"Why Your Christian School is Growing"

Part 1 of 5 in the series "Why Your Christian School is Failing"

John 'TC" Megahan President and Senior Consultant Arête Advisory Group

Many Christian school leaders and organizations will tell you that in order to be successful in today's culture as a Christian school, you have to essentially imitate, emulate and duplicate the programs and priorities of the local public, charter or private schools around you. If you do that, Christian parents will surely be willing to choose your school instead of one of the others, because you are "christian". Of course, to do this the Christian schools will probably have to go deep in debt to build bigger and better buildings, put a greater focus on creating expensive athletic programs, and fill our classrooms with costly gadgets and secular textbooks. Of course, they will also have to adjust their standards to attract more of those students, and possibly even eliminate chapel and the required Bible class to be even more appealing to others.  

Unfortunately, too many Christian schools listened to that advice, only to find out too late that this approach is not only dangerous and just doesn't work like they promised. Why? Because, simply put we are NOT and WILL NEVER BE in competition with the local public, charter or private schools for students. 

Romans 12:2 tells warns us " Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect". (ESV)

That's why I firmly believe that every Christian school must have a unique and distinctive mission, vision and purpose to serve their community. They must be steadfastly committed to their spiritual mandate of transforming lives for the Kingdom and do not see themselves as just an alternative to those local public, charter and private schools in their area. 

To be a thriving and sustainable Christian school, your classrooms must be filled with the very best mission appropriate students and staff members who will value your mission and purpose. You should not be "competing" for just any students, and if you are then you’ve missed the point of your distinction.  It's not about "quantity" it's about "quality", so you have to define who will be the right students and the the right staff for your school if you will succeed in your mission.  

Remember, most parents in your community send their children to public schools because they hope to receive a decent education for their children that will not cost them additional money each year. Yes, they know that their children will probably get a substandard academic experience in a potentially unsafe and very secular environment. But, it’s FREE and they have lots of sports, music programs and activities to keep the students busy. Sure, the students will get their heads filled with endless anti-Christian ideas and secular humanism, but did I mention that it’s FREE? Of course those same kids will be exposed to all kinds of vulgarities, drinking and drugs, and sexual pressures, but did I mention that it’s FREE?

In no other area of life would we compromise our core values for something just because it was FREE. Would I willing place my family in an obviously unsafe car just because it was FREE, or would I pay the additional costs for a vehicle that would keep my family safe and protected? Would I rummage through dumpsters and trash cans for clothes, furniture and dinner just because it would be FREE? No! I’d pay the price for those essential needs for my family.  

Why then would a committed Christian parent willingly expose their most precious gifts of God to a place where they will be in constant danger of being harmed, taught anti-Christian philosophies, and exposed to drugs, violence, and sexual abuse? Sure, they will probably survive and chances are they get a fairly decent education. They may even get a chance to play sports, join a club or be in the school musical, but at what cost?

You must never forget that FREE is never without costs, in fact often times FREE extracts the most expensive price. Perhaps the real question isn't about COST, but as a parent, what do I value?  

Thankfully there are still many parents who do value giving their children a quality education in the safe and spiritual environment of a Christian school. They will sacrifice, manage their lifestyle choices and make tough spending decisions in order to afford the extra costs of a Christian education. They want more than just a decent education from a public school, they want an outstanding education that will prepare their children for college, career, life and eternity.

Why then do so many Christian schools struggle to survive and find students to fill their many empty seats? Well, this is the part where you are really going to get angry at me. The harsh reality is this, they do not send their children to your school because your school is not of sufficient quality to them, and they can see little or no value from sending their children to your school.  Of course, it's easier to blame low or falling enrollment on the "competition", the economy, or the community, but the real truth is that too many Christian schools just can't deliver the quality outcome that parents want. There are still plenty of parents more than willing to invest in their children’s future and educational opportunities, but it would have to be worth the exchange of those hard earn wages for a spot in your Christian school. 

Disagree with me or doubt my assertions? Take a look at the findings from a recent study from the Barna Research Group on the why parents choose Christian schools for their children (https://www.barna.com/research/parents-look-christian-schools )

Highest Importance? Academic excellence, Spiritual formation, Community aligns with beliefs.

Least Importance? Affordability, extracurricular, facilities and athletic programs.

Now look at some of the reasons I have heard parents say why they would be willing to pay for in a Christian school:

? "To have my children in a safe and secure school that has a friendly and welcoming social atmosphere where they feel safe and can develop friendships with a wide variety of other students".

? "A strong spiritual environment where my children will be taught values of character, integrity and morality from the Word of God by spiritually mature teachers and staff who model a life that is pleasing to God".

? "A commitment to a challenging academic program that will prepare our children for both college and career with a focus on critical thinking, problem solving and a challenging curriculum in Mathematics, Science, History and Language Arts".

? "A place for my children to find their life’s purpose and calling, and to have opportunity to serve others as a compassionate and caring member of society". 

Yes, there are parents still willing to pay the appropriate costs for their children enjoying a balanced life of Christian faith, challenging education and healthy social relationships. They want their children to be insulated from the everyday fears that life can bring, and to be safe from things that could destroy their young lives. They want them to have an education not only in essential academic content, but in the important life skills of persistence, perseverance and determination. Finally, they want a healthy balance of all these areas in order to best prepare their children for college, careers, and all the opportunities that will make them the very best person that they child can become.    

Now, with a clear understanding of all of that, how can we still continue to think that we are in competition to the other education opportunities in our community? How can we as Christian school leaders still focus of all those non essential programs and projects, while neglecting the absolutely necessary for our parents and students?

To me, the choices are clear, create your unique mission and value that parents will want to invest in. Don't waste your time and money on anything else.