Core Beliefs

Jump to:

Mission and Vision

Four Pillars

Statement of Faith

Core Virtues

Portrait of a Graduate

Educational Philosophy

History and Governance

School Culture

Secondary Doctrine and Controversial Subjects

SCCS builds the city of God by forming servant leaders who love goodness, truth, and beauty.

Our vision is to send generations of resilient Christians into the world, equipped to pursue, advance, and uphold God’s vision for human flourishing.

(Updated July 2024)

Rooted in Christ

• We believe that the Gospel—the good news about what Jesus Christ has done to reconcile sinners to God—is central to everything we do.

• We hold Scripture in the highest regard.

• We desire that our students develop a biblical worldview.

Partnered with Parents

• We believe parents are primary in their children’s education. What we do at school is to support your efforts in pursuing their heart and mind at home.

• Our teachers understand that they are one of the instruments of change and grace in a child’s life. They believe that caring for the heart is part of developing the mind.

• We believe that the finest learning occurs when parents play an active role in their children’s education. Our teachers foster this environment through intentional communication, parent volunteer opportunities, and more.

Joyfully Academic

• We want our school environment to foster joyful learners who experience learning as a form of worship.

• Obtaining a classical education is rigorous yet rewarding. We desire that students be both challenged and encouraged in their studies.

• We believe our students should take part in “the Great Conversation” by studying “the good, true and beautiful.” By examining the best examples of art, literature, science, and more, we help students learn to think, inspire them to act, and help them identify God’s ability to redeem all brokenness.

Connected to the Community

• We desire to foster a close community within our student body, including parents and families.

• We want to be active in our community, serving those who live and work around our school.

• We want to be involved neighbors, gratefully taking advantage of our city’s resources.

We believe that to preserve the function and integrity of Seattle Classical Christian School, it is imperative that:

• All faculty and staff of SCCS agree with this Statement of Faith and instruct students in light of its tenets.

• We strongly recommend that families who attend SCCS agree with our Statement of Faith. SCCS encourages any family that does not wholeheartedly agree with this Statement of Faith to consider if this school is a good fit for their family, as their children will be instructed in light of these tenets, which could prove contrary to what the student will be learning and witnessing in the home.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

Seattle Classical Christian School believes education should aim to cultivate wisdom and virtue, not merely transmit knowledge and skills. Part of educating a human, an image of God, includes training in virtue which we define as a disposition that inclines us to the good for which we are made. Or, in other words, a good moral habit. SCCS has four core virtues:

Honor

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:9-10)

To honor means to regard and treat someone with respect and dignity. We can do this with our words, our actions, and our heart attitudes. When we honor someone, we recognize that another person is created in the image of God. Students are expected to honor God; teachers and staff; and other students.

Self-Control

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28)

When God created humans, he gave us many gifts: bodies to move, mouths to express, ears to hear, and emotions to respond. All of these things can be used to worship God, or they can be used for desires that are selfish and destructive. God can empower us to use these gifts to His glory. Self-control is the means by which we do this. Students are expected to practice self-control with their bodies, emotions, words, and listening.

Stewardship

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10)

Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something that has been entrusted to one’s care. Everyone is a steward of something. While this virtue grows with age and practice, even young students can be capable stewards. Students are expected to be careful stewards of themselves, their relationships, their education, and their physical surroundings.

Wisdom

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. (Psalm 111:10)

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

Each of us lacks wisdom. But with a humble heart, we each have the opportunity to grow in wisdom. We want SCCS students to understand that they lack wisdom and that they need it. Even more so, we want them to know that their teachers have wisdom to offer and that it is prudent for them to listen. We want students to recognize that Scripture provides us with wisdom, and we should look to it often. And we want them to know that God promises to give wisdom to those who seek it.

A graduate of SCCS should:
Love God | Think with Reason | Speak with Humility and Wisdom | Cherish Beauty | Embody Virtue | Be Invested Citizens

We aim to graduate young men and women who think clearly and listen carefully with discernment and understanding, who reason persuasively and articulate precisely, who can evaluate their entire range of experience in light of the Scriptures, and who do so with eagerness in joyful submission to God.

We aim to find them well-prepared in all situations, possessing both information and the knowledge of how to use it. We desire that they be socially graceful and spiritually gracious, equipped with the tools of learning, desiring to grow in understanding, yet fully realizing the limitations and folly of worldly wisdom.

We desire that graduates are imbued with the unique benefits of attending a school located within the heart of the city: that they possess a growing awareness of a wide range of people and their unique perspectives, that they would be engaged in the fine arts, and that they would appreciate the collective aspects that make up a given culture. Moreover, we desire them to recognize worldly influences as distinct from biblical ones and to be unswayed towards evil.

We desire that they have hearts that have been wholly transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our hope is that they are joyful believers, eager and equipped to courageously share the gospel with those who are stumbling toward destruction. We desire that they possess all these things with a demonstrated character, humble attitude, and a servant’s heart that seeks to glorify God in all things.

• We believe that the Bible clearly instructs parents to “bring (children) up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). Therefore, we seek to teach and discipline in a manner consistent with the Bible and a godly home environment.

• We believe that God’s character is revealed not only in His Word but also in every facet of creation. Therefore, we teach that all knowledge is interrelated and can instruct us about God. (Rom 1:19-20)

• God wants us to love Him with our minds, as well as with our hearts, souls, and strength (Mark 12:30). Therefore, we seek to individually challenge children at all levels, teaching them not just information, but instead how to think and love well.

• We want to help parents teach their children that all they do should be done “heartily, as unto the Lord” (Col 3:23). Therefore, we seek to encourage quality academic work and maintain high standards of conduct.

• We are striving for a full K-12 program because we believe that as long as a child is under the parents’ authority and undergoing formal education, he should be trained biblically (Deut. 6:6,7; Prov. 22:6).

In all its levels, programs, and teaching, SCCS seeks to:

• Teach all subjects as parts of an integrated whole with the Scriptures at the center (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 1:15-20)
  In order to be Christ-centered, Christian education must be more than a baptized secularism. It is not enough to take the curricula of the government schools, add prayer and a Bible class, and claim the result is somehow Christian. Secular education places man at the center of all things. Christian education places the God-man, Jesus, at the center. There is no such thing as neutrality in education; every truth is understood in the light of a certain worldview. This means that history, art, music, mathematics, etc., must all be taught in the light of God’s existence and His revelation of His Son, Jesus Christ.
  
  The Scriptures occupy a crucial role in teaching us about this revelation, therefore they must also occupy a critical role in Christian education. This is not to say that the Bible was meant to be read as a science or mathematics text (it was not). It does, however, provide a framework for understanding these so-called secular subjects. Christian education is teaching our children how to think biblically. As R.L. Dabney stated, “Every line of true knowledge must find its completeness in its convergence to God, even as every beam of daylight leads the eye to the sun. If religion be excluded from our study, every process of thought will be arrested before it reaches its proper goal.” As educators rooted in Christ, our goal is not to require the students to spend all their time gazing at the sun but rather to examine everything else in the light the sun provides. It would be folly to try to blacken the sun in order to be able to study the world around us objectively.
  
  Ultimately, the universe is coherent only because all truth comes from God. Without God, particulars have no relation to other particulars. In education, this position leads to the fragmentation of knowledge when history bears no relation to English and biology no relation to philosophy. But, with Scripture at the center, all subjects can be understood, and more importantly, they can be understood as parts of an integrated whole, resulting in a rich, unified education.

• Provide a clear model of the biblical Christian life through our staff and board (Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 22:37-40).
  Education does not exist for its own sake; it is not an exercise conducted on paper. Education occurs when information is transferred from one individual to another. We have already discussed how that information can be a part of an integrated worldview. But this by itself is not enough.If the subject matter is in line with the Scriptures but the life of the teacher is not, a conflict is created in the mind of the student. What the inconsistent teacher writes on the whiteboard and what he lives in the classroom are two different things. This same conflict can be created in the minds of the students and teachers if a board member is living in a manner inconsistent with the Bible. When hypocrisy is tolerated, it leads to greater problems. At best, the integrated Christian worldview becomes a dead orthodoxy—true words, but only words. At worst, anti-Christian living leads to anti-Christian teaching. The hypocrisy is removed by making the instruction as false as the life. As Christian educators, we recognize that hypocrisy on our part will place a stumbling block in the path of the students. The flow of information from teacher to student will be seriously hindered. Because we are in the business of transmitting a Christian worldview, we must also be in the business of living exemplary Christian lives.

• Encourage every child to begin and develop his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 19:13-15).
  Without regeneration, a Christian worldview and a Christian lifestyle are nonsensical impossibilities. If a man is dead, it is a wasted effort to seek to revive him with a nourishing meal. If the life principle is absent from the student, no amount of instruction and example on the part of the teacher will give that student life.
  We have the responsibility to plant and water. We also have the responsibility to recognize that growth comes from God. God initiates growth in the life of the individual when he is born again. From that time on, the nourishment of instruction results in genuine growth as the Christian puts what he learns into practice. It is not our role as educators to attempt to make God’s work in human lives superfluous. There is no way to perfect human beings by means of instruction—even if that instruction is Christian in content. It is an error to act as if education can perfect man. To repeat this error—even with Christian instruction—is to create a legalistic atmosphere in the school. This contrasts with the Good News that God offers us in Christ which will create a moral atmosphere in the school. Good instruction is conducive to rational Christian minds and godly Christian lives, but only if it presupposes and is built on the Gospel. This Gospel is that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures and that He rose again on the third day. If a person’s heart is regenerated by this message with repentance and belief, then God will give that person eternal life, make him a new creation, and adopt him into His family.
  It is a goal to bring every child who does not have a relationship with the Father into such a relationship through Christ. Then, and only then, will the rest of the education we offer be fully understandable. If the child already knows the Lord, it is our goal to encourage him to develop that relationship. As he grows, the education he is receiving will further that growth.

Seattle Classical Christian School was founded in 2011 by four families who wanted to offer their young children an education that both centered on Jesus Christ and embraced the rigors and joys of the classical method. Moreover, these families desired to educate their children in the same city where they lived, worked, and worshipped.

At the time, Seattle had no downtown public schools, and all the protestant Christian schools were located outside the city’s urban core. Rather than relocating their children’s education to the suburbs, these families decided to embrace their city, founding Seattle Classical Christian School in rented space at a historic church in the heart of downtown. The first Kindergarten class began with one teacher, four students, and a small but bright classroom on the main floor of Seattle First Presbyterian Church.

SCCS is governed primarily by the Word of God, as understood and applied by the school’s Board of Directors and administration. SCCS is run by a Board of Directors that operates under the school’s adopted by-laws and provides policies to the Head of School for implementation in the school.

Biblical and Gospel Focused

At SCCS we hold Scripture in the highest regard. This means that we take it seriously, we meditate on it, and we see it as the living Word of God. We also believe that the Gospel is the salve for what ails us, offering wisdom and hope to all.

• We filter everything through the Word of God

• We have an orthodox faith, with unity in essentials.

• We use the Gospel to deal with sin, always seeking a redemptive path.

• We believe the Gospel of Christ illuminates every situation.

Develop Character, Cultivate Virtue

Character and virtue are of paramount importance—they influence every aspect of a person’s life. At SCCS, we earnestly seek to cultivate virtue and character, calling students to a high standard that is steeped in grace. These opportunities arise—often through challenges—in the classroom, on the playground, and in our studies. In all settings, students are encouraged to consider, talk about, and pursue character and virtue.

• We honor each other’s dignity because we are image bearers of God.

• We value, praise, and protect truth, goodness, and beauty.

• We use liturgy, love, and example to cultivate affections.

• All challenges offer an opportunity to grow in character and virtue.

Thinking Well Fosters Loving Well

Education is not merely the vehicle for training the mind, but also a way in which we bridle the heart. At SCCS we believe that when we interact with stories, contemplate great ideas, and use our creativity, we feed both our minds and our souls. Thoughtful, disciplined, inspired minds influence how we live our lives, from how we solve a math problem, to how we understand and love our neighbors.

• We feed the soul on great ideas, pondering what is good, true, and beautiful.

• We take part in the great conversation.

• We cultivate the moral imagination.

• We desire to get knowledge, to gain understanding, and to grow in wisdom.

Rich Education, Responsible Students

Education simultaneously involves labor and joy: the effort of investigation and grappling, and the delight of understanding and mastery. SCCS commits to offering an education that is rich, ordered, meaningful, and challenging. We know it will be hard work, but we also know it will be valuable and rewarding, and that students have a great capacity for it. Students at every stage are trained, encouraged, and expected to work diligently and with a purpose. They and their community will reap the benefits of their education, so we hasten them on to this joyful reward by calling them to be active participants.

• We believe learning should entail wonder, delight, and excitement.

• We take initiative, ask questions, persevere, and encourage one another.

• We know hard work carries its own reward: Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is pleasant in the moment but yields a righteous harvest to those who have been trained.”

• We know good routines lead to responsibility: Sow a habit and reap a character.

Doctrinal issues which are not addressed in the SCCS Statement of Faith are considered Secondary Doctrine.

A topic which Christian families and churches commonly consider divisive or very sensitive is considered a Controversial Subject.

For both Secondary Doctrine & Controversial Subjects, SCCS’s policy is as follows:

• Classroom discussion of secondary doctrine should be on an informative, non-partisan level. Teachers must be careful not to speak to the students in a manner that would cause offense to the parents.

• Presentation of all sides of an issue is encouraged.

• Due to the extremely sensitive and intimate nature of human sexual relations, discussion and instruction on this topic generally will be limited to human reproduction in biology, and biblical principles and references as they arise in appropriate class contexts.

• The teacher should encourage the students to follow up on any questions they have with their parents and pastor.