EDU-SAFE: A Tool To Help Churches Reach Children With Sound Biblical Education
Dear Pastor, Church Leader,
Are the families and children in your church EDU-SAFE? I am inviting you to consider developing safe education communities for the families in your church community.
NEW EDU-SAFE OUTREACH IS LAUNCHED!
Today Wellspring† Christian Family Schools is launching EDU-SAFE, a full scope educational outreach to pastors and churches. The WCFS Heritage Educational License Program (HELP) is intended to help churches establish educational programs. We understand that many pastors and churches need a wide-range of encouragement from promoting existing day schools to having vision to consider creative ways to reach their community for Christ through alternative K-12 educational programs such as home instruction to after school care. We are enthusiastic that our HELP program can assist local churches in a variety of ways. Pastors are overwhelmed by regular duties and cannot imagine adding K-12 education to the mix, but a little encouragement may lead to inspiration and hope! We are asking pastors to consider offering some venue of K-12 education at their church!
Today, Maryland needs churches to get involved in education. It is evident that the strong cultural influence of Judeo-Christian values has eroded in today’s world. The June 2015 Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage has created the social climate warned against in Scripture. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…” (Isa 5:20 NIV) In the decision’s aftermath, Gender Confusion has created a cultural fog resulting in new laws and regulations, that are perverting once-trusted authorities such as teachers, doctors and counselors into Orwellian thought police for the state 1 . Senate Bill 1028
Conversion Therapy for Minors – Prohibition, Governor Hogan signed the bill into law on May 15, 2018; taking effect on October 31, 2018. While the bill targets licensed counselors, the language used to justify the bill says that any effort to encourage a child to embrace their natal sex creates a risk of harm to that child. Risk of harm is the terminology in Family Law that is used to define child abuse and neglect, and is thus the threshold to be used by all who are required to report suspect of child abuse or neglect. The meeting will also reflect about the recent Supreme Court decision as it relates to protecting religious beliefs and practices in the public square.
1 SB1028 …Conversion Therapy for Minors – Prohibition (Youth Mental Health Protection Act) 1
Our EDU-SAFE outreach is a timely program to help churches and Christians organize ministry and outreach with careful planning in light of the growing hostility toward faith. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Colorado baker’s case is positive overall, with some unresolved issues regarding the public expression of faith in the public-based ministries in the marketplace.
On the positive side, the court clearly stated that the state must have a neutral, not dismissive attitude to expressions of faith in the public workplace, and that is a very big victory! Unfortunately, the court left open the question of what constitutes legitimate expressions of faith in the marketplace. Open access to public goods and services is considered a compelling state interest for protected classes of individuals whom the court has determined needs to be protected from public discrimination. Christians and churches need to have a working, biblical strategy by which we can protect our religious convictions against claims of discrimination. Our WCFS Open House will address these issues head-on as they apply to the educational setting.
The lack of meaningful resolution from the Colorado baker’s case underscores an important truth of Christian living: Christians need to conduct business in this world with a clear understanding of the difference between the inclusive message of the Gospel and the exclusive nature of the Christian community. The Christian may not mandate how non-believers live their lives, but neither can the unbelieving public mandate the faith and practices of the Christian community. Christians need to be in the world but not be of it. The WCFS Open House will focus on how churches can create EDU-SAFE communities that operate by biblical standards and are free from state intrusion in faith practices.
Parents have direct authority from God to educate their children, and to establish Christ centered standards of right and wrong for their children. By working in harmony with the local church, WCFS can HELP develop safe educational communities for all of our children. Such communities will produce confident adults equipped to engage their confused culture for Christ. Christians have been at the forefront of education in western civilization for over 1,500 years. Today, states like Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Pennsylvania recognize educational programs offered by churches without state interference.
It is imperative that churches take a serious look at how they can assist parents in offering safe educational programs that are as sound in biblical morality as they are in science and math. Join me along with other pastors and church leaders for this important forum discussing how to provide and support safe educational communities.
Sincerely in Christ,
Gary L. Cox,
Pastor, WCF Church, Sabillasville
Superintendent,
Wellspring† Christian Family Schools
Phone: 301.241.2022
Cell: (301) 401-7786
email: garycox@wcfs.edu
web: wcfs.edu
† formerly Walkersville