In today's society, evangelism is becoming scarce due to the fallen nature of this world and its effect on the mindsets and priorities of people. Although the traditional "meet and greet" or street evangelism continues, church-goers often lack commitment and are still influenced by worldly views and practices.
However, through establishing schools, the Olivet Assembly hopes to ensure a higher quality, Christian education system through which the seeds of the gospel of Jesus Christ can be planted in the hearts of students attending the school.
The goal of Christian education is not just for students to graduate with high GPA's, and attend the best colleges and universities, or even achieve high-paying jobs. Rather, the classic Christian education is rooted in raising individuals to impact their generation and generations to come with the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom found in the Gospel of Christ.
Deuteronomy 6 instructs us to use the Bible as a grid to teach our children about life. A Christian school does not simply add Bible courses and Bible memorization to the students' day; it views all subjects through the lens of Scripture.
The Reformed faith uniquely challenges the faithful to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). In this way, students can address and impact their culture. As Paul appealed to the Athenians based on what he knew of their poets and gods, Christian education will prepare students to address the people in a way that is relevant to the issues of their times.
Christian primary and secondary schools will develop a model that will use the children's God-given strengths at each stage of growth to help them learn. Young children enjoy memorizing, singing, and rhymes, so a solid foundation is laid in each subject of study at this age; junior high students are inquisitive, longing to develop their ability to reason and discern truth; high school students want to talk, so it is necessary to teach them how to present their ideas persuasively.
The ultimate goal is that at the time of graduation, students would know what they believe and be able to defend the reason for their faith, and be able to positively impact the community around them for the glory of God and His kingdom.
