Adventist Education Values Extend Beyond this World

There are those moments in time when you wonder, Why? That’s not necessarily a bad question—it’s just such a personal one when dealing with issues in one’s own personal life. Such issues as when an unexpected death of a loved one occurs, or you experience a personal illness, or you face challenges on your job, or even lose your job. The list could cover a multitude of scenarios.

So the question “Why should I choose Adventist Christian education for my child(ren)?” may not seem as critical, yet it is no less important. All the statistics have been quoted; the successes of young people who have gone through the system have reached far and wide. The one-, two-, three step process has been shared and every month a new approach is given as to the importance of Adventist education, but the question remains—“Why should I put my child in an Adventist school?” And the reality is that only you, as a parent, can answer that question.

Having to ask the why questions many times, I have come to the conclusion that God is either the blessed controller of all things or He is not! Either He will provide for my needs—or He will not. Either the educational system of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is supported by the Spirit of Prophecy—or it is not! In reality, it is the parents who decide how far they will trust God with their child(ren).

Recently an amazing event happened in the Southern New England Conference (SNEC). More than 200 students came to practice a musical for camp meeting called Levite Genes. The students were amazing. So were their teachers. Listening to them sing about God with enthusiasm and power was a sight to behold. Never would you see a performance in a public school that would bring such honor and glory to God.

Our schools provide so much more than their secular counterparts, if our core values extend beyond this world. In the camp meeting book project, where each SNEC classroom created their own book about a Bible character and a little about themselves, Claudia Hernandez from the Maranatha Regional School describes how Christian education has impacted her own life: “I’ve been through a lot in the last 12 years. I lost my grandpa, went to Oshkosh, made friends, learned to love Jesus, and came to a Christian school. My life has been so much better with Christ in it.”

What a statement. Why Adventist education? The ultimate purpose is to lead our children to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and share what that means to them individually and train them how to share this great news with the world.

Patricia E. Giese is the Southern New England Conference superintendent of schools.