Foundational Philosophy
At the foundation of everything at Harvest Canadian Reformed Christian School is the Bible and the confession that God is central to our lives, relationships and world around us. Redeemed by grace, we are blessed to enjoy, serve and honour Him in all we do.
God’s Word informs us that all of us are unique ambassadors of Christ.
Therefore, we are committed to developing the individual gifts and abilities of each student so that they have a strong foundation to function effectively for a life of faithful and joyous service to God, our neighbour, our work and our continued learning.
The educational philosophy is for the Christian faith to be integrated into every facet of learning. In doing so, we believe the purpose of education is to lead children to responsive discipleship.
Objectives
Our primary focus with Christian education is to partner with the family and church community in developing servant leaders by intentional education and community faith-life – through God’s work of redeeming, restoring and reforming us.
As we walk in leadership and live as image-bearers of Christ, we develop a passionate focus and keep an eternal perspective.
We believe in knowing Christ and making Him known. Learning to lead by choosing to follow.
Reformed Education
Reformed education maintains that parents, in obedience to the divine mandate, retain the full primary responsibility for the education of their children, and therefore claim the prior right to choose the desirable form of education for them.
Reformed education seeks to educate the whole child, i.e., it seeks to develop the ethical and moral, as well as the aesthetic, physical, and intellectual dimensions of each child, so that each child may love and serve his/her Creator and his/her neighbour with his/her whole heart, soul and mind.
Reformed education seeks to provide its students with an understanding of the nature and purpose of life, as well as work, as children of their heavenly Father in today’s society, and to contribute to that society.
Reformed education seeks to present a comprehensive view of the world in all its expressions, recognizing it as God’s creation, with as purpose God’s glorification, and as ultimate destiny the great restoration when God will restore the whole of creation.
Reformed Education is characterized by the following four markers:
- Reformed education is covenantal in character. The binding relationship of love which God has established with his people is the framework within which children are to be nurtured in godliness and equipped to live out their calling as prophets, priests, and kings.
- Reformed education is confessional in character. Education is normative because all of life is governed by the Word of God.
- Reformed education recognizes the antithesis. Children are equipped with the knowledge and skills to recognize the battle lines of the struggle to which Christ calls them to live in holiness by doing the will of their Father.
- Reformed education functions in a unity of purpose of home, school, and church. When home, school, and church are united with respect to the education of the children, the work of each benefits all in the communion of saints.
Covenant:
- The word covenant in our context is an agreement between God and His people. In Genesis 17 God established a covenant with Abraham and his descendants/children. In this covenant God claims Abraham and his children as His own. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant which God established with Abraham. For the generations to come every male child who is eight days old was to be circumcised. That covenant is still in place, though in the New Testament baptism replaces circumcision as the sign of the covenant.
- What does this have to do with education? In Deuteronomy 6:6,7 we read “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 this passage and others we see how God gives the responsibility of teaching children to the parents.
- At the baptism of their children parents make a vow before the LORD to ‘instruct their children in the fear of His name’. Fear here does not mean to be afraid of God but, truly knowing Him and having awe and reverence before God who is almighty. Our school was established by parents who want to keep that vow.