From the Principal's Office: Why do I have to attend church?

Lately, I've been meeting with parents who want their child to be in a Christian school, but have no desire at all to attend a Christian Church. While this confuses me, I've been searching for the best way to explain to them why it is important for them to be in church.

This isn't about completing an additional form for their child's file to be complete. Parents are their children's biggest influence and if we truly desire our children to grow up having a relationship with Christ and know who He is, they first must model it in their own home. (I'm not just referring to just church attendance.)  The parents of our students need to be actively seeking their own relationship with Christ and from that they should desire to be in church themselves. The Bible refers to the church as Christ's bride and I've heard the illustration used before that if you wanted to be-friend someone but never wanted to see or spend time with their spouse, what type of friendship would you truly have with them? We can't expect to know Christ, and be in a growing relationship with Him, if we allow ourselves to ignore the church. Unfortunately, many of our "churches" probably don't do enough to demonstrate that being involved should be an outpouring of our relationship with Christ. I am lucky enough to be a part of one that does.

It does amaze me that parents choose a Christian school for their children and do not want to be a part of a church themselves. I can't believe that they are truly choosing a Christian school for the right reason. I realize that a private education with small class size and a Biblically based curriculum has a lot to offer even to the non-church going family. However, our mission:

"The mission of Central Christian Academy is to assist parents in developing godly character in the lives of their children that will challenge them to reach their fullest spiritual, academic, and physical potential and thus transform them into good citizens to impact our community for today, tomorrow, and eternity."

. . . cannot be accomplished unless the parents feel it necessary to first work at developing that character through their home. And church attendance should result from that.

I spent several years teaching in inner city schools where students lived in homes where many of their parents took and sold drugs. We spent a lot of money as a school teaching kids about why they should not do drugs. However, if their parents were not supporting our teachings with their life style, we made no impact what-so-ever. The same is true when we attempt to provide a Biblical based education where we teach your children the importance of knowing Christ. If our parents do not support that in their lifestyle, we are wasting our time. I know no other way to express this to our parents, except to share with them my heart. Church has made all the difference in raising my own children. The school you choose isn't as important as deciding that you and your family will attend a Bible believing church and will make it a part of your life forever.