Have you experienced conflict within your Christian school? How were you instructed to approach it? Were you encouraged to use the model described in Matthew 18:15–17? How did that work out for you? In my ministry of providing Christian conciliation services, I have become painfully aware that this excellent teaching of Jesus has been misunderstood and misapplied in many schools.
School Leadership
The Redemption and Promise of Service-Learning
You may think that Christian schools—whose missions can often be boiled down to “Serve God, Serve Others”—may be leading the way in implementing service-learning. However,...
“Now or Never”: The Research Basis for Innovation in Christian Schools
In Schools at Risk: An Analysis of Factors Endangering the Evangelical Christian School Movement in America (Nichols 2016), I investigated the nature, causes, and contributing factors to Christian school closures in the U.S. since 2006. A goal of the study was to identify implications for practice that these factors held for the future, as well as develop a set of recommendations to address this issue of school closure.
PODCAST: Addressing Mental Health Needs and Challenges in Christian Schools
Christian school students present with a number of mental health needs and challenges. School leaders can benefit from learning about best practices for addressing those needs and challenges in the Christian school setting.
Inclusive Education: One Christian School’s Journey
It’s that time of year again! As students and parents are enjoying those last few days of summer and maybe beginning to feel some anxious thoughts about a new school year, teachers are busy preparing for their new students (and maybe having some anxious thoughts of their own). They’re wondering, “What will this class be like? What strengths and challenges will these students bring with them? How will I meet all those needs in one room?”
Belonging and Disability in the Christian School
When I hear the dreams of parents of a child with a disability, they often share a hope for belonging for their son or daughter. They have a desire for their child to belong to a community, marked by genuine friendships, after-school activities, valuable classroom learning, and ultimately, an encounter with God’s love. Truthfully, their dreams are not any different than any parent’s dreams for their child.
