10 Theses on Classical Christian Education

These are the notes from the Principal's Message at the Redeemer Showcase Night on March 6th, 2026, at Redeemer Baptist Church (The East Kelowna Hall). 

10 Theses on Classical Christian Education

It has become a yearly tradition for me to give a talk about Classical Christian Ed. This began in the early years of Redeemer Classical Academy when we would host an Info Night. My goal was always to provide information about the Classical Christian model, promote our particular brand of it, and basically to convince people that this is really and truly the cats pyjamas. Last year my talk took on more of the shape of a manifesto. I had an axe to grind. Or to say it more accurately, I hold a belief so strongly that I found the need to argue for it, defend it, promote it, make it plain, and invite the whole world to join in with it.

Last year the talk was called – Saving Western Civilization One Student at a Time. And I still believe every word of that. In that talk I sought to describe the state of our civilization – which is best described as a dilapidated ruin of a formerly great society. And I advocated for Classical Christian Education as an effort to repair the ruins, and rebuild our civilization from the foundation on up. This is what we need. We need restoration – not renovation. We need to undo the renovations of the last decades and even the last couple of centuries and start over again the right way, with the right materials.

So, what's that going to take? How are we going to do this? What I would like to do tonight is give you 10 theses on Classical Christian Education. These are not in order of importance, some really important things may not even be on this list. But this is meant to be 10 foundational truths about this great project that we find ourselves engaged in. 10 realities that we have to reckon with as we proceed.

1. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21)

This line from Jesus is really clarifying, and for a few reasons. One, in the context it shows us that governments have a rightful place. Whose image is on the coin? Caesar's? Then give to him what is his. They were trying to get Jesus to say something seditious, something that would get him in trouble with the Romans and the Jews and he just wouldn't fall for their trap.

But his answer tells us something else. Whose image is on the coin? Caesars. Or in our case King Charles III. But whose image is stamped on you? Whose image do these children bear? And the answer is the image of God.

One of the biggest problems in our day today is with the government schools. They have become centres for indoctrination in an anti-God, anti-Christian, and even anti-human worldview. They shape young minds with radical environmentalism that views humanity as a plague. With radical gender and sexual ideology that confuses students on their own biology and on the natural, God-given design for human sexuality, for family formation, and human flourishing. They shape young minds to despise their history, heritage, and culture as Canadians. We are told to regret our very presence here as a nation. The language of decolonization, ethnic guilt, reparations, and other Marxist frameworks are imposed on students, day after day. And all this while rejecting and mocking the Christian Faith as a myth, even calling it a harmful myth.

And I could go on. But I hope you can see – that Caesar wants more than your taxes. Caesar wants your kids. And it is incumbent on Christian parents to say no. To not render to Caesar what belongs principally to God. We must give our children to God. We must teach them the truth about God, and all things in a God-centred Christian worldview. This is the first thesis – your children do not belong to the state, they belong to God. They bear His image.

2. An exodus from the government schools is not optional at this point, it is required.

This point follows from the first. The fact is, what is now called a "public" school, is really a government school. The public schools used to be the "Protestant" schools in contrast to the "Catholic" ones. We viewed them as general and acceptable because our nation was so thoroughly Protestant. But now, because our nation has turned away from Christ these last 60 years, the government schools are not even neutral on the Christian faith, they are outright hostile to it. These aren't your grandparent's schools anymore.

I remember my grade 3 teacher leading us in the Lord's Prayer every morning in the 90's in Regina, SK. But let me tell you, she was rogue. She was not in compliance then, and she would most definitely not be in compliance now. She was probably the last of my public school teachers I ever heard say a positive thing about Christ.

I know there are exceptions, but they simply prove the rule. Ultimately, there is no neutrality. We need to dispense with that myth. You can't have religiously neutral, non-worldview-shaping education. Man is homo-adorans. We are worshipping-beings. It's who we are. And nature abhors a vacuum. If you kick Christ out of the schools, you will get some idol enthroned there instead. Self or Man or something else. If you won't pray the Lord's Prayer, you will find yourself praying to mother earth, or some other deity. There is no neutrality.

And so the call to Christian parents is to get out of the government schools and to give their Christian kids a Christian education. An exodus is necessary at this point. Which leads to the next point:

3. No, pharaoh will not let your people go easily.

Starting a Classical Christian school in this current environment is no picnic. It turns out that Caesar, or shall we call him, Pharaoh – he doesn't want an exodus. Governments are concerned with compliance. Governments are not often interested in critical thinkers, creative innovators, and true leaders. They don't want a populace full of philosopher-kings. They want more worker bees for the hive.

And so, if we are to build an alternative system of Classical Christian Education – we cannot look to the state, we will have no help from there. The best we can hope for is that they leave us alone to build what we are building.

But we anticipate a struggle. These are rival world-views. This is a battle of the gods. Pharaoh is not keen on letting God's people go. But we must go anyways. And so, leading into our next point, we need bold men.

4. Christian fathers need to give their kids a Christian culture.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honour your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)

Notice where the buck stops with the raising of children – Fathers. It is Fathers who are called to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. These words imply more than a little correction and teaching around the dinner table. What is envisioned here is the passing on of a culture. The enculturation of children in a Christian-world-and-life-view.

And who is supposed to see to it that this gets done? Fathers.

Ever since the fall, men have had the struggle to lead their families. We often oscillate wildly between being harsh and dictatorial on the one hand, or being complacent and lazy on the other. Adam leaves Eve to handle it, and goes off to work, or out with the boys.

Men, this is not the way. We need to take responsibility for the education of our children. Outsourcing it to the government is a bad idea – leaving our wives to just figure out the whole homeschool thing is a dereliction of our duty to lead – we need to be involved, we need to lead with conviction.

And again, this doesn't mean we get into boss mode, and do everything on our own. Fathers can partner with their wives and with their churches and with a solid school, dare I say one like Redeemer Classical Academy, and together we can do what God has called us to do with the children He has given us.

Fathers need to get behind this and lead in this. Fathers need to judge that this bill is worth footing, and say to their wives, "We will sacrifice somewhere to make this happen, but we are going to make this happen." Fathers need to be involved, engaged, excited. I believe that our school rises and falls with the Fathers.

But, that is in no way meant to understate the critical role of mothers. I challenge the men with responsibility, but we need to challenge the women with risk and release. What do I mean by that?

5. Christian mothers need to dream bigger and scarier dreams for their kids.

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. (1 Peter 3:5-6)

Have you ever considered what Sarah went through? Abraham pops his head in the door – "Honey, we're moving!" "Where, Abe?" "No clue. God said move, so we got to go". And what does she say – "yes, Lord." Or in modern parlance – "Sure thing babe!". And the risk and faith required didn't end there. Her life was a life of uncertainty, risk, and ultimately great reward.

So, where are my Sarah's at? Are there Christian women in the 21^st Century who will be fearless for the Lord? Who won't fear for themselves and their babies? Who like Hannah will dedicate their Samuel's to the Lord's service if He so leads? Are there mom's out there who will raise up their children and joyfully send them out as missionaries to hard places?

Are you willing to dream a bigger dream and even a scarier dream for your children?

You see we all are susceptible to comfort, and safety, and self-absorption. Some parents, the way they talk you'd think that their main goal for Bobby is that he's happy and healthy – that he lives a normal life, gets a normal job, has a normal family, has a normal front and back yard, lives a normal amount of years, and dies a normal death – not very noteworthy or mentionable. Now, when you put it like that, you say.

But really, are we not, if we're honest, aiming too low sometimes? Where's our Kingdom-mindedness?

The desire to nurture and protect and keep safe is a good desire – but it is very much a natural desire. To play it safe is merely natural. To step out in faith, and to take risks, that is evidence of grace. God makes the holy women of His kingdom daughters of Sarah. Women who will go boldly into the adventures that God has for them. Women who will dream big dreams, risky dreams, scary dreams for themselves and their children. Women who will not fear that which is frightening – even for their kids.

6. Churches need to see Christian Education of Children as one of the most strategic and critical ministries around.

Local churches are called to preach the gospel, to disciple the nations, to advance the Great Commission. We are devoted to these things. Evangelism, Missions, Discipleship, and ultimately Worship – is why churches exist.

But within those categories there is a lot that we can apply. I want to make the argument that one of the most important and strategic ministries that we can support and engage in as churches is the Christian education of children.

This is the church's business. We should support these efforts, encourage these efforts, do everything we can to grow and expand these efforts.

If you are a church leader here today, I would encourage you to consider adding Redeemer Classical Academy and other efforts of Christian Education in our city to your prayer lists, and as line items to your church budgets.

What we do here at Redeemer is an effort supported by one local church, Redeemer Baptist Church, and families from many churches. We would love to see more families join and more churches support this great work.

7. Anything worth doing is hard.

Classical Christian Education is no picnic. This is a hard work. Latin, that's hard. Logic, that's tough. Reading Milton, Chaucer, Dostoyevsky, Cicero, Homer, and Plato – it's incredibly rewarding – but it takes serious discipline.

If Classical Christian education were easy everybody and their dog would be doing it. The fact is – we are climbing up hill. Culturally we have fallen off a cliff, and so we shouldn't be surprised that it will take some steep hiking to get back up to the heights.

But like all hard things, there is a glory in it. It is glorious to summit a mountain, it is glorious to complete a difficult building project, it is glorious to accomplish a robust Classical Christian Education. Hard, but worth it. Anything worth doing is hard.

8. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly

This will take a little explaining. Perhaps you have heard of "analysis paralysis". In order to be a pioneer, an entrepreneur, an innovator or an inventor, you can't be trapped by analysis paralysis. You cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. You have to just go for it – even when it's a little dodgy. You have to send the airplane off into the air, while you are still missing some key parts. We will build it as we go.

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. The important thing is to begin. And that's what we've done here – we started with little, and we continue to expand. It's a ready or not, here we come, kind of operation. It's an adventure that requires many prayers of: "Geronimo, Amen!"

But this is not where we remain.

9. Anything worth doing is worth doing with excellence.

Year by year we work hard to improve and refine what we are doing here at Redeemer. We strive for excellence. We have no desire to be sloppy and careless and lazy. No, we believe that God is honoured with good hard work. We believe in giving God our very best. And that is what we intend to do year after year after year.

10. God is glorified when His people step out in faith and do that which seems impossible.

We are stepping out in faith. We are asking God to do big things for us. We have big prayers for a building of our own. We have big prayers for an excellent high school program. We have big prayers for growing and expanding the work.

But ultimately there are no big prayers when you consider the greatness of who our God is. What can we ask God that would "stretch" Him to His limits. Our God is inexhaustible, uncontainable, eternal, omnipotent, and superabundant in His grace. And so we rest in that, even as we strive forward. We delight in the promise that He is able to do far more than we ask or imagine.

2Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Final Charge:

We are seeking first His Kingdom here at Redeemer. We partner with Christian families, individuals and churches to train young men and women to build and fight for the Lord. To train them to take up the task of building the future, of advancing the truth, of commending the good, of defending the faith. To be fired into the world as arrows, deep into the heart of the enemy's territory. To become mothers and fathers, churchmen, pastors, missionaries, businessmen, entrepreneurs, politicians, leaders, innovators, and inventors. We are training Christian men and women who will build the world, who will repair the ruins, and who will save western Civilization. By the grace of God and for the glory of God – so help us God. Amen!