Core Values
- The Preeminence of Christ: to glorify and praise Christ as having first place in all things (Colossians 1:12-27).
- The Life of Christ: to instill the truth of scripture; to walk in faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13); to live and teach grace.
- The Wisdom of Christ: to grow up healthy and strong; to be filled with the wisdom of God (Luke 2:52); to make a difference in this world (Jude 1:22).
- The Integrity of Christ: to live a life that proves to the world that we are God's children (Ephesians 4:1); to obey the ordinances of man for the Lord's sake (1 Peter 2:13-15); to find favor and a good name in the sight of all people (Acts 2:47).
- The Unity In Christ: to be of one mind toward one another in Jesus Christ; to have one mouth in glorifying God; to receive one another as we have been received in Christ to the glory of God (Romans 15:5-7); to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward one another as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
Statement Of Faith
- We believe the Bible is the written word of God and revelation of God's truth, inspired by Holy Spirit, without error in the original manuscripts, and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice.We believe there is one triune God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Matthew 16:15-17, 28:19; John 14:10, 26; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
- We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7; Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-18; II Corinthians 5:8-21; Galatians 4:4-7; Philippians 2:5-11). We believe the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:22-36; Romans 3:12-26; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5, 2:24). We believe the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:33-34; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; I John 2:1-2).
- We believe that Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them (John 16:7-11; Romans 8:9- 11; I Corinthians 12:12-13; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14).
- We believe that mankind was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam's sin mankind became alienated from God and was unable to save himself or remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3; Romans 1:18-21, 3:23, 5:12, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19).
- We believe the Scriptures teach that salvation – everything provided through the finished work of Jesus Christ – has been freely given to all mankind and is received by a change of mind toward God and a personal faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9; I Peter 1:18-19).
- We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; Jeremiah 10:12; Nehemiah 9:6; John 1:3; Acts 4:24, 17:24-26; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 10:6).
- We believe that marriage was ordained by God as the sacred union of one man and one woman. All sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that union. Marriage is a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:24, 5:1-2; Matthew 19:1-10; Romans 1:18-32; 7:2-3; I Corinthians 5; 6:9-11; 7:10-16; Ephesians 5:1- 8, 22-33; I Thessalonians 4:1-8).
Doctrinal Differences
As an Interchurch ministry that is broadly evangelical, Charis Christian Academy contains within its walls a spectrum of doctrinal views and ecclesiastical practices that correspond to the diversity of the Body of Christ. In matters of faith, the school seeks to unify its students and staff around the person and work of Jesus Christ while maintaining a harmonious balance in its representation of non-essential differences in the classroom, and it does so by adopting the following policy:
- All members of the Board of Directors and all school employees shall annually subscribe to the school's Statement of Faith.
- All instruction, student interaction, and internal curricula shall operate within the theological boundary of the Statement of Faith.
- Doctrinal differences represented by school families may generate conversations in the classroom or among students. It may be appropriate, especially in the upper grades, to discuss what those differences are; however, any instruction given by faculty, as to the origins or implications of the doctrinal differences in question, shall be done without maintaining or implying that any one denominational view represents a preferred position.
- Furthermore, the school recognizes that, beyond doctrinal differences, the families of the local faith community engage in a broad variety of specific ecclesiastical practices that stem from the distinctive subcultures of individual churches. The school and its employees shall not offer opinions on the propriety of these practices, particularly where those opinions have the potential to divide and not unify the Body of Christ. On occasion, it may be appropriate to link a particular practice to a specific doctrinal point; however, that representation ought never to become an expression of preference or a critique of one practice relative to another.
- The overarching principles for any sensitive discussion are love, respect, and understanding. Great care shall be taken by school staff to keep such discussions from becoming disputatious or contentious.
