Christian core beliefs
We believe that the Bible is the infallible, authoritative, and inspired word of God and the rule for all of life. As revealed in His Word, God is the creator of the universe Gen. 1:1
He also created man in His own image and likeness Gen. 1:26
We also believe that God exists eternally as a Trinity – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
As we study His Word, we get to know and understand His plans and purpose for us we believe that God is love 1John 4:7 – 8 and has equally demonstrated this love through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Rom. 5:8 that all people through the fall in the Garden of Eden are sinners and separated eternally from God. Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23. However God made provision for our redemption through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. And when people turn away from their sins and put their trust in Jesus, they are forgiven and they become born – again John 3:3.
We believe that someday Jesus Christ will come back and put an end to sin and death as well as establish His Kingdom where all believers will reign with Him forever. Rev. 21:1 – 4.
NATURE OF THE LEARNER AND THE LEARNING PROCESS
All humans are created in the image and likeness of God yet differ in personalities. We are as the Psalmist says fearfully and wonderfully made. For effective and healthy learning to take place, the teacher must learn to embrace these differences as well as celebrate them in his classroom. These differences can be used to create collaboration in the classroom and as he differentiates instructions, he can discover the learners’ gifting for the building up of all and for the benefit of every member of the classroom, the school community, and society at large 1Corin.12: 4 – 7, Rom. 12:6 – 8. The goal of Christian education is to teach the absolute sovereignty of God and how His sovereignty is displayed through His work and redeeming power, consequently, we have a responsibility to nurture a conducive learning environment that will not only display biblical principles but promote the advancement of the kingdom. We believe that learning is a process that goes on throughout the learner’s life time the end therefore is “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work 2Tim. 3:17.
NATURE AND ROLE OF THE TEACHER:
Primarily speaking the responsibility of every child’s education lies with the parents Deut. 6:6 -7. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
In Gen. 18:19 God himself had this to say concerning Abraham “For I have known him, so that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice…..”
As a school set up to uphold Christian virtues, we have a duty to collaborate with parents, and the church in raising their children in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
God calls us to teach even while revealing character issues in our own lives that we also need to deal with. Teaching goes beyond just doing what is right, it is being the right type of person.
Christian Teachers play a significant role for they have direct interaction with students. Porter (2000) in her book stated that individuals may begin a new behavior by imitating others (P.36). At school students see their teachers as their role models. To fit in as role models, teachers are first doers before they can be teachers – in their conduct and attitudes within and outside of the classrooms Acts 1:1 thereby, providing strong Christ-like examples for the students.
Our teachers by all expectations have a high level of professional competence and a desire to be constantly learning new ways to improve themselves and remain relevant and abreast in their fields of study. As reflected in Eph. 2:15 “Study to show yourself approved of God a workman who needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.
The Teacher works hand in hand with the Holy Spirit as he facilitates the learning process and aids the learner come to maturity and the ability to be able to differentiate between right and wrong, truth and falsehood.
CHRISTIAN’S VIEW OF SUBJECT MATTER AND CURRICULUM:
The courses for Christian education are clearly stated in 2 Peter 1: 5 – 10. “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection. The more you grow like his, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. S dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.”
Since the Objective of Christian education is first to lead the sinner back to God who is his only saviour from sins; God’s Holy Scriptures (Bible) take the central position in the school’s curriculum. This way, students come to the knowledge of God as they are taught from a curriculum that is biblically integrated both in theory and practice with truth and approached from a Christian world view. On the other hand, students are encouraged as well as given the opportunity to think critically and apply scriptures to their Christian worldview to all subjects and subject matters. Christian education teaches all subjects and subject matters in this light that every truth is God’s truth whether it is Spiritual, historical, or scientific, and integrated with His word.
At ACS/AIC we strive to provide a well-balanced curriculum centered on the word of God as reflected in our motto: “knowledge in the fear of God” Prov. 1:7 We are committed to academic excellence without compromising our Christian beliefs and principles. This is also reflected in our mission statement.
The teacher is also seen as a living curriculum in the eyes of his students, as stated in Luke 5:40 “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”
The Holy Spirit who is the greatest Teacher is the Spirit of Truth who dwells in the life of every believer, teaches all things, and brings into remembrance all things the Father had said.
