Prepared for the future

Christian education gives students a strong base for university pursuits

By Steven Sukkau and ChristianWeek | March 31, 2014

When Bianca Timmerman chose to attend a secular university after 12 years at a Woodland Christian School, a private school in Breslau, Ontario, she admits she was initially a little worried.

“I was concerned with how it would affect me and my faith and my grades as a correlation,” says the University of Waterloo student. “But it’s gone a lot better than I could have imagined.

“Practically, Christian education helped a lot, because it didn’t sugar coat what the world outside of the faith is like. We were made aware of the brokenness in the world, but we have been taught how to stay strong in it.”

Timmerman says her circle of friends has gone from nearly all Christians, to include many non-Christians.

“Christian high school helped me be able to explain and defend my faith in the face of adversity and persecution,” she says.

Fellow Woodland grad and University of Waterloo student, Bethany Roorda is also thankful for an education that wasn’t afraid to wrestle with secular worldviews in a Christian environment.

“Now, when I am hit with all the secular theories at university, I am able to stand confidently in my beliefs,” she says. “And though I still continue to wrestle with and think through new theories and ideas that I am exposed to, I have the tools to do so rationally, through a Christian viewpoint.”

Going from a Christian high school experience to a secular university that can be indifferent to or dismissive of faith is often a wake-up call for many students.

“There are a lot of different voices out there,” says Rob Charach, principal of Linden Christian School (LCS) in Winnipeg. “Students have to be able to think for themselves.”

However, he’s confident that LCS graduates are being given the tools to confront new ideas and secular environments with discernment rather than conforming. They are able to live out a consistent, Christ-like life through their actions and choices, drawing their strength from Christ.

Zac Moorhead graduated from LCS in 2010 and is currently pursuing a degree in biology from the University of Manitoba.

While he’s constantly immersed in the dominant theory of evolution at university, Moorhead says attending LCS prepared him to speak intelligently about both evolution and creationism.

Teachers at LCS “don’t just teach you creationism and leave you blindsided in university,” says Moorhead. He adds that he is able to have great conversations with friends on both sides of the debate.

“You go to university and learn the material, but at the end of the day it doesn’t change what you believe,” Moorhead adds. “It lets you look at things through their lens (evolution), but you know who is ultimately in control.”

Woodland principal John VanPelt says a student with a strong sense of identity, often formed during the crucial ages of 15-20, is able to stand up against the world’s ideas. Students attending Christian schools are not as isolated as in years past, he says, especially in a technological, media-saturated culture.

“Choosing Christian education is an investment,” says Charach, one that is increasingly valuable in complex culture we live in. The key, he adds, is to build a biblical foundation with an emphasis on discernment, putting new ideas through a biblical filter.

“[Students] will face all sorts of scenarios,” Charach says, and must choose to make choices that are God-honouring.

Being able to engage with secular culture also means the opportunity to change it for the better.

Hank Vande Kraats, head of school for Calvin Christian Schools in Winnipeg, says engaging secular society is part of a Christian’s mission to write the chapter of God’s redeeming work in the world.

“We want students to understand there is a way God wants us to live,” Vande Kraats says. Calvin prepares students through teaching for transformation, whether it’s learning about taking care of the environment and recycling initiatives in elementary grades, or encouraging high school students to identify their passions and use their God-given gifts to serve others.

“It’s helping students see themselves as transforming agents,” Vande Kraats says, adding it’s the teachers’ role as educators to provide experiences to help students grow.

“That means putting tools in their tool belt,” says Vande Kraats. “It has to hit the heart and hands, not just the head.”