Richard Eden Academy Educational Philosophy
The educational philosophy of Richard Eden Academy is based on a God-centered view of truth and humanity as presented in the Bible.
Since God creates and sustains all things through His Son, Jesus Christ, the universe and all life are dynamically related to God and have the purpose of glorifying Him. This relationship is pointedly true of humankind, made in God’s image, different from all other creations, with the unique capacity to know and respond to God personally and voluntarily.
Because we are sinners by nature and choice, we cannot, in this condition, know or honor God on our own. We can do this only by the Spirit of God, who empowers us to acknowledge and follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and thus be enabled to do God’s will (i.e., to glorify God and enjoy Him forever), which is the ultimate purpose of life.
The Holy Spirit uses the entire process of Christian education to bring students into fellowship with God, develop Christian minds, and train them in godly living so that they can fulfill God’s total purpose for their lives personally and vocationally.
Students in the Christian school are taught from a Biblical Worldview so they may better understand God as well as their nature and role as persons created in God’s image; they must be developed and related to God as whole persons, spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially; they must learn to see “all truth as God’s truth” (Augustine); they must be educated as individuals with unique abilities and personalities who must learn to live and work with others at home, in the church, and society. Finally, students must interact with and be taught by teacher models who are themselves followers of Jesus Christ and reflect this perspective on life.
The authority for such an education comes from God’s command that children be taught to love God and place Him first (Matthew 22:37) and that parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s total education and training (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4). Therefore, at the parent’s request, the Christian school becomes a partner in the educational and spiritual development and growth of their children.