I asked my HS students: Why are you thankful for Christian Education?
我们聊得很快, but one I still remember: A family declared to my family that they would never consider jdb电子夺宝 because they couldn’t afford it. Shortly after making this declaration in our church parking lot, the couple got into a new luxury vehicle and drove away.
虽然这个例子很极端, I understand that it is easy to view tuition as just another bill and as such, consider whether it should take priority over a more glittery treasure. But let me challenge you today that tuition is not an expense that keeps you from a new kitchen or a new car. 就像529或401K一样, Christian education is an investment: An eternal investment in your child’s future at a time when Christianity is under assault in many other spheres of their lives.
As an EC parent and alumna, I have felt the impact of Eastern Christian personally. But I also have another perspective, and that’s the perspective of an EC high school teacher. So, are our high school students thankful for their Christian education? Is your investment–is our investment as a community–paying dividends? 以下是他们中的一些人说的话:
- “I am thankful that I am here…I genuinely think I would possibly not be a Christian if it weren’t for EC.——ec大二学生
- “I used to hate going to a private school, but now I am very thankful because of the community that cares about me. My friend at [another school] says none of his “close friends” at school actually care about him–they never talk about anything deep and that they are all surface level…At EC, I know multiple people who would listen to me.——ec senior
- “I am extremely grateful for my Christian education. 没有这个机会, I wouldn’t understand how to walk with Christ through everything I do.——ec junior
- “Compared to when I was in [another] school, I see a dramatic change in who I was then to how I currently am at EC. God has led me to be in an amazing friend group, where each one of them motivates and leads me to the right things in life and they never leave my side. It makes me grateful for this school and EC in general.——ec大二学生
- “The chapels are amazing and 的人 here are something I will never forget.——ec大二学生
- “I believe that Christian education is a core part of my faith. To raise a child in the faith requires cooperation between the family, the church, and the school.——ec senior
- “I am thankful for a Christian education because I know that I do not have to be afraid to share my faith and talk about God with other people. I know that I am safe here to talk about God with anyone. Spiritual Emphasis week is one of my favorite weeks of the year because I always feel the Lord moving within me and the school.——ec senior
- “I am thankful for the friends and teachers I have met at EC. They are truly exceptional and have had a significant influence on my life.——ec senior
- “I am thankful for a Christian education because it allows me to express my faith freely. Since I am around other believers, I am not going to be judged if I do express my faith. Being by other believers has also motivated me to make my relationship with God deeper.——ec大二学生
- “I just transferred to EC this school year and before I came here, I went to [a local school]. 那是一所好学校, but I felt drawn toward EC for many reasons, 包括环境, 的人, the fact that God was involved in school, 还有学术界. In the past three weeks I have been at EC, I have already been inspired in many ways. I have been encouraged and inspired to be more public about my faith and to learn more about God. I have also been surrounded by a lot more positivity, which has been very uplifting. I am thankful for Christian education because I have seen school without Christ being the base and it is so uplifting that [since transferring to EC], in every class and even in tennis before every game we start with prayers and even devotionals in a few classes.——ec大二学生
When I die, I cannot take a luxury car or a granite countertop with me. But it is my sincerest prayer that one day my children–and your children–will join me in heaven. I hope that you will consider how pivotal this choice is, 最后, the investment you make toward Christian education could be priceless.
