Luke Bowers

A few years ago I was given the opportunity to climb and camp out on the summit of a volcano that stood over 12,00 feet above sea level.  The views were breathtaking, as I was able to see the landscape and beauty that was laid out in front of me for miles and miles.  Though I could not see the intimate details of the cities or the people, it did help remind me of the greatness of our Creator.  

At Kingdom Education Ministries, it’s our desire to host an annual Summit in order to once again be reminded of the goodness and greatness of God and His faithfulness to work in and through us in our local Christian schools.  The Kingdom Education Summit is more than a conference, it is a time for Christian educators and leaders to step away from a demanding school year, lift their eyes, and catch a renewed vision for what can be in Kingdom Education.

Each summer, the Summit creates space to:

• Get refreshed in your purpose and calling
• Get refocused for the year ahead
• Be re-anchored in biblical truth, mission, and purpose

Educators, school leaders, pastors, board members, and parents gather from across the nation to engage in:

• Practical Biblical Integration
• Intentional Worldview Development
• Engaging, excellence-driven presentations
• A unified and biblical vision for the Individual, Home, Church, and School working together to raise up disciples in the next generation.

Please click on this link, https://kingdomeducationministries.com/2026-summit/ to find out more information and to register for this summer’s Summit.  We would love to see you there and be just a small part of what God is doing in and through your school.  

This summer, we are excited to partner with Dr. Annie Gallagher, at TransformedPD, to offer a post-conference training on July 9-10.  This Inaugural Biblically Integrated Instruction Training is designed specifically for K–12 educators who desire to move beyond theory into the practical how-to of master-level biblical integration.

Presented by Dr. Annie Gallagher of Transformed PD, this intensive experience will equip teachers, whether in mathematics, science, humanities, or the arts, to design learning experiences where students intentionally discover God’s truth in every subject area.

To learn more about Christ-centered instruction and future training opportunities, visit TransformedPD.com.

We look forward to seeing you in July!

Terms like “biblical integration” and “biblical worldview” are commonly heard these days in the world of Christian education, as they should be.  We need daily reminders that the word of God must be at the center of our purpose and practice. It is the word of God that contains the stories, principles, and power that is needed to see future generations live life and impact the culture through their knowledge and love for their Creator.  It is only when Scripture is the foundation for life in a Pre-K-12th grade Christian school, that young people have their hearts and heads informed and transformed to accomplish all that God has created them to be.  

Luckily, there are some godly and intelligent people over the years that have created templates and presentations that help make biblical integration into each unit, lesson, and activity more of a reality.  I have benefited greatly from the encouragement and tools provided by others in this area, over the years.  

As great as some tools and the expertise of others can be, in all actuality, it still comes down to the living curriculum in the classroom to make the connections between the subject and the truth of God’s word.  To that end, I would offer up a few realities that must be true of those we place in front of students:

Fear the Lord

I have touched on this before, so I won’t belabor the point, but if the fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom then we must be sure that we fear the Lord.  When we say “fear the Lord”, this has to be more than a head knowledge or church attendance over the years.  Remember that James told believers that “the demons believe and shudder.” The fear of the Lord leads to saving faith, which leads to a total surrender of our lives in submission and commitment to Christ.

Meditate on God’s Word

Those that fear the Lord will be driven to consume His word as they desire to become more like Christ.  The Lord told Joshua that “the book of the law should not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it…making your way prosperous.”  David says in Psalm 1, that when we meditate on God’s word day and night, we will be firmly planted and bear fruit.

Pray Continually

I am always reminded of James 5:16, which says, “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” However, it is in the next verse that we are reminded that God accomplished much through Elijah, who was a man with a “nature like ours”. The key is, God can still do a great work through us when we fear Him, are soaking up His word, and therefore have right thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that line up with the purpose and plan of God. 

Speak the Truth

Sometimes the easiest thing to do can be the hardest thing to do in the man-pleasing world we live in.   In Acts 4, we see that Peter and John spoke the truth with boldness, so much that the people around them “were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” Peter and John then went on to, with the threat of physical pain and torture, proclaim the truth with boldness, saying “we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Can you imagine what God would do in our schools when we fear Him, are drinking from the fountain of His word, praying for opportunities to speak truth and see Him work, and then speaking the truth of God’s word because we were compelled to speak and live the truth.  That, my friends, is when the truth of God’s word will come to life in our classrooms, ball field, and every aspect of our school! 

I am a planner!  I have backup plans for the plans I make and I love seeing them come to fruition. Sad to say, I don’t always pray through and ask God to direct every plan I make.  However, when it comes to leadership in CHristian schools, it is imperative that biblical principles be followed as leaders seek God’s direction for future years. 

Over the years, I have been blessed to help lead schools through the strategic planning process.  While there are plenty of others that help schools in this way and similar processes are used to help schools through a strategic plan, I believe the following principles must be foundational for a Christ-centered strategic plan to be achieved:

Prayer

I know that almost sounds too simple but if we are honest, sometimes it is the last thing we try.  In Joshua 9, we see the men of Israel made some poor decisions because they “did not ask for the counsel of the Lord.”  Leaders in Christian schools do not want to be guilty of leading others astray because they did not seek the counsel of the Lord.  Thankfully, we do see some positive examples of prayer in Scripture:

I Samuel 23: 2-4- “David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I go and attack the Philistines…then David inquired of the Lord once more.”

Ezra 8:23- “So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.”

James 5:16- “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much”

The first step to the strategic planning process is to confess and seek the Lord as to His will for your school.

Examine Everything

As our hearts are purified before the Lord, we then must examine everything in our schools.  I Thessalonians 5:21-22 says that we must “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” School boards and leaders must take a close examination of themselves and their schools.  They must know their current realities and what needs to be cut, changed, or added in the future in order to honor Christ and achieve His mission.  

Discover God’s Plan

God does not hide his will from His people.  We know that His will is for people to be saved, and for people to be filled with His Spirit, and for people to grow in knowledge of Him, and for people to give thanks and glorify Him.  The question is, how do we continue to see that happen in our Christian schools?

Proverbs 16:9 says that “man makes his plans but God directs his steps.” As we make plans, we must make sure that God is leading and guiding in these plans.  Always remember God’s plan and timing is always perfect.  Even when they don’t make sense. Remember God’s plan to have Abraham offer Isaac, His plan for Joshua to march around a city 7 times, with no weapons, and God’s plan to cut back Gideon’s army to 300 people? Those examples didn’t make sense at the moment but God used the obedience of His people, teamed with His perfect plan, to accomplish His will.  Luckily, I don’t see us having to march around our opponents football stadium to get the victory but I am confident that whatever God calls us to do, He will help us accomplish.

Be Obedient

Once we pray, examine everything, and confirm God’s plan for our lives and school, the next step is easy.  We are faithful to do what He has called us to do.  Remember that when God called Nehemiah to rebuild the walls, the walls were torn down, the people were scared, and the enemy was loud and in their ears.  However, God used Nehemiah to unite the people, they prayed to the Lord, they had a mind to work, and they took action.  

Whether it be this year or in the years to come, if a strategic plan is in your future, be sure to seek the Lord in prayer, examine everything carefully, be reminded of God’s plan, and then carry it out as He leads. Praise the Lord that we can be confident that He will finish what He started.    

Much time, money, and attention are given these days to the growth and sustainability of Christian schools.  There are some schools that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on personnel, training, and advertisement for the purpose of growing the ministry.  They target and foster relationships with key donors who either share the vision of the ministry or at least agree with the good that it produces.  

Whereas, I do think this can work for those ministries that have the means to carry it out, my experience as a head of school of 600 hundred students, with an advertising budget of $1,000, was a tad different.  However, over my 10 years as a head of school, God always provided.  He always provided the people, the facilities, the possessions, and the funds that were needed to not only make ends meet but also to go above and beyond in many areas.  

As we look at Scripture, we see that God’s will can never be thwarted (Job 42:2). God always provides.  He provided a boat for a coming flood, a birth line for His coming, food from heaven for His people, dry ground in the middle of a river, safety in the midst of a fiery furnace, an open jail door with which to walk through, and so much more. If God has called us to Christian education, we can be confident that as we obey Him, He will provide for our every need, and then some. 

With this being true, I do believe there are some simple things we must do as we ask for God to provide:

First, proclaim the mission.  Let everyone know what God has called your school or ministry to do.  Don’t sugarcoat it.  Don’t soften it to make it more appealing to those that don’t desire it.  Let everyone know that God has called your ministry into existence for the sole purpose of training up a generation of young people who know and love the Lord and those that God will use to transform the culture for His glory.  

Second, produce the mission.  A school’s mission statement is as good as the paper it is on if not carried out with intentionality.  Of course, we are dealing with humans so we cannot control the hearts of every parent, teacher, and student.  However, we can make sure that we hire God-fearing people who are passionate about the mission and are intentional in making sure that every program is laser focused on the mission. 

Third, partner with others who are like-minded.  Relationships are important and we must foster healthy relationships with parents in our schools, pastors in area churches, and those in our community.   Remember that Joseph and Daniel both found favor in the eyes of those that were not necessarily committed to Christ. When I was a head of school, my message to the parents was that everyone was a part of the development office.  If we as a school were unified in the mission and carrying it out, there were hundreds of parents and grandparents that were spreading the word about the school.  In some sense, we had hundreds of volunteers raising support for the mission God had called us to.  

Finally, praise the Lord!  In a social media driven world, we must be sure that as we share our successes, we give God all the glory.  As we faithfully obey and commit our lives to Him and praise Him for the work He does, God will continue to bless His ministries as He sees fit.  

A.W. Tozer once said:

“A true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of external situations…the true leader will have no desire to lord it over God’s heritage, but will be humble, gentle, self-sacrificing, and altogether as ready to follow as to lead…”

I must say that sentiment has rung true in my life over the last 30 years.  Looking back, I never thought I would be in Christian education for this amount of time, let alone in different positions of leadership.  Even though I have failed many times over these years, I do believe there are some basic principles that have guided me and are helpful for those desiring to lead or thrust into leadership. 

First, fear the Lord! Scripture is replete with instructions to fear the Lord and shows the benefits and fruit of such fear. The Israelites were told to fear the Lord and not forget all that He had done.  They were told to fear him, walk in Him, and serve Him.  We know from David that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Job echoes that in Job 28:28, saying that “the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom.” What leader doesn’t want and need wisdom?  

2 Corinthians 5:11 says that it is because of this fear of the Lord that we persuade men.  John MacArthur says that the fear of the Lord is “a state of mind in which one’s own attitudes, will, feelings, deeds, and goals are all exchanged for God’s.  As leaders in Christian schools, when God is feared, biblical wisdom reigns supreme and desires are constantly focused on Christ-centered outcomes and not man-centered outcomes.  

Second, leaders must be visible.  Unfortunately, when leaders are absent too much, the people start to go their own way.  We live in a world of busy calendars and meetings upon meetings.  A leader must guard their calendar and be very present.  They must have their finger on the pulse so that nothing catches them by surprise.  

Nehemiah is a great example of this as he was ever present with the people of Israel.  Nehemiah 4:14 days that when he saw the people discouraged due to those mocking their work, he encouraged them by saying, “do not fear them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome.”  A visible and present leader will know the culture and as they fear the Lord, will be able to lead others appropriately.  

Third, be accessible.  Whereas we must guard our time from being distracted from what is most important, we must also be sure to be readily available when needed for teachers and staff members.  My assistants don’t always like my open door policy, but I want teachers to know that they have access to me, without having to schedule an appointment 3-4 days out.  Accessibility allows leaders to have ongoing influence.  J. Oswald Sanders says, “one can lead others only to the extent that he can influence them.” 

Finally, be a servant-leader. Again, Nehemiah is a great example of this as he “also applied himself to the work on the wall.”  J. Oswald Sanders said that “true greatness, true leadership, is achieved not by reducing men to one’s service but in giving oneself in selfless service to them”.  

The people we have been called to lead will joyfully serve and be committed to what God has called them to when they see leaders who fear the Lord, leaders who have an understanding of the times and culture, leaders who are readily available to listen and help, and leaders who serve the Lord alongside them for God’s glory and the sanctification of future generations.  

I am writing this blog on January 3rd, the start of a new year.  And with every new year comes the desire to eat better, exercise, and do all the things that do not come easy or naturally, but actually take a great deal of time, energy, and thought.  The same is true about making sure Christian schools across the nation and globe are truly excellent.  So much more goes into being a school of excellence than collecting money for something new, or recruiting players for a winning team, or great test scores, chapels, and service projects.  How can we be assured that excellence is accomplished in our Christian schools?

I believe a key ingredient to this question can be found in I Thessalonians 4:10, where Paul encouraged the people to “excel still more”.  What was Paul wanting them to excel still more at? He wanted them to love others.  That sounds too simple and at times, soft on the surface.  However, when we get the love of God down right, it will influence every other aspect of our lives and schools.  

• “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).  When Christ is the preeminent one in our hearts and minds, we will not allow anything else to get in the way of assuring He gets the glory in all that we do in our schools.  He must increase and we must decrease. The love of God and for God will drive us to learn and accomplish things solely for His glory.
• “If God loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:11). “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). God’s love for us and our love for Him will transform our wants and desires and lead us to love others.  This will allow us to accomplish His will in everything we do in our Christian schools.
• “In the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…to all who have loved (or longed) for His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).  Maintaining the proper perspective on eternity will lead us to live with pure excellence as we long to spend forever with Him.  

My prayer is that as we start a new year, that we will continue to “excel still more” in our efforts to love God, love others, and live in a way that points others to Christ.  When that happens, we can say with confidence, and a pure heart, that we are doing everything with excellence.  

I heard it said once that “Christian schools should win and bring home championships since opponents would probably not want the Jesus of a team they just beat by 40 points.”  Growing up playing sports and still enjoying watching sports now, I am not sure I can get behind that statement.  I am all for winning and I think it is natural to go into each practice and game, giving our best and striving to bring home the “W”.  However, would you agree that a school can have an excellent program without winning a championship and could fall short of excellence even when winning the championship?

Christ-centered excellence in athletics requires so much more than just winning.  After all, when you look at some examples in Scripture, there were plenty of people who were excellent that ended up losing in the eyes of the world:

• The world thought that Jesus lost.  He had no place to lay His head, His friends abandoned Him at times, and He ended up dying on a cross.  We know that He was and is the perfect example of excellence, though not always in the eyes of the world.
• Many others, like Joseph, Daniel, and Paul had moments in their lives when they appeared to lose in the eyes of the world.  Imprisoned and thrown in fire and pits did not come across as excellent.  However, when we look at the entirety of Scripture, their focus and obedience to Christ was what made them excellent.

So, as we look at what makes a schools athletic program excellent, we must make sure that it is obedient to the commands in Scripture on their way to victory:

• Sports are games that should not steal time away from God’s ordained institutions, the home and church.
• Sports should be careful not to appeal to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.  Many times the desires and emotions spent on being #1, can lead us to be prideful. 
• As we offer athletic programs in Christian schools, we must be sure that we don’t forego the following character qualities in our efforts to win:
  • Humility- scoring points and beating teams can easily lead to a spirit of pride
  • Love- running up scores and over the top celebrations can show a lack of love for opponents
  • Responsibility- too much attention and time given to a sport can lead to neglecting other responsibilities
  • Self-Control- it is easy to lose our cool when the call or game does not go our way
  • Kindness- thinking of others and wanting the best for them can be hard to do in the heat of an athletic battle
  • Forgiveness- it is easy to allow a loss or hard foul to keep us from treating others as we should
  • Courage- we must be sure the drive to win does not overshadow the desire to witness
  • Submission- it is easy for coaches, players, and fans to disrespect the authority on the court/field (even when they get the call wrong)

These are just a few of the attributes and truths that must be maintained as we do Christ-honoring athletics in our Christian schools.  As we focus on these, as well as preparing for the next competition, we can achieve excellence in athletics. 

I like to think that I did fairly well, academically, in high school, college, and beyond.  However, there are still days that I echo what Forrest Gump said, “I may not be a smart man.” In today’s world of non-stop access to information, along with advancements in technology and continued scientific discoveries, I realize that I don’t know that much afterall.  And to some degree, I am ok with that.  After all, in the grand scheme of eternity, it is not necessarily how much you know but what you know to be true that matters.  I believe that is the issue when it comes to the discussion about excellence in academics.  

Although, Scripture does not have much to say about schooling, it does speak to the issues of knowing, wisdom, and learning:

• Some people were “always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth.”
• Some were babes in Christ “for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God…”
• “Aquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!…with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
• Daniel “showed intelligence in every branch or wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge” but he also understood that God gave him and his friends “knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom.”
• “Knowledge puffs up”
• This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God…”
• The Holy Spirit will “teach you in all things.”
• God’s word can make us “wiser than our enemies”, give us “more insight than all my teachers”, and allow us to understand “more than the aged”.
• In Acts 17, Paul appeared to have knowledge of the culture he engaged in.  
• Paul told the church to be “wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”
• “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”.
• “Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced or, knowing from whom you have learned them…knowing the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 
• God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, “through the true knowledge of Him”. 

That is quite the array of information when it comes to the topic of knowing and learning.  So, what can we summarize from this when it comes to the excellence in academics that we desire for students in Christian schools?

First, knowledge apart from God’s word and purpose is vanity. We must make sure we are not just building college prep schools, but are building life and eternity prep schools that are giving each student the biblical knowledge and tools, teamed with the appropriate skills and talents, to engage the culture in a way that advances His kingdom and brings Him glory.

Second, though knowing facts and truths about how the world works and how we can better contribute to the good of society is something that God desired since creating us to have dominion on the earth, we must remember that God, through His Word and Spirit, gives us all that we need to impact the world for Him. Does what and how we teach, lead students to a deeper knowledge of God and His word?

Third, it is important that the teachers, coaches, and leaders in our Christian schools fear the Lord and know Him first and foremost, as they pass their values, beliefs, and knowledge on to their students.

Finally, there are aspects of knowing that we should continue to be ignorant of, like perversion and certain aspects of evil. It is the consumption of such knowledge that is leading people away from Christ.  

When the academic excellence we seek has its foundation in God’s word, in order to live God’s way, so that we might impact God’s world, I say let’s give our all in that effort, to the glory of God!

Are Christian schools truly excellent? That is a question I have wrestled with now for some time.  Many mission statements and expected student outcomes will proclaim they are about excellence in education, academics,or athletics, but what does that really mean? What does excellence in education look like?

I fear that sometimes school leaders and constituents would have a hard time answering that question.  Does it mean that schools have the best looking and updated facilities? Does it mean that students score higher than other schools on the ACT and SAT assessments? Does it mean that the walls are lined with national championship banners? 

I do not believe there is anything wrong with those accomplishments, however, I believe the heart of the excellence conversation must center on the why, or purpose for doing this thing called Christian education. We must take a closer look at our schools and ask the question, are we determining excellence by a man-centered standard or Christ-centered?

It would be wise to go back and refresh ourselves with the story of the Tower of Babel, found in Genesis 11.  I don’t believe there was anything wrong with building a building back in those days but the issue was, why did they want to build such a tall and impressive structure? Genesis 11: 4 says that their goal was a very man-centered goal, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name…” Therein lies the problem.  The intent of the people was to make a name for themselves, not to glorify God.  Can that still happen today in the world of Christian schooling?  It certainly can still happen today, in our personal life, home life, and in the life of our Christian schools.  

Paul David Tripp had this to say, while writing about the Tower of Babel:

“The will of the Creator was that the people He made in His image would live in humble, obedient, and dependent community with Him and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.  The problem is that sin causes human beings to hunger for independence and self-sufficiency, to quest more for their own glory than the glory of God, and to live according to their own will rather than the plan and purposes of God…we still build towers to our glory and our independent wisdom, righteousness, and strength.”

My fear is that in some Christian schools, we tout our academic and athletic accomplishments for the sake of potentially increasing enrollment rather than truly glorifying the Lord.  After all, how do we know what this excellence we proclaim really looks like in academics, athletics, and the school in general?  That question is what I hope to focus on during the month of January.

I think most of us would agree that many of the things we do each day are in preparation for things we hope to see in the future.  We plan for a trip now, which we plan to take months from now.  We put money away now, for retirement that may be many years from now. We send our kids to Christian schools now in hopes that it will put them on better footing years from now.  

The question is, when it comes to Chrisian school athletics, where do we want to see our athletes in 20-30 years from now? 

I am sure we want to see them:

• Setting an example in “speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity”.- I Timothy 4:12
• Having “speech that is seasoned with salt, so they know how to respond to every person”.– Colossians 4:6
• Living “sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age.” – Titus 2:12
• Living “the rest of their time in the flesh no longer for the lust of the flesh but for the will of God”.- I Peter 4:2 

If these are some of the things we want from our student athletes, there is no better time like the present to prepare our athletes for living for Christ in this life and all eternity.  As Scripture states:

“Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”                           

(2 Corinthians 6:2)

“Wake up and strengthen the things that remain…”                                                       

 (Revelation 3:2)

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

(Galatians 6:9)

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today.”         

(Hebrews 3:13)

Back to the question of where we want to see our athletes in the future? Some answers might be:

• To be increasing in the knowledge of God
• To know God’s calling and purpose in their lives and living it out
• To be active and committed member in the local body of believers
• To bear fruit for Christ
• To be walking closely with the Lord, walking as He walked
• To be loving husbands, wives, fathers and mothers
• To be leading in the career field God has prepared them for, having dominion for the glory of God

If those are just a few of the things we want to see for our student-athletes, then we must now be:

• Teaching them all that God has commanded
• Maximizing opportunities, on and off the field to seeing them growing in knowledge of the Lord
• Giving them opportunity to lead
• Modeling proper attitudes and work ethic
• Encouraging them by developing their God-given talents for God’s glory, not selfish gain
• Model and provide them opportunity to use their gifts and talents
• Helping them to understand the order of God, family, church, and life

Scripture is clear that God has created us to have dominion, rule over, and do a good work as unto the Lord.  When schools and coaches utilize the platform of athletics to prepare student-athletes to live for Christ now and forever, there is a much better chance for gaining the victory for eternity and maybe even in Friday night’s game.