RenewCast

Seek the welfare of the city! While the notion of place-based education isn't an entirely new concept, it's not the sort of focus we typically find in Christian Schools. However, there's strong theological and philosophical reasons why Christian schools should focus their curriculum and programs to helping students flourish in the place where God has put them. In order to do this well,...

All Parents feel overwhelmed, but the two books we discuss in this episode are intended to help parents feel a bit more "on top" of what it means to be parents, and both books provide practical advice to be more intentional in this great calling. Justin Whitmel Early's book (Habits of the Household) and Jon Tyson's book (The Intentional Father) are both designed to get parents th...

Every Christian School emphasizes the importance of God's Word, but we're likely inconsistent and confused about the place that God's Word has in our schools - not just philosophically, but in the day-in, day-out practices and programs. Tragically, many of our Christian schools reduce the Bible to a tool inserted into our lessons, displayed on posters, and quoted on the tops of quizzes and tests b...

A Conversation with Paya Sample of Peak Leaders Collective. The health of a school culture is directly linked to the health of the faculty culture. Building that culture requires rhythms of growth and trust that are nurtured by intentional leadership presence. Our conversation with Paya Sample primarily focuses on being present in classrooms (faculty evaluations and observations), but it's so...

Joy may be the most important aspect of the healthy, Christian school. Because we're not merely trying to impart information but see lives transformed and shaped, we must be communities of joy. If we're not, our schools will merely be schools: biblical, spiritual formation won't happen; our students will see Christianity as an add-on to an otherwise secular endeavor; learning will become utilitari...

We need breaks - not just in school life, but in all of life. Not only do these breaks provide bookends and rhythms for the academic calendar, they also say something about who we are and what we need as people. Host Noah Brink talks about the theology of rest and recreation to both provide greater context for understanding the need for these breaks, but also to encourage reflection in the normal...

It's not uncommon to hear people of faith say, "it's not about you." It's even the first sentence in Rich Warren's popular book, *The Purpose Driven Life.* But, this statement is more than a healthy reminder; in fact, it's a foundational aspect of the Christian worldview. http://www.renew-education.org #rickwarren #purposedrivenlife #christianworldview #christianphilosophy #biblicalworldview #chri...

What should we do when a students ask their teachers whether or not Santa is real? It's especially complicated at the Elementary school grades, where parents have different perspectives, and teachers want to both respect those differences and capitalize on the opportunity for transformative learning. Actually, the conversation surrounding Santa Claus goes far beyond whether or not Santa Claus real...

At Christmastime, Christians talk about the importance and necessity of the Incarnation, and we celebrate Jesus as Immanuel. The words of Christmas bring wonder and thanksgiving, but they're also critical parts to seeing Christianity as a worldview. The realities of both "incarnation" and Immanuel" are worldview-shaping beliefs that should affect Christians' view of all things – not merely at Chri...

What do we really want to see in our schools? What's the goal? Why do our schools exist? What do we want our students to learn? Far too often, we go through the motions of "doing school," yet we rarely consider how our philosophy and theology affect our approach to learning - both in the overall curricular program and in the day-to-day. Host Noah Brink concludes our six part series on learning by...

A Conversation with Craig Harris When Craig Harris set out to plant new church in Yakima, Washington, he already had the intention of planting a Christian school as a ministry of his new church (St. Andrew's, Yakima). Three years later, Immanuel Classical School has a building, over 100 students, has begun the process of hiring its first Headmaster, and just graduated its first high school student...

Thankfulness (both as a virtue and as an individual instance) reveal something about a worldview. Gratitude suggests that we know what we do and don't deserve ... that there's an "ought," and even a "something" to which this thanksgiving is owed. Deep down we know we ought to be thankful, and this reveals that we're hard-wired for recognizing who we are, in relation to the One who deserves our gra...

Yes, the world is not as it ought be. We see myriad instances of suffering, pain, loneliness, and sorrow. And yet, God continues to sustain the world through His goodness. It's God's common grace that we see at work - his blessings upon the entirety of his creation - whether His people or not. God's common grace is a vital aspect of the Christian worldview, giving us reason to find great value in...

Continuing our series on Learning, it's important to build structures (lessons, experiences, and assessments) with understanding as the goal. That starts by having a clear goal in mind - what we want our students to know/understand. These goals ought be consistent with our school mission, theological foundation, and philosophy of learning. From there, we must be willing to design our classrooms an...

We're continuing our series on learning and the Christian school by considering how the image of God affects our approach to learning. One of the clearest statements the Bible gives about the nature of humanity is that people are created in the image of God. Consequently, the notion that all people are created in God's image must be a core belief of the Christian school, and this belief has to be...

A Conversation with John Roberts John Roberts, Head of School at Covenant Christian School in St. Louis joins the show to talk about the distinctiveness of the CCS curriculum. It's rare to find a Christian school (or any school for that matter) that can build its curriculum to fit its own mission and objectives. But, that's why John and his team at Covenant have been able to do. Rather than merely...

When we begin to formulate a plan for building school wide frameworks for learning, there may be no better place to go than to the "Greatest Commandment." By calling people of faith to love God with all of our hearts, mind, and strength, Jesus is showing us what it looks like to love God with the totality of our natures, and it also gives us a foundation for what we should think about learning. Ho...

It's certainly a necessary step to create a school philosophy of learning that aligns with the school mission. But, having that in place, we have other make sure that this philosophy is actually supported by the school's practice (with its policies, procedures, and programs). Host Noah Brink uses Professor Lou Voskuil's Culture Box as an organizer and tool to help us ensure that there is consisten...

Though not books about Christian education (or even education, specifically), both *The Anxious Generation* by   Jonathan Haidt  and *Hidden Potential* by  Adam Grant  are fabulous resources to help teachers and Christian educators in their roles. Host Noah Brink provides brief recommendations of each book, in hopes that teachers can find these books as useful tools for their jobs and ministries....

Whether we realize it not, Christian schools are affected by a secular approach to education more deeply than we'd like to admit. This most shows up in our approach to learning which speaks volumes to what we believe about the purpose of education (and thus our schools) and what we fundamentally believe about our students. As the first in a multi-part series on learning, Host Noah Brink begins the...

Paul Matthews joins our show to talk about his new book, A Time to Lead, his software to help teachers us A.I. to improve their practice (MyTeacherAide), and how teachers can develop a posture that enables them to embrace changes which helps them become better teachers. Even though the bulk of our conversation connect revolves around the topic of A.I., the main goal is helping teachers fulfill the...

Every healthy school has a culture of faculty growth, where the school provides and encourages opportunities for teachers to grow in their philosophy and practice. And, these programs are often most effective when they're dependent upon internal leadership, rather than upon external programs. Even more healthy is a culture that nurtures growth in such a way that it's organically ongoing, because i...

Brother Lawrence's Classic work * The Practice of the Presence of God * provides a helpful, practical starting point for beginning to experience the presence of God. And, this is something we need if we're going to see any progress in the area of Spiritual Formation, which has to be one of the greatest priorities in the life of the Christian School. Host Noah Brink discusses what it could look lik...

Luke 15's parable of the two brothers (often referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son) has profound lessons for all Christians - but especially for those of us who work with Kids. Host Noah Brink discusses how this parable can help us think about our students and children in light of both brothers and the response of the Father. We aren't merely trying to nurture students toward conformity,...

Schools as Communities and Building a Better School Sometimes, it's hard to make it through an entire book and find the Most poignant, practical nuggets to take away. But, both of these books are anthologies or compilations of essays and articles to provide Christian School with helpful resources on a wide variety of topics, ranging from school culture and philosophy to finance and governance. Bec...