The Extreme Sport of Classical Christian Education

On this last day of 2016, I am reflecting on what the Lord has done for my family and community through Agape Christi Academy. Our school is now in its fourth year, and we are joyfully pursuing the mission to assist Christian parents in the command to train up children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.

This is no small feat! One of my daughter’s Latin vocabulary words last trimester was extremus, which essentially means ‘outermost.’ When quizzing my daughter, I immediately thought this must be where we get the phrase “extreme sport.” An extreme sport is performed ‘outside’ of what is considered typical for that sport. Such is what we are doing at Agape Christi Academy: educating in the outermost part of what today’s culture calls education.

Instead of idolizing the self, Agape Christi teaches all things in light of their Creator. Rather than treating students as disembodied brains, or worse, bundles of feelings that must be celebrated and never disputed, Agape Christi is nurturing the heart, soul, mind, and strength of each student and training their affections to love what is good, true, and beautiful. Sadly, this is indeed outside today’s norm.

We need your help in two important ways for this weighty endeavor. As we look to 2017, please pray for the school. Pray that we would succeed in our mission with humility, reverence for our great God, and love for each other and each student. Secondly, please consider how the Lord would have you participate financially in equipping the next generation. It’s not too late to take advantage of the 2016 double-match: all tax-deductible donations (up to $30k) given before midnight today will be matched $2 for every $1 donated. Anything you give will have 3x the impact!

Give online:  Donate before midnight CST on December 31, 2016 to have the gift counted toward the 2016 calendar year.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW

Support While You Shop:

If you shop on Amazon, start at smile.amazon.com, the company’s charitable giving program. You have access to everything from the regular Amazon site, but now you can select Agape Christi Academy as your charity of choice, and 0.5% of your purchases will be donated to the school.

Many of you have already given much of your time, prayers, and finances to our growing school, and we are so very grateful! Look around at the joyful faces of students and staff next time you visit, and know that your contributions are helping build the next generation of leaders, parents, scientists, artists, missionaries, and presidents.

The LORD comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word! 

Marla Helseth

 

Marla Helseth serves as the Development Coordinator at Agape Christi. She and her husband have two children enrolled at the school, currently in 1st and 4th grade.