We had a couple of experiences with Evan's school this weekend which served to remind me of the unique value of Christian education.

Friday evening, several high school students gave a musical that they have been working on for many weeks. Written by a local pastor, it was an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz with Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion seeking the Path of Rightousness. Yes, that in and of itself sounds a little corny but they did a great job with it. No lines were missed and their songs were clear and from the heart. It was neat to see a group of kids glorifying God in a very outward way.

Then, yesterday, Evan's Cub Scout pack, sponsored by the school, visited the Boonshoft Discovery Museum in Dayton. The kids were well behaved which was great but, for me, the real value was in being in community with other parents, all of us trying to raise our kids to be Christ-followers and all of us working in our own ways to love others more than our selves.

I have over the years heard folks criticize Christian education because it doesn't have all of the things that the public schools have. But in many cases those were folks who were not allowing themselves to experience what a small Christian school does offer and that is the fullness of Christian community. There is value to that community outside of church to the parents but there is also something incredibly valuable, I think, to exposing children to it during their young formative years.

I continue to be very pleased with the choice we have made for our son with his education.