Our Philosophy of Education

A Christian education is part of Christ’s Great Commission to disciple the nations. We believe that education should begin with a concern for the student’s salvation and relationship with God. As teachers labor to nurture, instruct, and discipline students, their central task is to make disciples of Christ.

All aspects of the education center’s curricular and co-curricular programs must be consistent with the mission of the education center and be based on Biblical truth to lead students in the development of a Biblical worldview. Our desire is to train Christ-like disciples who will serve God to  impact their community and the world.

As such, our first core value is to implant the Word in our students’ minds and hearts. For students to think and act Biblically, they must know what the Bible says and be compelled by the Holy Spirit to obey it. 2 Corinthians 10 explains that there is an ongoing spiritual battle for our thoughts. It requires intentionality to actively combat the patterns and ideologies of the world. If a Biblical worldview is not nurtured, what remains is not an absence of a worldview, but instead an anti-Christian one. Therefore, the greatest calling of a Christian education center is to teach and display a Biblical worldview. We seek God’s grace to be able to set aside cultural, political, and ideological leanings and sift our thoughts through the filter of the Word to allow only the truth to remain. Through our chapel time, Bible classes, and Bible verse memorization program, we desire to plant these seeds of truth in our students so that they may know and follow Christ.

In addition, we understand that Biblical worldview development is not simply teaching Biblical answers to a list of worldview questions, but faith formation is a matter of holistic, relational discipleship. With our second core value of discipleship, our hope is to imitate Christ and His ministry. Jesus Christ stayed with His disciples, modeling the truth, allowing them to witness His teachings firsthand. Relational discipleship in education centers begins in the administrative offices, spreading to the teachers in their classrooms, onto and among the students, and even into the students’ homes. It takes time, but we consider it a worthy investment. We cannot spur our faculty, staff, and students to live out their God-given identity and purpose unless we take the time to understand God’s work in their lives. For the duration that the Lord places each student in our care, whether that be a few months, a few years or over a decade, we hope that they will not just be taught a Biblical worldview, but that they would be immersed in one.

Our third core value focuses on providing our students the academic foundation and practical skills to serve God and others. The aim is to equip them with the cross-curricular skills (literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, digital competency, etc.) that will enable them to actively contribute to and serve their communities. Although academic markers such as the certification exam are important goalposts, the central aim of education at Dayspring is not to pass these exams. Our overarching goal is to provide opportunities for our students to recognize and live out their giftings, whether that be as a mechanic, worship director, carpenter, soccer player, or teacher. As it says in 1 Corinthians 12, each individual is part of the body of Christ, and all parts of the body are necessary and valuable regardless of their function. We endeavor to consciously edify and encourage different giftings and teach our students to do the same. By striving to be a 1 Corinthians 12 community and providing our students access to a comprehensive program of academics, extracurriculars and vocational training, we hope to prepare students to be faithful stewards of their God-given knowledge and skills.

Lastly, through our fourth core value of community building, we recognize that we cannot be siloed in our effort to disciple our students. First internally, central decisions of the education center should be determined collectively through discussion. Decisions may flow through the education center’s structure of authority, but we resist singular, individual management and instead implement clear lines of communication and a healthy system of checks and balances. And externally, there are many who have gone before us to provide Biblical Christian education and/or serve the Sudanese community in Egypt. We welcome their wisdom and guidance as we navigate God’s will and plan for Dayspring Academy. In addition, we will continually search for ways to partner with other Christ followers to serve one another and expand God’s kingdom.  Ultimately, we look to impart a servant leadership mindset to our students. As our education center’s guiding passage of Luke 1:76-79 states, we know our students are called to be His light wherever they go: to be forerunners of Christ, bringing salvation and peace in places of darkness. Our desire is to cultivate outward looking eyes and hearts in our students to live out their calling.

The aforementioned values and principles are much more easily stated than practiced. The call and responsibility of a Christian education center is arduous and solemn. Therefore, as stewards of God’s ministry, we acknowledge the sovereignty of God and confess that apart from Him we can do nothing. Above all, we seek His guidance and direction as we make it our mission to glorify Christ by guiding His children to Him.