EUGENE, Ore. – Eugene Christian School (ECS) is a private, non-denominational Christian school serving pre-school through eighth grade students in the Eugene-Springfield area. With a philosophy centered on Christian values and holistic education, ECS’s mission closely aligns with Bushnell University’s emphasis on fostering wisdom and faith within a Christ-centered community. Among the several pillars of ECS’s guiding philosophy of Christian education, two stand out as especially related to Bushnell’s mission: truth and knowledge.
Eugene Christian School teaches that all truth is God’s truth and all knowledge is connected to biblical truth. This means that “any knowledge or personal conviction that serves as a guiding principle in an individual’s life must be based on truth as revealed in God’s inspired Word.” It also means that ECS teachers and staff are allowed and encouraged to speak openly about their Christian faith.
It is no wonder, then, that many Bushnell alumni have made their way to the school – currently there are a dozen teachers, instructional assistants, and coordinators who graduated from Bushnell. When asked what ‘wisdom’ means to them and how they promote it at ECS, several teachers provided insightful answers to what it means to foster wisdom in a school setting.
Noel (Balderston) Comer 22’ (pictured above), the school’s PE teacher, says that wisdom “starts with understanding my faith and having a relationship with God. Job 28:28 states, ‘To fear and respect the Lord is wisdom.’ Wisdom comes with a side of understanding that we do not have all the answers but that is okay because God does.” This understanding of our limited knowledge should lead us to put our faith in God, who knows all things.
Even when we do know an answer, we still must determine what to do with that knowledge. Kyle Freske 14’, MAT 16’ (pictured above), teaches middle school humanities and serves as a mentor for the sixth-grade boys. He highlights that wisdom “is more than just knowing what the right answer is, but knowing how to apply it in daily life. I promote it at ECS by encouraging students to think critically about the WHY of their learning, as well as how they can use their skills moving forward.” Freske also demonstrates what it means to apply wisdom simply by guiding his students through teaching and mentorship each day, as he is a model whom the students look to, as are the other leaders at the school.
Comer highlights this important role the teachers play in demonstrating a mature Christian faith: “This only happens if we as teachers and administrators have wisdom in how to lead our students, and I think that wisdom comes from spending our individual time with God in prayer and in His word. This true wisdom comes from having God at the center of our lives, actions, and decisions, allowing His guidance to shape our plans and actions and ultimately demonstrate wisdom in our lives.”
Third grade teacher Erin (Jasmer) Richardson 99’ (pictured above) echoes Comer’s point on leading students by guiding one’s life through God’s Word: “Godly wisdom enables us to prepare for eternity and trade earthly values for biblical. Godly wisdom is developed by always learning, and always striving to be better. Godly wisdom enables confidence to go out and seek the lost! As educators, if we can fill our cup in this way, with God’s Word, then giving back to our students and school community is a reward for the Kingdom of God!”
As alumni of Bushnell University, these educators – along with those others currently at Eugene Christian School – are purposeful in demonstrating and promoting wisdom to those in their care, for God’s glory. They remind us that we can live intentionally each day by putting God first in all things.
To learn more about Eugene Christian School, visit their website at www.eugenechristianschool.com.
To learn more about Bushnell University’s School of Education programs, visit www.bushnell.edu/school-of-education.