What does it mean for Christians to be a force for good in the world of education? Lizzie from the Association of Christian Teachers shares why this matters and her insights into the positive impact Christians can have in school.
Every teacher knows that teaching is not just a job, or something to do that pays the bills. It’s a calling. Amidst the well-documented workload, stress and myriad of changes in the sector, it has to be!
But for Christians, it is also an act of service to God and neighbour. Even if you’re not a schoolteacher, you are likely involved in education in some way. Most learning happens in the home and everyday life, not just the classroom.
Are you a parent or grandparent? You’re an educator. You’re shaping character, values and faith through what you model and share. A Sunday school teacher, youth leader or mentor? You’re an educator: helping others understand who God is and who they are in His story.
But being a schoolteacher is indeed a vocation with a uniquely worthy calling.
Towering figures of great renown, such as Thomas Barnardo and Lord Shaftesbury, pioneered initiatives like the ragged schools, seeking to provide poor and neglected children with education, care and hope. Their work, alongside that of many others, helped lay the foundations of the education system in the UK that we know today.
And today, Christians stand on the shoulders of these giants. They have been placed in their particular “vineyard” to shape minds, hearts and values for God’s glory. Every classroom is an opportunity to reflect the truths of Imago Dei: God’s dignity, relationship and purpose to pupils and colleagues alike. Every assembly, the ‘Daily Act of Collective Worship’, is an opportunity to lay biblical truths at the feet of children.
A Christian’s calling in education also participates in God’s holistic work: it releases potential in students, passes on knowledge, and brings order and understanding to complex ideas. But it also partakes in a snapshot of God’s restorative purposes. By encouraging weary colleagues, supporting struggling families, rebuilding confidence in learners, and modelling grace and truth in every interaction, Christians can be a vehicle of God’s kindness in their school.
Last term, I received a message from a teacher returning to the classroom after a period away from education. Among other things, she asked me, “How do I be a Christian well at school? I feel as though I’m constantly erring on the side of caution in how open I am about my faith.”
My heart went out to her, because her question echoes the experience of so many Christian educators working in schools across the country. She longs to be a distinctive presence: to bless her pupils and colleagues and to stand firm in biblical truth. Yet like so many, she feels unsure what that looks like in practice.
In education, being salt and light must be more than simply avoiding unhelpful ideologies or waiting for the right moment to talk about faith, important though those things are. Surely it calls for a deeper and more holistic engagement with what the Bible says about work, the child, culture and influence. That’s why, at ACT, we’ve been thinking about what it really means to integrate faith into every aspect of teaching — what it might look like for Christian conviction to shape how we teach, not just what we say, and consider whether biblically informed principles and pedagogy can be embedded into daily practice in ways that are professional, faithful yet non-manipulative.
Maybe you’ve asked yourself these questions. Would it help to have someone who listens, encourages, and walks alongside you as you explore them?
At ACT, we create opportunities for members to grow together in faith and fellowship. We seek to connect them for mutual encouragement and prayer, resource them with biblical encouragement, materials and thought-provoking articles and podcasts, and influence the landscape for God’s glory. Our Faithful Foundations Course is particularly designed to connect and support Christian education professionals as they explore four key areas: the purpose of our work in schools, a biblical view of the pupil, creating a classroom environment that reflects the fruit of the Spirit, and influencing school culture for the sake of the gospel. The course is open to any educator, whatever your role or school, and regardless of your stage of career or level of experience.
Work in schools really matters to God because it serves His mission of reconciliation and restoration. At ACT we pray to foster a spirit of ‘one anothering,’ helping each other embrace the call to “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Find out more: www.christian-teachers.org.uk
