To Christian school or to secular school? Less than a year away from sending our only child off to real world school, that is the question. It’s not a no-brainer, as some would assume, given our passion for Christ–there are several factors to consider. Like the fact that so many who were raised in a Christian school (most commonly, Catholic), now want little to do with God or Christ (and many who do just go through the motions). Like being too shielded from the harsh realities of our secular world. And the fact that no matter how positive something seems on the surface, doesn’t mean that darkness doesn’t lurk beneath. As parents, these are big fears.

But our biggest fear is sending our daughter to a school where she is stymied, shunned, and scolded for talking about God (because, in all likelihood, she’ll be one of the few kids who will talk about Him). While my husband and I parent with Christ, we can’t give her the full biblical foundation (due to time, expertise, opportunity) that a qualified school can…and we think that’s really important.

We visited a Christian school in our community on a family interview and were impressed overall. Our daughter seemed to like it. We like that families/children from all denominations make up the body. We love that there is diversity. We like that it’s not too upper crust. We like the school’s layout, curriculum, tuition rate, and style of teaching.

The Lord can use and bless our daughter in any environment, and part of me wonders if He wants her in our public school (which has a good reputation) so she can share (subtly or obviously) some of her light, love, and Christ with the other children and staff (whether they realize/welcome it or not).

We can train up our children to know the way of the Lord, but, sadly, that doesn’t guarantee that the wiles of enemy and his kingdom of darkness won’t try to distract and throw them off course. Many of you are praying hard for your children to come back to the church right now. Take heart, for He is still on the throne and with them, even in the midst of their struggles. That’s the great thing about God. We can toss Him aside, but He doesn’t have to go anywhere if He chooses. He can stay right by our side, whether we realize/like it or not.

Schooling truly begins at home. Whether our children grow up with godly foundations will depend upon how much time we spend talking about Him at home–around the dinner table, in the car, at bath time, and before bed. It will depend on how (and where) we worship Him as a family. It will depend on how well we mirror His word in front of them. Whether we are kind and respectful to our spouses (think we all need to work on this one at times). Whether we talk about how much we love God and how thankful we are for Him and His blessings.

You get a lot of say in how well your child grows up knowing the Lord. Capitalize upon it. Start talking about Him.