Let us always remember, that baptism, church-membership, reception of the Lord’s Supper, and a diligent use of the outward forms of Christianity, are not sufficient to save our souls. They are leaves, nothing but leaves, and without fruit will add to our condemnation. Like the fig leaves of which Adam and Eve made themselves garments, they will not hide the nakedness of our souls from the eye of an all-seeing God, or give us boldness when we stand before Him at the last day. No! we must bear fruit, or be lost forever. There must be fruit in our hearts and fruit in our lives, the fruit of repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and true holiness in our conversation. Without such fruits as these a profession of Christianity will only sink us lower into hell.
"...(the) bearing of truth, the meaning of truth, the purpose of truth - even in the sphere of mathematics, seem entirely different to the Christian from that which they seem to the non-Christian; and that is why a truly Christian education is possible only when Christian conviction underlies, not a part, but all, of the curriculum of the school. True learning, and true piety go hand in hand, and Christianity embraces the whole of life.... I can see little consistency in a type of Christian activity which preachees the gospel on the street corners and at the ends of the earth, but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularlism."
J. Gresham Machen
"It is absolutely impossible to separate religious ideas from the great mass of human knowledge ... where these are not positively implied, they are virtually denied." A.A. Hodge, 'Religion in the Public Schools', New Princeton Review, 1887
"Education is the nurture and development of the whole man for his proper end. The end must be conceived aright in order to understand the process."
R.L. Dabney, 'State-Free Schools', in Discussions, Vol.4, 1897
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Kingdom-MindedMoms MASTERClass (NOTE: MASTERClass will be back in session 2022-2023, but do connect with us on our Facebook page - lots of good stuff there.)
MASTERClass (formerally called Visionary Christian Home Educators - a.k.a. V-CHE) - is a Christian discipleship and visioneering group for moms much like continuing educational courses for teachers coupled with fellowship and accountability. Consider MASTERClass a Mom's Night Out on steroids!
MASTERClass monthly will provide you with valuable information, resources, and practical ways to accomplish your most noble charge – the discipleship and education of the children God has given you.
The class topics are designed to systematically lead you through the process of developing a powerful vision for your child, for yourself, for your family, and for your reason to home educate. Granted, nearly 90% of professing Christian parents send their children to the local government school, so how does MASTERClass apply to them?
ALL PARENTS HOMESCHOOL THEIR CHILDREN. You know this!
No matter where your child attends school, both the content and the context of that schooling is discipling your child. Parents who elect home-based, parent directed schooling are in greater control of both the content and the context - we have an easier time screening and selecting truth-filled curriculum, and we can scrutinize and hand-pick the teachers we enlist to help us on our journey. Obviously, we also have greater oversight of their peer group influence. Christian parents who outsource their children to institutional schooling - whether that be government schooling, private schooling, or even Christian schooling - must be evermore vigilant in tearing down those things that set themselves up against the knowledge of God and evermore diligent to root their children in Truth. They have a harder job!
A Christian-thinking education for our children is not optional - says God. We parents have been given a sacred stewardship of our children to raise them for His glory, and we only have a limited amount of time to do it and the deck of cultural and ecclesiastical decay is stacked against us.
MASTERClass helps you do your job better, for the glory of God and His name-sake and for the good of your child and the generations to come.
Q1: What is the chief end of man? A1: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Here, the word glorify does not equate 'making much of', although that is our privilege and delight, but rather the word 'glory' here means to reflect or to mirror. An example from the physical realm - the moon, having no light of it's own, it shines bright in the night sky by simply reflecting it's light source - our sun. We benefit from this reflecting of the sun's light by illuminating our night sky. Likewise, we glorify God by mirroring Him and reflecting Him to the world - His attributes, His nature, His will, His Truth. John Piper puts it this way, "'Glorify' does not mean make glorious. It means [to] reflect or display as glorious." When we glorify Him rightly, we are a benefit to this world in our applying His Truths to every sphere of our living - we shine forth His majesty and rightful reign in the darkness, in this world He so loves.
Facts are, most professing Christians - profess Him with their mouth, but deny Him in their hearts and their minds and actions. What shapes your thinking, shapes your living! It's not sufficient to have a little "Jesus" sprinkled on a compromised lesson or to know even heaps of bible trivia. When we don't think God's thoughts after Him concerning our family life, church life, community life, politics, economics and finances, entertainment, vocation, education, history, the arts, conduct and ethics, etc - we obscure His nature and majesty and infinite worth to a world in desperate need of Him, and provide grounds for God-directed scorn and mockery. This issue is not about you. This issue is not about your child. This is a Great Commandment and Great Commission issue (Luke 10:26-28, Matthew 28:16-20). The issue is the glory of God!
“There are a several troubling patterns to take notice. First, although most Americans consider themselves to be Christian and say they know the content of the Bible, less than one out of ten Americans demonstrate such knowledge through their actions. Second, the generational pattern suggests that parents are not focused on guiding their children to have a biblical worldview. One of the challenges for parents, though, is that you cannot give what you do not have, and most parents do not possess such a perspective on life. That raises a third challenge, which relates to the job that Christian churches, schools and parachurch ministries are doing in Christian education. Finally, even though a central element of being a Christian is to embrace basic biblical principles and incorporate them into one’s worldview, there has been no change in the percentage of adults or even born again adults in the past 13 years regarding the possession of a biblical worldview.”
If you are Christian - whether you home educate, enlist the help of Christian schooling for your child's education, or outsource your child's education to the local government institution, the MASTERClass lessons are for you in your endeavor to raise your child for Him!
MASTERClass will benefit you most if you begin the course in September and listen as many classes as possible. Mentoring is available for registered students both via e-mail and on our Facebook page.
Our purpose is to educate, inspire, encourage, exhort and equip you in your quest to disciple your children at with an eternal perspective. Further, we desire to see you go on to mentor other mom's in the discipling of their children for the advancement of the Kingdom.
We are a volunteer organization of parents who are seeking to lead lives pleasing to the Lord by being faithful to disciple our own children, and to help others along the way. We view the education, discipleship, and stewardship of our children as a welcome privilege entrusted to us by God. We value ministering to others in order to help them in their journey with the help we've received.
Where There is No Vision, the People Perish. Proverbs 29: 18a
There are two main motivations Christian parents have when reaching the decision to home educate their children. The two motivations can be described by the terms *reactionary and visionary.
Reactionary families comprise the vast majority of the home education demographic. They are trying to keep their children, and thus their family, away from something they deem unacceptable. So-called ‘secular’ beliefs. Personal danger and peer dependence. Drug use. Promiscuity. A mediocre educational experience. Perhaps this is coupled with the fact that they can't afford to send their children to an expensive Christian school. The reactionary motive is a conviction to guard their children from harmful things.
This is a good thing.
Many, if not most, home educating families begin the journey this way. God uses these good reasons to accomplish His will. However, this particular posture has positioned these families against something rather than for something. And God certainly desires a more victorious life for His children.
The visionary motive is characterized by strategic and intentional living. These families advance toward something - not fortress themselves against something. Their goal is to steward their children for God's glory and to equip them for their unique, God-ordained purpose in life. 'For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.' (Ephesians2:10) The visionary motive is a divine call to accomplish, not to avoid.
This is a better thing! Truly!
* A specific thanks to David Reece for such an eloquent explanation - Christian homeschool dad and developer of Student Of the Word (SOW) Bible based curriculum.
Moms participating in MASTERClass believe every person on earth has a mission to accomplish; and this reaches beyond mere academia and personal safety... beyond the walls and halls of a local congregation of believers. Further, if he or she is a child of God, that assignment is the high purpose to serve Him and fulfill not only the Great Commission but to also fulfill the Cultural Commission. This requires gospel-lived-out literacy, intention, assertiveness, modeling, and civic participation and activism within the culture under Christ's crown and covenant!
VALUES WE HOLD We have a multigenerational Christ-centered, Church-and-family orientation
- Seeking to help give families inspiration, vision, and tools to impact the culture for Christ and His Kingdom - Actively preparing our children for their God-designed, unique life purpose and calling - Building a multigenerational family ethic - Building a solid Biblical worldview - Fortify and edify the local Church - Encourage commitment to education and discipleship that is parent directed and Christian in thinking - Biblical evangelism and discipleship coupled with political and social stewardship to bring all things under King Jesus
Moms Nite Out and typical study and support groups are often fluffy and of no consequence. Your local MASTERClass is different. The mothers participating in MASTERClass are called to a higher standard for our personal time and our endeavors. We are all about striving toward excellence and good stewardship, seeking to live Coram Deo. We're about leading, discerning, affirming, and cheering our children in who it is God has prewired them to be. Our goal is to educate you in order that you can go on to - not only educate your child, but also go on to educate other KingdomMoms interested in the primary discipleship of their children . Too many of us have had to reinvent the wheel as primary educator and influencer of our own children; and too many of us know nothing of the discipleship lifestyle of the Christian family. Within the professing Christian community, this should not be!
Drawing from the population of moms who hold this as a value, we are a small group of similarly-minded women in this incredible lifestyle journey we call Kingdom education.
If these qualities and values appeal to you and your sense of could and should; we heartily invite you to join us for learning, fellowship, and accountability. We would love to hear from you.
A CORD OF THREE STRANDS!
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ~