Bentonville Christian Academy

Constitution

The Bentonville Christian Academy’s (BCA) purpose is to provide a distinctly Christian academic environment in which God’s mandate to train, instruct and nurture each student in the Truth may be fulfilled. The administration, faculty and staff must be active members of the Church of Christ and shall seek to minister to each student providing a Christ-like example while promoting the student’s spiritual, physical, academic and social development. We recognize that children are a heritage of the Lord (Psa. 127:3). We believe that, to the Christian parent(s) of every Academy student, God has delegated a special “stewardship” responsibility for the instruction, nurture and discipline of children. The process of “training up a child” starts in the home. The Bible declares: “Train up a child in the way in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prv. 22:6) God has additionally granted (in Christ Jesus) the authority of parent(s) to train and instruct their children (particularly in matters of Christian life and faith). Again the Scriptural mandate is clear and repeated “These commandments that I give you today are upon your hearts. Impress them on your children”. (Deut. 6:6, 7) and “Fathers do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4)

At the Bentonville Christian Academy, we hold the Biblical position that while parents can never delegate away their responsibility (before God) to instruct and discipline their children, they may share the authority (given to them by God) for the teaching of their children, with our faculty and staff. Children will be blessed as parents and teachers share in their instruction, so long as the instruction is provided with God-given rightly shared authority. The Academy is committed to its mission of: fostering academic excellence in a genuinely Christ-centered scholastic community.

For this reason, the parent(s) of Academy students will be expected to clearly communicate with their children God’s design in, and the necessity for respect of teacher’s authority in the classroom at all times. Academy students, learning to be in submission to the authority of their teachers in the classroom, even as they learn to submit to the authority of their parents at home, actually engage in the larger process of learning obedience to God.

We desire to create an optimal learning environment, based on academic excellence that compliments the Christian home. We strive to promote an atmosphere where students learn to live their lives for Christ, developing their character and achieving their highest potential (in Him). As we seek to train students, we believe the school and the home need to work cooperatively in providing the best educational experience for every student.

Our goal is to bring out of each student their natural creative desire to learn and to assist them in developing the required academic disciplines. It is critical that individuals master the basic academic skills needed to be productive in our society.

As to their spiritual nurturing, our goal is to develop within each student an inclination to study, learn and apply God’s Word in every area of his or her life. We will diligently work to instill in our students a sense of appreciation for the heritage that is theirs in Christ.

Ultimately, in all that we shall teach, in all that we shall say and do and plan and promote; we shall direct all the glory to God, exalting the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We will, at every point, seek to promote an experience of education and discipleship in the lives of Academy students; imparting God’s truth, thus preparing them for faithful service in the cause of Jesus Christ and the Gospel, that their involvements in the home, church, workplace and community might manifest the glory of Jesus Christ for the world to see.

Statement of Faith

· We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired word of God; inerrant and authoritative in the original writings; the final point of reference and authority in all matters of Christian faith and life, God’s Holy Word being the objective creedal standard which judges either sin or fruitfulness.

· We believe in one God; Creator, Ruler and Redeemer of all things, eternally existing in three co-equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh.

· We believe the Father is sovereign and immutable in all His ways, sending His Son to accomplish His will on earth as it is in Heaven. We therefore, acknowledge our dependence upon God as a school, a community and a country.

· We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man and recognize His virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death, bodily resurrection and ascension, and reign at His Father’s right hand in glory.

· We believe in the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit, as He convicts, regenerates, seals, indwells, guides, and instructs individual Christians.

· We believe in the necessity of salvation for sinful man, by grace, through faith and baptism in Jesus Christ, His shed blood and atoning death upon the cross: the only means to the forgiveness of sin and eternal redemption.

· We believe that it is of the utmost importance to give our Lord Jesus the preeminence in all things, as Prophet, Priest and King, in view of His having been given, by His Father, all power and authority in heaven and on earth.

· We believe in the rightful submission to God ordained governmental authorities but will hold that God’s law is higher than man’s law and will always obey the higher law when the two are in conflict.