humanism, Naturalism, Cosmic Humanism, Postmodernism, and more. And yet at the same time, we seek to be a school where students can ask honest questions, and where discovery of Truth is more important than merely telling Truth. In the

faith-formative years of adolescence, students must be given permission to connect life-giving Truth with their deepest needs, desires, relationships, and hopes for the future. It is our goal and desire to be leaders in the discovery process as we seek to build up each student as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

1 Quote from Why Christian Education?, pamphlet available at SW