The Official Site of Andy Boucher

A few years ago (2006-7), we were challenged to revision how to teach Bible at CSCS.  In that process, I became convinced that it was not that we need a completely new and regenerate BibleDepartment, but that we need a new and regenerate view of “why Christian education”,“why Bible” and “why we emphasize Spiritual Life” (or Student Ministries as wecall it at our school). This was written as part of that "revision".

I believe that a revolution needs to happen in our perspectivesof ourselves as a school; as individuals at the school; or our students and theirparents; of our position in this city, state, nation and world; and in therealm of Christian education.

The perspective that I feel we need to have can be described ina “we should not be” perspective or in a “should be” perspective”.  I will attempt to project a positive visionof what we could be rather than a vision that appears to be reactionary to whatwe currently are.

Since we are Christian schools weneed to look at things from the perspective of Christ—the One whom we followand are equipping and empowering our students to follow.  Jesus Christ taught us to pray that God’sKingdom would come and His will would be done on this earth as it is in heaven.Our overall prayer for our Christian schools, as institutions and as bodies ofbelievers, needs to be that God’s Kingdom would come and His will would be doneon earth in our day, in each student’s life and in every class that graduatesfrom our schools.  Our prayer andambition in and through our Christian schools is that God’s Kingdom would comeand His will be done in all the policies, operations, budgets, curricula anddecisions at that our schools make so that His will would be done in our lives andin the lives of our students; and that we as individuals and an institutionwould be His instrument through which God’s Kingdom comes and His will is donein our cities, around our states, throughout the country and to the ends of theearth.

Jesus, before leaving this earthgave His followers some instructions on how to see His Kingdom come and Hiswill be done on earth as it is in heaven. He said this:

All authority and power has been given to Me and you willreceive that power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.  You are to go and be My witnesses to all theearth, beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria and ultimately tothe ends of the earth.  You are to preachthe Good News to everyone, making disciples of those who believe and baptizingthem in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach them to obey everything that I’vecommanded you.  And be sure of this:  I am always with you and will work with youuntil the very end of this age.                                                              A combination oftranslations

I believe that our Christianschool can play a more instrumental role in the advancing of God’s Kingdom andwill on this earth without changing many of the programs, but in rather changingperspectives and filters.  I believe thatif we filter our current policies, budgets, programs, curricula—everything—throughsuch a filter that it will truly make our school distinct in the ChristianEducation community,  in the competitivecommunity of education in the region and in the Kingdom of God.  I suggest that we say the following:

In order that the Kingdom of God may come and the will of God bedone  in our day, in this generation,both in our lives and around the world, we will make disciples of our students andempower them with spiritual programs that are age appropriate, academicallysound, and biblically consistent.  Theywill be taught by biblically spiritual men and women who are academically,relationally and culturally prepared to teach them at each level.  We will then provide complementary programsof excellent education as well as quality athletics, fine arts and training inleadership, service and ministry.  Wewill do this so that upon completion of a students time at our school, ourstudents  will be young men and women whoare skilled, empowered and prepared to continue to advance the Kingdom of Godand His will for them individually and their generation and to the ends of the earth.