From time to time, I am asked why the school only admits children from families where one parent is a born again Christian. The concern being raised is of course for the many children whose parents would love to have their children attend the school but who are not themselves Christian.

The answer has to do with the kind of school we believe God has called us to be. There are basically two approaches taken by Christian schools when they consider their field of ministry. Should the school be a "missionary school" which seeks to impact the unsaved by leading children (and perhaps their parents) to Christ, or should it be a "discipleship school" which seeks to minister to those in the Church who want to grow stronger in the Lord.

The Koinonia Schools are "discipleship" schools which see their role as one of assisting Christian parents in fulfilling their responsibility to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. All of the Koinonia Schools have this common focus. While we encourage our children to be involved in evangelism, and even provide opportunities for evangelism, the primary ministry of the school is to equip them to be stronger and more effective Christians. Evangelism is a secondary goal of the Koinonia Schools, but it is one of the primary goals of the churches, and we hope that as the churches are effective in this ministry, more families will be brought to the Lord, and then perhaps enroll them in the Christian school where they can be strengthened in their walk.

There are grave dangers associated with the "missionary" school. Families who do not really believe in the values of the school can eventually outnumber those that do. They can gain control over the curriculum, hiring, etc. and then the school loses the very strengths that made it strong to begin with. The history of colleges in the States illustrates this all too tragically. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc. were all founded to prepare men for the ministry. Today, they are completely pagan in outlook.

A second problem has to do with the influence of the children on the atmosphere of the school. Humanistic values and ungodly behavior increase steadily as more and more non-Christian families enroll. (Sin is like the law of gravity; it pulls everything down.) Eventually, Christian parents begin to wonder why they are paying tuition for a school which no longer provides the kinds of positive influences that it once did. They then begin to withdraw their children, and the school continues its steady decline.

I believe that a "missionary" school is most effective on the mission field in a foreign country. In Canada, I feel that the dangers far outweigh the benefits. Our admissions policy is one of the most important foundation stones of the school, and it is one of the major reasons why the Koinonia schools have a reputation for both academic and spiritual excellence.

Brian Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal, Airdrie Koinonia Christian School

Copyright © 1998/99 Airdrie Koinonia Christian School      Last modified: January 19, 1999