September 2020

I have never lived through a time when evil is more evident than I have seen over the past few years. Society is under attack like never before in my lifetime.  Consider what we are witnessing each and every day in our country.

• Anarchy
• Rebellion
• Political partisanship at an all-time high
• Destruction of private and government property
• Defunding of police
• Threatening, harming and even killing innocent people because of the color of their skin
• Rioting and looting without any accountability and consequence
• Child sexual exploitation as seen in “Cuties”. People are supporting this vileness as being good and moral.
• Religious freedom is eroding each and every day

When I shared this with KEM’s senior associates, Luke Bowers reminded me that this shouldn’t surprise us considering what Paul wrote to young Timothy.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)

We are definitely witnessing these verses becoming a reality.  Because of this increase in evil, Paul challenged Timothy to,

…continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of…which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NKJV)

In times like these, we must follow this same counsel.  We must continue in the things that we have learned from Scripture.  Paul went on to make sure his son in the faith understood the complete sufficiency of God’s Word.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

God’s Word is sufficient as it instructs us as to what is right, what is wrong, how to get right and how to stay right.  Therefore, I continue to be optimistic because I know that God IS at work.  Notice I didn’t say that I believe God is starting to work.  No, God IS at work and He always has been, fulfilling His plan for mankind.

What I am excited about is seeing how God IS at work –- especially in the education of future generations.  Through all of the chaos and confusion I am seeing certain points of light beginning to shine on the horizon.  These include:

• An awakening by many parents of the dangerous things that have happened and are increasingly happening in secular education.
• Parents are more interested in and demanding more school choice be made available to them.
• An increase in the number of parents who have chosen to homeschool their children this year.
• Renewanation launched its virtual school, IlumenEd, with over 100 students. This virtual school is very intentional in making sure all instruction is from a biblical worldview foundation.
• Christian publishers such as BJ Press developing quality, biblically integrated textbooks to support biblical worldview education.
• ACSI is preparing to launch a new model for professional staff development in Christian schools through its Flourishing School Institutes.

God IS AT WORK!  I have been sharing with you in recent blogs how God has been leading Kingdom Education Ministries to be more intentional in equipping the body of Christ to disciple future generations through kingdom education.

I have been so excited about the fresh mission that God has given KEM to TRANSFORM individuals, EMPOWER the home, ENGAGE the church and TRANSFORM schools.  As KEM pushes forward to achieve this mission, I envision seeing future generations equipped to create a kingdom culture in their homes, churches and communities so that life will be viewed through lens of Scripture and, thus, bring glory to God.

This is why I am thrilled to announce an upcoming event for Christians who want to see God raise up a new generation of Christ-followers who will turn their world upside down for Him.  July 7-9, 2021 are the dates for the first Kingdom Education Summit.  This event will be hosted by Word of God Ministries in Shreveport, LA.

I am praying that a group of church and Christian school leaders will gather together around the theme, Teaching the Next Generation to Know God.  It is time for the home, church and school to rethink education from a totally biblical perspective.

If you have ever had the experience of climbing to the summit of a mountain, you were no doubt taken in by the majestic view of God’s creation from this high vantage point.  From a summit, one can see all the pieces that make up the big picture.  This is goal of the Kingdom Education Summit.

Pastors, church leaders, school administrators, board members and individual Christians who want to catch a glimpse of God’s plan for educating future generations will dig into Scripture and address the issue of education biblically.  This will be a time to not only see God’s big picture for education future generations but also the role that individuals, parents, church leaders and educators need to play.

Together, we will dissect the 14 biblical principles of kingdom education to see how these apply to the education that takes place at home, church and school.  The goal of the Summit is to begin to develop strategies that parents, church leaders and educators can embrace to be more intentional in making disciples of all nations.

So, mark your calendars and pray about being part of this historical event.  I will be sharing more details about the Kingdom Education Summit over the next several weeks.  Registration will begin with the start of the new year.  Join me in praying for a reformation to take place as we rethink education from a biblical perspective.

I have been sharing a fresh mission statement that God laid on my heart several weeks ago.  This mission statement provides Kingdom Education Ministries with a focus for what God wants to accomplish through KEM in the future.  The focus of KEM is to:

RESTORE individuals, EMPOWER the home, ENGAGE the church and TRANSFORM the school through Kingdom Education

This week I want to explain what KEM will strive to accomplish with Christian schools.  First, it is important to understand that when I use the term education, I am not equating it with schooling.  Education is a multi-faceted process that primarily takes place in three institutions, the home, church and school.  This process is future-focused as it strives to prepare children and youth for life and eternity.

In today’s culture, the school plays a significant role in the educational process.  Young people will spend more than 14,000 hours in school during their K-12 years.  This greatly exceeds the number of hours that they will spend at church during these same years.  Therefore, there needs to be an intentional, ongoing effort to make sure the schools our children and youth attend are grounded in kingdom education.

What are some of the specific things that KEM wants to do in its effort to TRANSFORM schools?  When one thinks about the word TRANSFORM, a familiar verse in Scripture comes to mind.

And be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

In the original language, the term TRANSFORM means to “change from one condition to a new form.”  In this verse, it speaks to the need to TRANSFORM one’s mind, the way one thinks.  This is the burden that God has laid on my heart concerning Christian schools.  It is my desire to see a change in how Christian educators think about education.

However, the effort can’t be to change their thinking about education in a lot of different ways.  It must be aimed at “rethinking” education from a biblical perspective.  This is why KEM’s focus is on TRANSFORMING schools through kingdom education.

Why did Paul urge Christians to be transformed by the renewing of their minds?  It was to prove what God’s will was for their lives.  I believe this must be the motivation KEM has in its effort to TRANSFORM schools.  The primary goal is to see schools develop a strong, biblical philosophy of education that determines all that takes place at a school.  It is my desire to equip the next generation of Christian teachers to be able to answer the question, why schooling?, biblically.  I want to see Christian schools know and fulfill God’s will for their existence.

 

It has been exciting to see how many Christian school leaders and teachers have embraced the phrase kingdom education since the release of my book in 1998.  I often read about a school stating that it is a kingdom education school.  Individuals identify themselves as proponents and leaders of kingdom education.  My fear has always been that kingdom education would merely become a buzz word with little thought to its true meaning.  When someone states a commitment to kingdom education, then others will define the phrase for themselves by what they see the individual or the school, making such a claim, is and does.

True kingdom education is not so much about methodology as it is about a specific philosophy.  The foundation of my book is based on the biblical principles that I have found in Scripture that tell Christians why God wants them to educate their children and youth biblically.

If anyone or any school claims to believe in and support kingdom education, that person or school must live out the biblical principles from which the phrase gets its meaning.  Otherwise they are just stating platitudes with no real substance.

KEM’s efforts to TRANSFORM schools is to guide school leaders to change from merely using the term, kingdom education, to embodying the 14 biblical principles in their schools’ DNA.  As we fleshed out this fresh mission, we explained that we strive to TRANSFORM Christian schools by challenging educators to know, understand and embrace kingdom education (14 biblical principles).

It is KEM’s conviction that when this happens, along with RESTORING individuals, EMPOWERING the home, and ENGAGING the church, we will see future generations equipped to create a kingdom culture that views life through the lens of Scripture and, thus, bring glory to God.  I will soon be sharing an exciting event that we are planning where we will launch this effort to rethink education from a biblical perspective.  

Over the past few weeks I have been sharing with you the fresh vision God has given me for Kingdom Education Ministries.  With each passing day I become more convinced that God is calling KEM to:

RESTORE individuals, EMPOWER the home, ENGAGE the church and TRANSFORM schools through kingdom education.

One of the burdens on my heart is to see pastors and church leaders ENGAGED through kingdom education.  The truth is that the vast majority of pastors have been disengaged when it comes to how God wants His people to educate future generations.  It is time that we must get them ENGAGED.

Webster defines the term engage as to gain; to win and attache; to draw to; to unite.  It is vital that we ENGAGE the church in the battle that is raging for the hearts and the minds of the next generation.  It is my prayer to see pastors drawn to and united in the cause of providing our children and youth with a biblical worldview education.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed parents and educators ignore the church when it comes to Christian education.  The argument has been that since pastors don’t support and promote our Christian school or our efforts to home school, we will just bypass them completely.  We forget that the church is the bride of Christ and it is ordained as God’s institution to take the gospel into a lost and dying world.

When I have encouraged parents and school leaders to try and get pastors ENGAGED in kingdom education, they usually try to “market” their school to the pastors of the area.  Pastors are asked to support a certain school or allow information about a school to be given out to church members.

This puts pastors in a very challenging position because there are church members who teach in secular schools and there are those who home school their children.  The pastor feels like he is in between a rock and a hard place.  If he supports one type of schooling, will he automatically offend everyone else who wants him to support another type of schooling.

This is why we carefully worded this fresh mission statement.  It is my desire to ENGAGE the church through kingdom education.  Allow me to remind you that kingdom education only takes place when God reigns as king in the entire educational process of young people.  It is not merely about where a child goes to school.  This is because education takes place in the home, church and school.  God wants to reign in the entire process whether it takes place at home or church or school.

This is why I believe that there are two ways that the church can be ENGAGED.  The first way is to encourage pastors and church leaders to address the issue of education biblically.  Church leaders need to be ENGAGED in studying God’s Word and see what it has to say about educating children.

Passages like Deuteronomy 6, Psalm 78, Psalm 127, Ephesians 6 need to be studied and applied consistently to the entire educational process of leading our children to the Lord and then discipling them in the Lord.  As I have studied Scripture, God has shown me 14 biblical principles that tell parents, church leaders and teachers how He wants them to educate future generations.  You may click HERE to see these principles.

 

The second way that pastors can be ENGAGED through kingdom education is to help them understand that parents have been given a mandate from God to educate their children in the Lord.  However, most parents are not equipped to fulfill their God-mandated assignment.  The church must step up to the plate and help parents understand that God holds them accountable for how their children are educated. Then the church must partner with parents in equipping them for the task.

I am convinced that the biggest obstacle to ENGAGING the church through kingdom education is the fact that so many pastors have developed a dualistic worldview.  They have divided life up into the secular and sacred compartments; most of the time this has taken place subconsciously.

One evidence of this reality is seen by what church leaders would and would not allow taught in their churches to young people.  Most pastors would not allow such things as evolution or gender dysphoria taught in their children and youth programs. However, they are silent about this being taught in the schools these same young people attend.  We must ENGAGE the church to understand that Christianity is a complete worldview that addresses all of life as a whole.  Nancy Pearcey says it this way.

We have to insist on presenting Christianity as a comprehensive, unified worldview that addresses all of life and reality.  It is not just religious truth but total truth.  Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey

If we are going to be successful in raising future generations to know God and think and act from a biblical worldview, we must ENGAGE the church.  I will be announcing an effort that God has laid on our hearts here at KEM to do exactly this in the very near future.  Stay tuned!