Luke Bowers

Over the past 30 years in Christian education, I have had the opportunity to talk to thousands of students who are struggling with their faith.  For many students, the issue seems to be linked to their confusion and frustration when they hear biblical principles affirmed by parents, teachers, and pastors, but they often see a lifestyle that runs counter to those principles.  

In his book, Rethinking Discipleship, Alan Pue makes this statement, “Upon just a bit of reflection, we will all be forced to admit that much of what we learn, we learn through observation. It is not just content; it is also context.”  He goes on to say, “it is that daily reinforcement that makes all the difference for good or bad.” I couldn’t agree more.  What is confusing for young people today is when we as the teachers and authorities in the room try to tie our instruction to the word of God but end up living a life that is contrary to those things we say are right and true.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, hit the nail on the head when he was inspired to write the following, found in James 1:22-25:

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and goes away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”

“But the one that looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

So what does this mean for Christian educators today? Simply put:

• We must remember that God’s word must be at the heart of everything that is done in a Christian school.  It was the Lord’s prayer for His disciples and us today, that we be “Sanctified by truth; Your word is truth.”
• We must lock in on God’s word and study it carefully, as to hide it in our hearts and study to “show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
• God’s word must abide in us and we must abide in it.  This means that God’s word must be at home in us and we must know it above all else, so that we live it out in the lives of our schools.  

Nothing will impact our homes, churches, schools, and communities more than the Word of God being consistently lived out! 

It is that time of year that we have either already filled some open faculty or staff positions, or we are still looking to fill some key positions.  I must admit, with every passing day, the tendency can be to rush to fill the open spots as soon as possible.  I feel that tension almost every day right now.  

My encouragement and reminder is to remember that every hire can either help create and enhance the Christ-centered culture you desire, or can have a negative impact and drain on the positive culture you have now.  It is amazing the power that one or two people can have on impacting a culture.  Just one or two complainers, gossipers, or those ignorant of God’s truth can start to drag down a culture, quickly.  However, just a few great hires of people that love the Lord, know His word, and love to encourage and build others up, can have a positive impact on the culture of a school.  

It is true that “a student when fully trained will be like their teacher.”  So, what must we do as we look to add new people to our teams for next year?

Simply put:

• Pray, pray, and then pray some more.  I always say that God does not desire to hide His will from us.  We know that God wants people to be saved, grow in their knowledge of Him, and be set apart to serve Him with their lives.  Therefore, we need to find the right people that feel the same way and can help carry out that mission.
• Trust the Lord to direct us to those people. If God can speak the world into existence, part the waters, make food fall from heaven, pave the way for His birth and life, and cover our sins on the cross, I have no doubt that He can orchestrate the path that leads us to the perfect person to fill any position we might have for next year.
• Once we have the right people, encourage and support them to do what God has called and equipped them to do.  In Psalm 101:6, David makes the statement that “He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.” As we hire people who are above reproach and have a proven, committed and effective walk with the Lord, give them the opportunity to minister and build up others in your school.  

As God does these things in and through us, we will see a culture that is built and strengthened around a mutual love for the Lord and a desire to train up a generation of young people that will change the world for Christ!  

It’s that time of year when our calendars are usually packed with all kinds of events.  Award ceremonies, exams, parties, programs, graduations, celebrations, championships, and more happen in a typical May in Christian schooling.  On top of that, our minds, attention, and efforts are also already fixed on August and what the new year will bring.  With that in mind, in this month’s blogs, I want to remind you of a few simple truths that not only impact the activities in May but also as we look to the new year. 

Since the individual heart and mind are the consistent ingredient that runs through every home, church, and school, it is imperative that we control what we can control, in ourselves. Since as a school leader, I am the one that impacts and influences my faculty, students, parents, and others around me, then I had better be certain that my heart is fully committed and cognizant of the truth of God’s Word. 

Simply put:

• We must constantly examine ourselves to “see if we are in the faith; examine yourself.”
• We must ask the Lord to examine us; “Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me…”
• We must ask the Lord to cleanse us from anything that gets in the way; “Create in me a clean heart…restore to me the joy of my salvation.”
• We must recognize who we are in Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me.”  “For me to live is Christ…”

The slower pace of summer, which is just around the corner, is the perfect time to pause, lock in, and ask the Lord to not only search out hearts but to direct our paths as we prepare for the upcoming school year!   

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.