God has made us in such a way that we can't get through life entirely alone. This is especially true in the context of His Church: Christ's body isn't a bunch of mavericks, it's a united (though often dysfunctional) collection of people instructed to work together toward godliness and the universal spread of the Gospel. Should we assume we don't need help in other matters as well, like the education of our children?
We should not. Not only is it impossible to know everything your kids need to learn, it's fairly arrogant to think you can know exactly how to teach them just because you know them intimately. We all think this way sometimes, but the truth is that we need help, the wisdom of others, the advice of those who've been where we are, done what we're trying to accomplish.
That's not to suggest it takes a village to raise a child, or any similar hogwash. Children are the responsibility of their parents, and it is up to moms and dads to raise the kiddos in the fear and admonition of the Lord. But to really pursue Christ we need the strength of other believers around us; righteousness isn't a solo project. Therefore, to raise godly children we need to do so as participatory members of the Body of Christ, and while they don't raise our kids for us, the members of our local assembly certainly influence them, hopefully for good.
Our selection of education resources is largely Christian in orientation. There are some secular titles, but most of them are simply standards guidelines or test-taking helps. A Christian education must be one rooted in Chrisitan principles and philosophies, or else our children will end up learning the wrong things, or learning the right things in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons.
Don't just read any of these titles and accept whatever the authors say, however. Read them, think about them, discuss them, pray about the content, and use wisdom and your knowledge of your children to do what's best for them. There is no one right way to educate your kids; there is only one right end goal, the rearing of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. These resources are intended to help you do just that.
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Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.
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