By Julie Dockery
September 2024
I recently attended a conference where the speaker asked all of the conference attendees to stand up and start walking. We all rose to our feet with hesitation, everyone scanning the neighboring faces to see if anyone else in the room could offer more clarity or instruction on where we should walk, or what direction we should go. Many people kind of shuffled one direction or the other, paralyzed by uncertainty or fear we might, 'walk the wrong way.' The leader then instructed the room to turn to the right and take 3 steps. The hesitation that had first gripped the room was gone, the scanning looks for greater clarity, gone. We all confidently turned to the right and took 3 steps. The purpose of the exercise was to illustrate that without clear direction people don't know where they are supposed to go. The session that followed was constructed around clarity of mission.
The North Star mission statement has always been a robust explanation of our purpose and vision for our students. Our mission has not changed. But we did feel the need to crystalize the more expanded version into a soundbite that our faculty, families and students can say with clarity and conviction. The ability to articulate the mission of North Star with one sentence will help us walk in a unified direction and with a unified purpose.
North Star Classical Christian School exists so that students are anchored in the hope of Gospel, equipped by the classical method and prepared to lead and live wisely.
Anchored in the Hope of the Gospel
When I think about what it means to anchor our students in the hope of the Gospel, three things come to mind. First, is the image of a boat. Much like the picture above, the ferocity of the wind and the waves toss the boat, but it will not float away or capsize when the storms get rough, it is anchored. Secondly, when I think about the kind of anchor we are giving our students, we are not asking what we are anchoring them to, but Who they are anchored to. It is our primary aim, goal and prayer that students would be reconciled to God through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Thirdly, we believe that the Gospel is not only good news for our salvation, but that it shows us what a redeemed life looks like. We believe that the relationship students have with Jesus will help them answer the most important questions of life: who is God? and who am I in light of who God is? At North Star we are committed to students knowing Christ in a way that provides an anchor to them, not only to remain steady in a current storm tossed-world, but that their souls are anchored in a world that is not their home.
Equipped by the Classical Method
The classical method of education is the tool that we use in order to form a certain kind of person. Our vision for the North Star graduate is that they would have a purposeful perspective, compelling communication, and a critical mind. We believe that the classical method is the best soil to create this kind of fruit. I recently shared with the students that I was taking pottery lessons. When you are preparing to begin this process, you start with just a big lump of clay, and when you sit down at the wheel you have an idea of the kind of bowl or mug or pot you are hoping to create. I told the students we don't want any of them just to be a lump of clay, we are approaching their education and formation with intentionality. The classical method uses the stages of grammar, logic, and rhetoric that parallels a students' natural grain of learning. We start with the end in mind and use the subjects of study as tools to form a certain kind of person: one who observes and listens with discernment, thinks critically and logically, reasons persuasively and precisely, and clearly articulates goodness and truth compassionately and humbly for the glory of God and the good of their neighbor.
Prepared to Lead and Live Wisely
At North Star students are given the opportunity to lead in all kinds of ways. You will see a line leader, or a hymn leader, a pledge leader or a lunch leader. You will see an 8th grader leading a kindergartener in reading a book or a 10th grader leading a 5th grader in a discussion on what it means to be curious. We want students to see leadership in many contexts, so that when they embrace life beyond our doors they are prepared to lead in their home, or community, their church, or our nation. Our prayer is that their leadership, in whatever sphere of influence they find themselves, would be paired with wisdom from above. James 3:17-18 says, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."
At North Star we recognize that ultimately we cannot anchor the souls of our students in the Gospel, we cannot make the fruit in their lives grow and we cannot squeeze wisdom out of them. However, we can share the Gospel with them; we can equip them with the time-tested classical method; and we can pray that they will become people who lead and live wisely. This is the mission of North Star.
© Julie Dockery | This article was first published in North Star September Newsletter Edition, September 2024.