With the Great Commission mandate to make disciples being more vital today than even yesterday, the need for excellent and true Christian schools in the 21st century is most essential. Faithful Christian schools that seek after the heart and mind of God are needed now more than ever as we seek to glorify God through the transformation of minds and souls in God's wisdom and excellence. Yet, despite this mandate, many Christian schools trudge along the same paths neglecting the truths, wisdom and favor that can be found in our Almighty God. While all Christian schools should have clearly defined statements of vision and mission, the question remains ~ Do these schools truly adhere to and seek to fulfill such statements in accountability to the Lordship of Christ? Or are these vision and mission statements merely obligatory and for public relations?
Additionally, we encourage you to consider both the intrinsic as well as the extrinsic aspects of your vision and mission? Furthermore, is every one from your board, to your administration to your teachers on the same page and able to clearly define as well as pursue your stated vision and mission?
For starters, intrinsic vision and mission statements will reflect the calling of God, be steadfast to the authority of Biblical truths and remain in obedience to God's will through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Such an intrinsic vision and mission statement will reflect the heart and character of the Christian school in intangible ways. For example, the love, favor, wisdom, truths and character of Christ will permeate the campus. Additionally, the school community will be found to have those who seek to be pleasers of God rather than act as pleasers of men.
For these reasons, it is the hearts of those who lead the Christian school that is of significantly more importance than the external appearance of the campus. Therefore, a Christian school that is devoted to having a beautiful campus or growing enrollment better have the right heart in desiring such objectives. Otherwise, the school will have an extrinsic vision at the expense of the aforementioned intrinsic mission and vision.
G.K. Chesterton in "What's Wrong With The World" states that such institutions "do not even ask whether an empire is growing taller in its youth, or only fatter in its old age". Whereas, God's work done His way will always have His provision.
By God's grace, the Imago Dei Group believes this may very well be one of the most exciting times facing Christian school leaders. With the uncertainty of the course that our nation is traveling, we as Christians have complete certainty as to ours.
In these exciting and challenging times, most to all Christian schools can benefit from wise counsel. However, many of these schools consider engaging a consultant as cost prohibitive. They falsely reason that a consultant will be too costly and therefore not cost effective. However, the Imago Dei Group scales its rates on a per diem basis where our fees seldom exceed the per diem costs of the school's full time administrator.
The Imago Dei Group would like to offer your school cost effective consulting that coaches your school to stay the course and attain Christ-honoring wisdom and excellence for the 21st century. As we take root in this school year, rather than seeking mere survivability, we encourage you as Christian school leaders to strategically seek ways to plan your vision and mission for the long term and glory of God.
Essentially, such Christian school consulting is the short term hiring of wise counsel in the form of experienced, trained and gifted school leaders. Furthermore, such short term counsel may only consist of a day or two with your school leadership gleaning a vast array of insights and wisdom that otherwise would be overlooked. Think of it as hiring a second administrator for a short term basis where you get to drain them of all their experiences, knowledge of best practices and cutting edge insights to grow your school in so many ways for such a time as this. For more information - contact the Imago Dei Group at: info@ImagoDeiGroup. com or 912-656-7567. "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22