swchs Philosophy

Statement of Faith

What does SWCHS believe about God? This is the most important piece of the school’s foundation. SWCHS bases its entire program on the assumption that these doctrines are entirely true. All the other assumptions, principles and practices of SWCHS flow from this statement of faith.

1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God.
2. We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Sprit.
3. We believe that the creation was an act of God.
4. We believe in the Deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His eventual personal return in power and glory.
5. We believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Sprit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature; and that individuals are justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Christ and that only by God’s grace through faith we are saved.
6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

Core Principles

In order to fulfill the School’s Vision, and to practice its Mission, SWCHS assumes that education ought to be Christian. This assumption is derived from the following three principles:

First: The Bible is the basis of all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, and pertains to every realm of life and thought (Proverbs 1:2-7). Therefore, the Bible is the basis for all true education. Only by learning the Bible itself, and seeing the world through its lens, will students learn and teachers educate as God intended

Second: The purpose of the creation is to reveal and glorify God (Romans 1:20, Psalm 145:10). Therefore, the purpose of education, which studies the creation, is to reveal and glorify God.

Third: God is fully revealed and glorified by the creation only in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:17-20, I Corinthians 2:10-14, II Corinthians 3:14). Therefore, education will only fulfill its purpose when students and teachers place the Lord Jesus Christ at the center of learning and teaching, and rely upon the Holy Spirit to illuminate the meaning of the creation they study. Putting Jesus Christ at the center impacts both the content of the curriculum and the method by which it is taught and learned. This is why education should be Christian.

 

Distinctives

• The principles and values of SWCHS distinguish it from many other schools, both public and private, in the following ways:
• Because the Bible is the basis for all education, SWCHS trains staff, students, and their families to study it responsibly and to observe the world through its lens.
• Because education was meant to glorify and reveal God, SWCHS challenges its staff, students, and their families to discover God and His purposes in every area of life and thought – curricular and extra-curricular, related or apparently unrelated to church and daily devotions.
• Because faith in Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is the center of education, SWCHS nurtures true Christian faith in its staff, students, and their families.
• Because a humble and faith-filled heart is a necessary key to God’s guidance in education, SWCHS exhorts its staff, students, and their families to respond to God with a genuine willingness to follow Him in any way that He leads.
• Because learning depends so heavily upon the character of the teacher and learner, SWCHS expects its students, staff, and families to live according to God’s standards of personal integrity.
• Because God requires wholehearted excellence in everything, SWCHS provides a vigorous academic, athletic, and artistic program that demands excellence.
• Because a Christian school is an assistant to born-again parents and local churches, SWCHS partners with parents to "train a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6) and with local churches to "command and teach these things" (I Timothy 4:11-16).

 

Values

As a result of its foundational principles, SWCHS values the following three essential ingredients of education:

• First: Humble, teachable, and faith-filled students who respond to God’s call to pick up their cross and follow Christ by loving Him with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the heart attitude that can open the door to learning as God intended it (Psalms 25, Mark 8:34-38, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 3:7-8, Mark 12:30, Proverbs 2).
• Second: An eagerness to wholeheartedly excel in every endeavor, going above and beyond the call of duty for God’s glory. This is the lofty height to which God calls His people in education (Proverbs 2, Colossians 3:23).
• Third: Partnerships, with Christian parents and local churches. SWCHS sees itself as an assistant to parents, who are charged with the ultimate responsibility for their children’s education (Ephesians 6:4). SWCHS is also an assistant to the local, Bible-believing churches because they provide the primary means by which Christ’s followers are discipled.