Doris Todd Memorial Christian School

Statement of Philosophy & Objectives

Statement of Doctrine

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

The foundation for the philosophy of the school is the Word of God. Accepting its authority, authenticity, and reliability as God's means of revealing truth, the Bible is the center of every subject taught. Its truth is integrated into all areas of the curriculum, and every part of the curriculum is interpreted and applied from a Christ-centered, Biblical perspective.

There are two very basic and opposing views of life. The Humanistic viewpoint (which is man-centered) sees man as a product of this world, a result of evolutionary processes and human history. The Theistic viewpoint (which is God-centered) sees man as a special creation of God, and seeks to view every dimension of life as God sees it. The contrast in the two viewpoints is vividly portrayed in the concept of man. Humanism declares that man is basically good; the Bible declares that man is a sinner by nature.

The ultimate purpose of our school is to glorify God. It is our desire that each student in our school will come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. And then, through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit and study of God's Word, we endeavor to assist the progressive sanctification of our student body in order for them to develop and nurture a Christ-like life so that whatever they do mentally, physically, spiritually, or socially will be governed and controlled by God's leading.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

For the Spiritual and Moral Growth of the students, the school seeks:

a. to teach the Bible as God's inerrant, inspired, verbal, plenary Word and to develop attitudes of love and respect toward it.

b. to teach the basic doctrines of the Bible.

c. to lead the pupil to a decision of confessing Christ as Savior and Lord.

d. to develop a desire to know and obey the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

e. to equip the student to carry out the will of God daily.

f. to impart an understanding of each Christian's place in the church and its worldwide task of witness, evangelism and discipling, and to stimulate the student's involvement in this task.

g. to develop the mind of Christ toward godliness and sin and to teach the students how to overcome sin.

h. to encourage the development of self-discipline and responsibility in the student based on respect for and submission to God and all other authority.

i. to help the student develop for himself a Christian world view by integrating life and studies with the Bible.

j. to encourage students' regular attendance in a local church.

For the Student's Personal and Social Development, the school aims:

a. to help the student develop his personality based on a proper understanding and acceptance of himself as a unique individual created in the image of God and on the fullest possible development of his own capabilities.

b. to teach the students to treat everyone with love and respect since they, too, are made in God's image.

c. to make the student a contributing member of his society, realizing his dependence on others and their dependence on him and the need to serve them.

d. to promote an understanding of time as a God-given commodity and the individual responsibility for effective use of time.

e. to show a realistic and Biblical view of life and work, and to provide skills for personal relationships and future endeavors.

f. to develop both good and proper attitudes toward marriage and the family and also the understanding and skills needed to establish God-honoring homes.

g. to promote physical fitness, good health habits, and wise use of the body as the temple of God.

h. to impart Biblical attitudes toward material things and to encourage individual responsibility of using them for God's given glory.

Academically, the school endeavors:

a. to promote high academic standards within the potential of the individual as uniquely created by God and to help the student realize his full academic potential.

b. to help each student gain a thorough comprehension and command of the fundamental

c. processes used in communicating and dealing with others, such as reading, writing, speaking, listening, and mathematics.

d. to teach and encourage the use of good study habits.

e. to teach the student how to do independent research and to reason logically.

f. to motivate the student to pursue independent study in areas of personal interest.

g. to develop creative and critical thinking and proper use of Biblical criteria for evaluation.

h. to promote good citizenship through developing an understanding and appreciation of our Christian and American heritages of responsible freedom, human dignity, and acceptance of authority.

i. to discuss current affairs in all fields and relate them to God's plan for man.

j. to produce an understanding and appreciation for God's world, and awareness of man's role in his environment and his God-given responsibilities to use and preserve it properly.

k. to engender an appreciation of the fine arts through the development of the student's understanding and personal expression.

Working with the homes from which the students come, the school desires:

a. to cooperate closely with the parents in every phase of the student's development, especially as it relates to the school program.

b. to help the parents to understand the school's purpose and program.

c. to aid families in Christian growth and to help them develop Christ-centered homes.

d. to assist parents in keeping up with the changing culture and its effects on the home and the implications for their children.

e. to encourage regular attendance and involvement in the local church.

STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE

1. THE BIBLE

We believe that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is supernaturally inspired, so that it is inerrant in the original manuscripts and preserved by God in its verbal and plenary inspiration, so that it is a divinely authoritative standard for every age and every life. (Matthew 5:18; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21)

2. GODHEAD

We believe in one God, the creator of all things, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – having each the same nature, attributes and perfections, worthy of the same worship and confidence. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:1-2, 14, 10:30, 14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

2a. THE FATHER

We believe in God as absolute and sole Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, and that creation was by divine command, from nothing and not through an evolutionary process.

We believe that God, by His sovereign choice and out of love for men, sent Christ into the world to save sinners. (John 1:3, 10; Acts 17:24-25; Genesis 1:1; John 3:16; 1Timothy 1:15; 1 John 4:14)

2b. JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He died on the cross, thereby being a perfect and complete sacrifice for the sins of all mankind; and that He rose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He is now seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high and ever lives to intercede as our High Priest and Advocate. From there He is coming again personally, bodily and visibly to this earth to set up His millennial kingdom. (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 20:4).

2c. HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the regenerating, indwelling, sealing, and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, Who baptizes each believer into the body of Christ upon his acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. He is the distributor of spiritual gifts upon salvation as He wills for the edification of the Church. (1Corinthians 6:19, 12:1-31; Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2)

3. MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature and became alienated from God. We believe that all men are morally corrupt, and of themselves utterly unable to remedy their lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 1:18, 3:23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)

4. SALVATION

We believe that salvation is a gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. We believe that man is justified by grace through faith apart from works and that all true believers, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever. (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 4:5, 6:23, 8:1, 38-39; John 10:27-29; Ephesians 2:8-9)

5. SANCTIFICATION

We believe the Christian’s sanctification begins at salvation, progressively giving the capacity for holiness, but not eradicating his capacity for sin. We believe in an identification with Christ’s death and resurrection and dependence upon the Spirit’s power to enable the believer to experience victory over sin. (Romans 6-8; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:21-24)

6. THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church, which is a spiritual body made up of all born-again believers, is the Body of Christ of which He is the head. Its purpose is to proclaim the gospel of Christ and gather believers into local churches for worship and edification, and to equip for service and thereby planting new congregations throughout the world. We believe that two ordinances are enjoined by Christ upon all believers: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16; Acts 8:12, 38, 10:48; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28).

7. END TIMES

We believe in the rapture of the Church, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth with all His saints, in the bodily resurrection, the judgment of all mankind and a new heaven and new earth. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-21, 20:11-15, 21:1-4)

8. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

We believe that a Christian should walk in holiness and not after the flesh, with the goal of being conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As a new creation, walking in the Spirit, the Christian learns to grow in faith, in obedience to Scripture, in prayer, in fellowship with the saints and in a life of service. We believe that it is the obligation of every born-again believer to bear witness by life and word to the truths revealed in the Word of God and to proclaim the gospel to all the world. (Galatians 5:16-26; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:20-24; Hebrews 11:6, 12:1-2; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20; Matthew 28:18-20)