Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools Podcast

Let’s seek, celebrate, and learn about how to champion faithful and flourishing Christian education.
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A podcast devoted to seeking, celebrating, cultivating, and learning about faithful and flourishing Christian schools. www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com

Episodes

  1. Sep 12

    Signs of a Muzzled Mission in a Christian School

    [Auto-Generated and Truncated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits] Welcome to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools. I’m Bernard Bull, and I want to talk today about the idea of mission drift. It’s something that’s gotten a lot of attention. There was a book that came out a number of years ago that garnered a lot of attention on the topic of mission drift, and it obviously frames the whole conversation in a negative. Because we’re talking about faithful and flourishing Christian schools, my preference is that we’re talking in the positive. We’re talking about the things that we choose to do, but that invariably also includes things that we choose not to do. And the path to excellence in any domain in life does entail considering both the things that we do and the things that we don’t do. If we want to make sure that our mission really drips from each and everything that we do, if we want to be the kinds of schools that exhibit what we believe, teach, and confess, that communicate clearly what we believe, teach, and confess, then it does entail a measure of intentionality. If I have any criticism about modern Christian education, including myself and things that I fall into, it’s that it sometimes lacks intentionality. In fact, I think in some cases, I’ve even seen individuals think that intentionality is contrived. It’s less genuine. It’s less sincere when you do something with intentionality, and they want it to be more spontaneous, and they expect that it will just sort of happen. And I’ve seen this happen fairly often in school settings because we’re very busy, and we have the tyranny of the urgent. There’s so much to attend to. There are so many unexpected things that come up in an individual day that warrant our time and care and attention, and that is real, and that is part of the calling. And amid all of that, it leaves little room to stop and ponder and consider what’s best. And that’s what I want to do in this episode then. I want to talk about what are the things that show up consistently in a school that begins to fall prey to mission drift or that begins to fall prey to mission muzzling, where the mission just isn’t quite as clear as it was at a time in the past and where it’s not as evident to people why this place really exists and what it’s trying to accomplish by its existence. And it brings me back to an article in 1991. It’s written about higher education, but I do think that it has relevance for all levels of Christian education. It’s a guy named James Burtchaell, and he published this article in First Things in 1991. And it was called The Decline and Fall of the Christian College. He does a fine job outlining nine elements of how a once distinctly Christian college or university can find itself largely a secular private institution over time. This change is not something that typically happens overnight. It’s something that tends to happen over time with some subtle or sometimes blunt shifts that happen in the institution. And that’s where I find Burtchaell’s framework of these nine changes to be a helpful tool for consideration… [listen to the episode for the full content] Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    Signs of a Muzzled Mission in a Christian School

  2. Sep 5

    Financial Models, Mission, and Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools

    [Auto-Generated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits] Welcome to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools. Today I want to talk about money, mission, and faithful and flourishing Christian schools, because I think that money is sometimes seen as a dirty word in ministry settings and in para-ministry settings like Christian school settings. And money’s a subject that people often seem to apologize for bringing up, and you can hear it in how the topic gets introduced sometimes. Somebody prefaces the budget discussion. Somebody says, “I hate to talk about money, but...” and then they go into the conversation. Or somebody moves the finance report to the end of the agenda so it doesn’t set the tone for the meeting. Underneath this is something that I think is good. We don’t want some kind of financial matter or money to undermine our mission or to detract or distract from our mission. And so I think these are people who believe that the school exists for something other than money, and it does, and they’re protecting that, and that’s a really wonderful instinct. If some people begin to think that the financial model is the core of the school, then that becomes problematic. Practically speaking, you need to have some kind of financial margin in order to live out your mission in a school setting. There needs to be some source of funding. And so this really requires our best thinking. And I appreciate the fact that people are trying to protect against letting financial matters drive and dictate things. And I will say that even in my own church body, those conversations happen all the time on a school level, even in the entire denominational level, where there are people that can make decisions, and they take action, and the actions are framed as being primarily about finance. But we all know that financial matters have implications for ministry matters and other matters. Imagine you’re in a congregation, and imagine that there’s some board of members who are really smart, gifted businesspeople. And so there’s a committee that’s formed, and that committee’s job is all things related to the legal matters and related to the property matters and the financial matters and all of those kinds of matters about the financial strength and stability to support the mission. And then the pastor, and maybe there’s an associate pastor, and maybe there’s a school, the principal, and others, they’re in charge of the ministry components of what happens. You can say it that way, and you can separate it that way, but it’s not as clean and distinct as that in the real world. Let’s imagine, for example, that committee that’s in charge of all of the property. Imagine that they do some research, and they find out that property value is skyrocketing. It’s amazing in that community. And so they realize that the property the church sits on is worth a ton. And so they put the church up for sale and the church building up for sale, and they sell it, and they sell it for several million dollars. And the pastor goes up to the committee and says, “What are you doing?” And they respond, and they say, “Well, it’s our job to deal with the financial matters. It’s your job to deal with the ministry matters.” And the pastor said, “Well, I kind of need to have a church where we’re gonna worship, and where our church is located has implications for the people that we serve and we care for.” And maybe the people at that committee say, “Well, we found a place about 20 miles away. It’s a third the price, and we’re gonna move over there, and it will be great.” And the pastor, of course, would be right to say, “Why didn’t we sit down and talk about this together? Let’s figure this out together.” Because those financial matters have an impact on what the pastor does, and what the pastor does has an impact on the financial matters as well. So there is this distinction, and I come from a confessional Lutheran background where we often talk about the two kingdoms, and there’s this kingdom of grace, and then there’s a kingdom of the left that deals with what people might think of as earthly matters. That’s an overly simplified distinction. The reality, though, is in the world, these financial matters have implications. They have consequences and implications upon how we go about our work in a Christian church and in a Christian school, whether it’s an independent Christian school or it’s one that’s attached to a congregation. So that’s why I want to talk about this. And the main purpose of this podcast episode is about how we can take these financial matters seriously, how we can deepen our thinking about these financial matters, not so that we can just be the most financially strong school around, but so that the financial resources help amplify and support and bolster living out that Christian mission of the school each and every day. That’s really what we want to talk about here. I think that sometimes schools avoid designing a real thoughtful financial model because they don’t want money to be the driving mission. I think it’s sometimes also because maybe they haven’t taken the time to build the education of what options exist and what are available as well. But I think sometimes it’s this idea that they wanna put the big rocks, the big priorities in first, and there’s just not a lot of room for the financial conversations after they’ve dealt with those other matters, and they just don’t want that money to drive the decisions and the mission. But the issue is that when you don’t attend to the financial model, the money ends up driving the mission anyway. It’s in a much harder way later, and oftentimes it ends up being at the worst possible moment when it’s a crisis and a difficult situation. And even well-planned-out financial models for schools can fail. God makes no guarantees of earthly success as we’re going about good, noble missions in our schools. And we can make really great decisions and still find ourselves in a difficult position. I know that many of my listeners are not necessarily big poker fans, but there’s actually an interesting book by Annie Duke, who was, I believe, the first woman to win the National Poker Championship, and she wrote a book about leadership called Making the Bets. And I heard her speak one time. I was invited to this invitation-only event about next-generation computing hosted by IBM in this nice place down in Florida, and she said one thing that really caught my attention. She said, “A lot of leaders think that leading is akin to a game of chess. And if you think ahead enough and you play all the right moves, you’re just pretty much guaranteed to win, or statistically, your chances are incredibly high.” And she said, but the reality is that leadership is probably more akin to the game of poker, where sometimes you’re dealt a hand and it’s not a very good hand, and you have to play the hand to the best of your ability. But even if you play your hand as perfectly as you can, you may still lose. And I certainly don’t want to suggest, especially in a Christian school world, that this is all just a matter of chance and making bets and playing a game of poker. I’m simply pointing out the fact that we live in a sin-stained world, and there’s a measure of unpredictability about running and leading and serving in schools, and sometimes you can make the best possible decisions given the circumstances that you’re in, and the outcome isn’t always what we had hoped and dreamt and prayed would happen. And I just want to acknowledge that. I don’t want to set things up to say, “If you do these things, your school will be financially strong and stable no matter what,” because that is a myth in a sin-stained world. I think schools that never built a model, though, it’s a school that then hits a really rough year or a rough sequence of years, and there’s really no way to go back, and there’s really no plan, and you have weeks or months to make a decision. You can just put yourself in a really to… Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    Financial Models, Mission, and Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools

  3. Aug 29

    AI and the Soul: Considerations for Christian Schools

    [Auto-Generated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits]Today we’re going to talk about AI, and this is based upon a presentation I had a chance to give back in 2024. I’m writing this in August of 2026, so I’ve had a couple of years to let this simmer. But the core concepts of this original presentation really stand, and I’ve continued to expand my thinking and deepen my thinking around the implications of AI, and particularly the spiritual implications of AI. Some people know that my original research and my doctoral work was really focused upon the social, spiritual, and ethical implications of technology, and I presented on this topic in the 1990s and the early 2000s, and it eventually turned into a book, some of my early thinking on it, called Digitized: Spiritual Implications of Technology. And while there are parts of that book that are somewhat dated today, the core principles, the premise of the book still stands, and a lot of the fundamental principles, concepts, what I hope are biblical concepts, still stand for today. So you’ll probably see a little bit of that coming through in my reflections here. But let’s talk about it. My original presentation, though, on AI was called “AI and the Soul: Christian Identity and Faith Formation in a Digital Age.” And every presentation, for me, is an opportunity to share. But this one felt especially meaningful because it touched on a topic that’s increasingly prevalent in our schools and our communities, and it touched on a topic that I’d been reflecting on for over two decades and studying in various ways. I’m continuing to grapple with this and make sense of it, and I have a little bit of a civil war going on inside, if I’m completely candid, about some of these matters. They are yet to be resolved. But I remember in this presentation, the energy in the room was really incredible. Educators were clearly intrigued and concerned, and I think some were pretty eager to figure out how to help their students navigate life in a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly prevalent. I had over fifty attendees who stayed after the session just to talk, to discuss, and reflect about the urgency of a number of the questions, and that was already two years ago. Consider what has happened just in the last twenty-four-plus months. Let me just walk you through some of the key ideas, and we’ll start with some basic foundational ideas about what AI is and what it isn’t and where it is right now, and then we’ll get into some principles and questions for us to consider. Now, when I’m talking about artificial intelligence, I’m talking about the simulation of human intelligence in machines and in various computer technologies. So these systems are programmed to perform tasks that typically require human cognition. This could include things like problem-solving or decision-making or learning, understanding a language, recognizing patterns visually or sound patterns, patterns in text. Could be in a variety of things. And there are really three primary types of artificial intelligence. There’s one that some people refer to as narrow AI or weak AI. This is really designed to perform specific tasks, things like voice assistants. Siri or Alexa would be examples of this. Recommendation systems, Spotify, Netflix, chatbots. This is where we are right now with a lot of the AI tools that we’re using, and it’s the only type of AI that, to our knowledge, is really widely prevalent today. Although some people would argue that we’re already at this next type of AI, which would be general AI, or some refer to it as strong AI. This is a system capable of performing any intellectual task that a human can do. Experts predict that this could emerge sooner than we expect. I remember when I was giving the presentation two years ago, experts predicted that this might emerge somewhere between 2060 and 2100. So we have a little bit of time. Yet since then, people have moved that date up significantly to the point where some are expecting it to happen in a matter of months or years, and others argue that maybe it’s already present. What some people would argue is that what we’re really seeing today is just increasingly complex weak AI, that first category, combining multiple human-like tasks into one system such that it begins to look and feel more like how a whole human mind works. But it’s not there in its entirety. Yet also keep in mind that in one sense, most of us humans don’t even meet the standard of general AI, meaning that we vary in our capacity to conduct various types of cognitive tasks. Some of us are better at recognizing visual cues and auditory cues than others, and some of us have higher and lower levels. And that’s why we have different theories like Howard Gardner out of Harvard, the cognitive scientist who liked to describe human cognitive abilities not in terms of a single IQ or a single intelligence, but he talked about multiple intelligences. There’s musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, mathematical-logical intelligence, and so forth. So he had a number of categories. If we think about AI in a similar way, and we’re comparing AI to human cognition, that it’s really fundamentally built upon the framework of the idea of human cognition, then we could say that really narrow AI and general AI blend together. That in essence, you have narrow AI, you have a number of capabilities that could be merged into one system that are increasingly reaching levels of complexity that are comparable to some humans and maybe not all humans. So then we get the third category, which would be super intelligent AI. Now, this is another stage, and I would argue that this is, at this point, hypothetical, where artificial intelligence completely surpasses human intelligence across all fields. Some predict that it will follow general AI by fifty to a hundred years. Others think that it will come rapidly after general AI is accomplished. Yet what’s already here and likely to be more immediate is increasingly complex weak AI that far exceeds human abilities with regard to very specific tasks that were formerly done by human beings. And this is already happening, and it will continue to expand in the weeks and months and years ahead. So for example, let’s imagine that we have a medical doctor who’s using their training and their cognition, their senses to identify tumors in a human body, and they’ve done it largely in a manual process where they receive the images or whatever kind of data is made available to them, and then they analyze those data, and they can determine where a tumor is present, its size, all of those sorts of things. Well, it’s very possible that a technology could identify tumors with much more sophistication and detail than your typical human being or your typical doctor, or maybe any doctor at some point. So is that super intelligent AI? Well, it is narrow AI that is super intelligent in one specific task. And then you add to that, and you get this system, eventually, this hypothetical system that just has that level of proficiency or skill in these cognitive tasks, such that it’s hard to find any task that a human being can do better than AI. That’s the theory. That’s the framework. I’m not arguing for it. I’m just saying that’s what we’re dealing with when we’re looking at artificial intelligence. But I would argue that generally what we’re dealing with right now, most of the technologies that are available to the public that we know about, they are forms of narrow AI, but they’re being combined together. And over time, a narrow AI cognitive task that can do one thing and a narrow AI cognitive task that is very similar. You begin to lump them together almost like Legos, and it builds something more complex to the point that eventually maybe people are willing to call it general AI. And some of those exceed human capabilities so far that they begin to call it a hint of super intelligent AI. You get… Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    AI and the Soul: Considerations for Christian Schools

  4. Aug 22

    The Blessing of Rituals & Shared Practices in Our Schools

    [Auto-Generated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits]Welcome to the Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools podcast. Today I’d like to talk about the blessing of rituals and shared practices in Christian schools. As an ethnographic researcher by training, I have spent years immersed in studying cultures and communities, really striving to be a neutral observer and a witness to the rhythms and the rituals that shape collective life in a given community or a particular setting or an organization. Well, reflection inevitably follows observation, trying to be that fly on the wall, and my work has led me to uncover patterns and practices that really hold a lot of power to bless and guide others in a given community. And one of the more striking traits that I’ve observed in faithful and flourishing Christian schools is how they embrace rituals and shared practices. These schools are marked by a profound sense of identity and mission, a shared sense of purpose, a connection to their origin story, their reason for existence. But it’s supported and sustained by more concrete practices, by meaningful habits and traditions and rituals. And without venturing into the dangers of legalism here, these schools have cultivated rituals that are rich in meaning and purpose. Whether it’s a weekly chapel service, daily devotions in the classroom, simple acts of praying together before a meeting, a common prayer or song that they sing at the beginning of each meal, these practices serve as touchstones and milestones for their shared identity. They are reminders of the school’s mission. They’re reminders of their calling and their core convictions as a community of believers. Research in anthropology and sociology consistently affirms that rituals are an important means of building and sustaining shared identity. They create a sense of belonging. They strengthen ties among the members of a given community in surprisingly powerful ways. They also communicate values in ways that go beyond what we can often capture in a few concise words. So for Christian schools, this is obviously especially important. Rituals, when they are connected to Scripture and they’re centered on Christ, become tools for reminding students and teachers and families and others that they are part of something important, maybe something bigger, a community on a shared journey of faith and learning together. Rituals in Christian schools often operate on three distinct but interconnected levels. So we have some rituals that are unique to the school itself. They reflect its specific history, its culture, its mission. Consider how a school might have a special prayer or a song that’s passed down from generation to generation. Maybe that’s part of a mealtime prayer or a beginning of the day prayer or the beginning of chapel. They might have a tradition of celebrating milestones with a particular blessing and a certain kind of service or gathering. Then there are other rituals, a second layer, other rituals that connect the school to its shared confession, perhaps a tie to a specific denomination, and that’s grounding the community in its own rich theological traditions and practices, of its faith heritage. It could be sharing certain liturgies or the church calendar, something that’s specific to that denomination. It doesn’t have to be unique to that denomination, but it’s specific or distinctive of that denomination. And then there’s the third. There are the rituals that connect the school to the broader Christian church and its global mission. Observing Advent or Easter or Christmas in ways that unite the community with the universal body of Christ. And together, these layers of ritual weave a really beautiful tapestry of identity, reminding everyone of their place in God’s story in that place, in that school and community. With that said, of course, rituals must never become a substitute for a community that is rooted in God’s Word. I’m not trying to place rituals or traditions as equal to or above Scripture. They must always be in service to the truth of God’s Word. So while rituals can beautifully express and reinforce our faith, their true value lies in where they point, pointing us back to Scripture, which is our ultimate foundation. I’d like to use the example of a sign. Imagine that you are trying to get someone to the hospital, they’re very ill, and you’re nearing the hospital, and you can’t quite find it, and you see a sign with an arrow, and it gives you directions to the hospital. Now then imagine all of a sudden someone pulled the car over in front of the sign, took the sick person, and set them up next to the sign, and with a sigh of relief felt like they had accomplished their task. That is absurd, right? That is not the purpose of the sign. The sign can’t do anything in and of itself. It only points to the place where healing can take place. The sign points to the hospital, and that’s where the person has to go. And that’s why we use rituals and traditions. There are very good rituals and traditions. And sometimes if you don’t have signs, it’s hard to find the hospital in a busy world. So rituals and traditions can point people in the right direction, remind them of things that can be easy to lose sight of. But they are not the thing in and of themselves. They are not the most important thing. They point to the most important thing. And that’s always really important for us to keep in mind. Doesn’t mean that they’re not valuable, but it just means that they are most valuable in a role of service to what is premier, which is God’s Word and God’s love in Christ and all that God gives us. As the psalmist reminds us, God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Rituals serve as signposts along that path, guiding us back to the truth and the promises of God’s Word. So what about when members opt out of shared practices? Rituals and shared practices have the power to build a greater awareness of their unity in Christ, the community’s unity in Christ, and reinforce a school’s mission and identity. But what happens when some individuals choose to opt out of these practices? This can create obviously noticeable tension within the community. Opting out might be due to theological differences or discomfort with certain practices. It could simply be a lack of understanding about their purpose or importance. It can unintentionally communicate a disengagement from the community’s shared mission, weakening the bonds that hold the group together. At the same time, it is important to approach these situations with humility and a good measure of compassion and a willingness to listen and learn, recognizing that shared practices at their best invite rather than compel participation. A Christian school must ground its rituals in God’s Word and clearly articulate their meaning and their purpose. This creates opportunities for understanding and engagement, and it allows individuals to see these practices as more than empty traditions or mindless mandates. They are meaningful ways to reflect God’s truth and to strengthen the faith of those in the community. When shared rituals point to Christ and they remain rooted in Scripture, they become a powerful witness to the beauty of unity in the body of Christ. Schools should strive to make these practices accessible and invitational while also fostering a culture where participation is seen as a blessing more than a burden. And I think that is an important statement to remember, maybe even to restate. We’re talking about traditions and rituals that are seen by as many people as possible as a blessing and not a burden. Rituals also serve as a powerful tool for teaching, of course, teaching and learning the Christian faith. Through rituals, we embody the truths of the gospel in tangible ways. And in a Christian school, there are rituals such as beginning each day with prayer. We can recite Scripture together. We can celebrate the church calendar, inviting students… Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    The Blessing of Rituals & Shared Practices in Our Schools

  5. Aug 15

    Learn, Talk About, and Build Upon Your School's Origin Story

    [Auto-Generated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits]Welcome to the Faithful and Flourishing Christian School podcast. Today we’re gonna talk about origin stories. Every superhero has an origin story, a moment or a series of events that reveal where they come from, who they are, why they exist, what they’re all about, and from that, they often begin to discover what they’re called to do. Batman’s purpose is rooted in tragedy, a vow made in the wake of losing his parents, driving him to protect others from suffering as he did. Superman’s mission emerges from his extraplanetary identity, sent from a dying planet to protect his adopted home, using his powers for the good of humanity. Or how about Spider-Man’s purpose, which was forged from loss and guilt, learning that with great power comes great responsibility? I actually misapplied that to Superman in a conversation with someone recently, and I’m not sure they’ll ever forgive me, but regardless, Spider-Man: with great power comes great responsibility, and this comes after failing to save his uncle. Or we could go to Wonder Woman, who was raised as a warrior in a sheltered paradise, and she steps into the world of humanity to fight for justice and peace. Each and every one of these stories offers some kind of defining moment or a series of moments that give purpose to the hero’s life and shape their future decisions. Just as origin stories reveal the core identity of their heroes, so too does the origin story of a school help clarify its mission, that foundational reason for its existence, maybe even the unique difference that it’s positioned to make in its community or even beyond. So my question is this: Do you know your school’s origin story? Schools often draft mission statements that explore values and goals, and as I’ve found in my own research, mission statements can be very powerful and very useful, but they’re not actually essential to being a faithful and flourishing school. Now, I’ve never seen a faithful and flourishing school without a mission, but they don’t always necessarily have a carefully crafted 15 to 20 word mission statement with an action verb at the beginning. That could be useful, but I’m just saying it’s not necessarily essential. But a mission and a reason for existence and clarity about that reason, that is important, and that’s what I’m trying to get at in this episode talking about the origin story. I’ve mentioned this before. A mission statement, while valuable, is not the mission itself. The true mission, the foundational purpose of the school, that exists long before the first sentence of a mission statement is ever written down, and clues to that mission often reside in the story of why the school was founded, who it was meant to serve, and the challenges that it sought to address, and oftentimes the difficulties that it had to overcome to persist in pursuing that early mission. So by returning to the origin story, a school can start to reconnect with its actual mission, grounding itself in the reason that it was established in the first place. Every school’s origin story is distinct, if not unique in many cases. There’s a mix of vision, there’s some passion involved, there’s a response to one or more specific needs. There’s the result of some kind of coalition of the willing who came together with a shared goal. Consider a Christian school that was started by a small group of families who wanted a place where their children could receive a truly Christ-centered education, one where the school honored and supplemented and built upon the legacy of faith formation that started in the church and home. They wanted a place that would reinforce and not undermine their shared convictions, their core beliefs. Their origin story might involve the struggles and the sacrifices and the dreams, the difficulties of those families as they pooled resources, they prayed together, they worked tirelessly to make the vision a reality, and they saw it come into life and had to adapt along the way, too. This story is not just some kind of history of your school. It’s more than that, and that’s where I think we lose sight of it, and we just stick it away in some binder to be shared maybe at an accreditation visit or for a special occasion. This is a collection of stories that together begin to reveal this compelling reason for existence, this purpose that goes way beyond the formal words in a mission statement. You see, the problem with a mission statement is that we oftentimes have a small group of people who work on a mission statement. They are workshopping the words. They pay attention to every single word in the statement until it’s something that they think is beautiful. And the people who are in that room, they know all of the ingredients. They know all of the hard work, the difficult debates and discussions. They know all that stuff that came into the shaping of that sentence. So when they see that statement, they think of all that was contributing to its formation. And I’m sure that’s really meaningful for the people who are part of writing that mission statement. The problem is that’s not everyone. Not everyone was in the room. Others only got to see the end result or a partially drafted version. They gave a little feedback. It went back into a room behind closed doors, then it came back to them. But what I’m talking about here with an origin story is it’s actually not an origin story. It’s a collection of stories that all point in the same direction, that all point to the purpose and the reason for existence. It’s a tapestry of stories, and that can be far more powerful in advancing the actual mission than just a mission statement. Again, I’m not anti-mission statement here at all. Mission statements can be valuable. They can be wonderful and succinct and compelling statements reminding people of why they exist. But you gotta have the stories behind them. And that’s where I find a lot of value in this concept of an origin story and a tapestry of origin stories. It speaks to what we might think of as maybe more akin to a calling. And while the Scriptures typically refer to callings or vocations for individuals, I think we can also recognize that God gathers people and calls them to do something together, to do various things together, something that often can’t be accomplished alone. And that has the promise to be a great blessing to others. And so in this sense, I contend that it’s perfectly appropriate to think of schools as having callings similar to how individuals do. Looking at the school’s origin story provides more than just some kind of historical insight. It offers inspiration for the present and for the future. And as schools grow, and they change, and they adapt to new needs, they sometimes start to drift from their original mission, hence the concept of mission drift. They’re pulled by the pressures of competition, the tyranny of the urgent, regulatory landscape changes, the changing educational trends, the changing demographics in their community, concerns and troubles with finances, turnover in leadership and staff with some of the stories leaving with them. But by revisiting the origin story, a school can start to evaluate whether it’s still aligned with its foundational purpose or whether adjustments are needed, too. I’m not saying that in telling the origin story, we have to do everything possible to mimic the exact appearance and activities of the first generation version of the school. The reality is that missions do develop, and they expand. Missions are these kinds of wild things, and if we follow them where they lead, they’re gonna lead us to new and sometimes uncomfortable opportunities. So a school might have started with a goal of serving a specific target audience, and maybe over time, it adapted to serve a different audience but still with that same level of Christ-centered excellence that was part of the original origin story. So I’m not arguing that we’re tying … Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    Learn, Talk About, and Build Upon Your School's Origin Story

  6. Aug 8

    A Fable, a Riddle, and a Proverb Walk Into a Christian Classroom

    I’m so excited to share this podcast episode with you, “A Fable, a Riddle, and Proverb Walk Into a Christian Classroom.” It is based upon a presentation that I gave a few months ago. In it, I make a case for the value of using three ancient forms as part of Christian education: fables, riddles, and proverbs. Yet, I’m not arguing that this requires a massive curricular change. It is the sort of thing that a teacher could start tomorrow, if he or she saw merit in it, and I think it has relevance for just about every level of education and setting. I hope you find it edifying and useful. Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    A Fable, a Riddle, and a Proverb Walk Into a Christian Classroom

  7. Aug 1

    Mission-Minded Hiring in Christian Schools

    [Auto-Generated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits]Building a faithful and flourishing Christian school requires more than a team with impressive qualifications. It demands individuals who are fully aligned with the school’s mission and shared confession. In fact, when choosing between a person who is 100% committed to the mission but only 60% qualified, and another who is world-class in qualifications but only somewhat aligned with the mission, I contend that it is always wise to go with the person who is on board with the mission. This is not an invitation to embrace mediocre education, but it is a challenge to reconsider what it takes to pursue and achieve Christ-centered excellecne in a Christian school. Some of the most high-impact Christian schools prioritize mission alignment, which requires vetting candidates for their commitment to school’s reason for existence well before considering their qualifications. This approach to building and recruiting a team relies on identifying those who not only bring talent, but who understand their work as a calling to love God and neighbor, to advance the stated mission, and to speak and act in ways that reflect the shared confession of the school. The first step in building a mission-aligned team is to be crystal clear about the shared confession…the core convictions. From that comes equal clarity about the competencies and character traits essential to serving in any role at your school. While specific expertise is usually required, what really sets a school apart is its culture…one that embodies its reason for existence and core beliefs. Perhaps this is why faithful and flourishing schools consistently develop a list of essential qualifications for any team member…a set of truly non-negotiable qualities for anyone who leads or serves at the school. Leaders at high-impact Christian schools are unwavering about these essentials. It can be tempting to compromise when it is two weeks before the start of the semester and we are trying to fill a critical vacancy, but how we act and think in those moments also reveals how committed we are to the mission and shared confession. In my years of research, I found that leaders of faithful and flourishing Christian schools embrace a “tough” mindset when it comes to these moments and the non-negotiables of those who serve at the school. They refuse to compromise on the fundamental qualities they believe are needed to advance the school’s mission. A mission-minded hiring process is important if you want to ensure that candidates understand and connect with the school’s reason for existence. Crafting job descriptions that clearly communicate the school’s mission and shared confession sets the tone for applicants. It also attracts those candidate who resonate with the mission. As such, the interview process must go beyond a simple qualifications check, focusing instead on discovering if candidates really want to be part of your school’s quest. Some candidates may be an ideal fit, but they have never had the opportunity to fully express their Christian convictions in previous roles, so the focus should be on their personal commitment to the mission rather than simply their past work environments. Yet, this is a very different type of interview process. I often say that, as a school leader, my approach is akin to a first date where you skip the first five to ten dates and dive into the heavy stuff right away. It might seem a bit awkward at first, but in less that an hour both you and the person being interviewed will usually be certain of whether this is a good fit, and I contend that it is far better for all parties to figure that out now rather than later. After recruitment, then comes the hard and intentional work of establishing a strong, cohesive team culture, one that sifts everything through the mission, keeping it the centerpiece of daily life together in the school. One thing that often inspires me about faithful and flourishing schools is the level of attention that they invest in onboarding, teaching new team members about the origin story of the school, helping them develop a clear and deep understanding of how their role advances the mission, introducing them to key traditions and practices that reflect the mission, clarifying expectations and resources, and inviting them to fully embrace the “all in” approach to shared life and work together. Connecting new team members with the school’s origin story and distinctives is also a wonderful way to deepen their sense of belonging and purpose, allowing them to see and believe they are part of something important. Of course, onboarding is just the beginning. Regular mission-centered discussions and gatherings reinforce the shared purpose. With these and related practices, every member, from the newest hire to the most veteran staff member, develops an increasingly clear understanding of each person’s role. Despite our best efforts, there are times when someone on the team may not fully align with the school’s mission and shared confession. When this happens, it’s important to approach the situation with “gentleness and respect,” but also without compromising on your school’s mission and shared confession. I know it can feel hard, even harsh, to part ways, but keep in mind the reason that your school exists. Imagine a surgeon in an operating room tolerating an assistant who doesn’t care about the well-being of the patient or is not capable or willing to do what is needed to achieve a successful surgery. Would a quality surgeon let them stay because they didn’t want to hurt their feelings, or with the thought that maybe they will become qualified over time? Similarly, why would we tolerate a situation where someone is not fully on board with the mission and confession, perhaps even undermining what the school is striving to accomplish? High-impact schools have learned that hoping for a change of heart rarely leads to a long-term mission fit. And as you are trying to make this happen, you are building tension and uncertainty within the team, and you are likely communicating mixed messages to the students and families that you are called to serve. In these situations, it is time for candid but caring conversations about the mission, inviting the individual to reflect on whether they want to be part of advancing it. Sometimes, even most of the time, parting ways respectfully and supportively is the best choice for all parties. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen a high-impact school that doesn’t include stories of navigating these difficult situations, but ultimately turning them into reminders that everyone at the school exists to serve the mission. A mission-minded team brings a school to life in ways that no qualifications alone can achieve. When the team sees their work as a calling to love God and neighbor, it is noticeable…even undeniable and inspiring. This dedication to building and sustaining a mission-focused team goes a long way toward serving the students with Christ-centered excellence. Even after decades of studying such schools, I continue to be inspired every time that I see a team like this in action. Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

  8. Jul 25

    The LIMOS Are a Gift to Every Lutheran School

    [Auto-Generated Transcript of the Podcast Audio with Edits] I just returned from the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) National Convention. It was a wonderful experience, a great time of fellowship, connecting with brothers and sisters in Christ from around the country…and even around the world. One of the topics that was relevant to my role as an LCMS university president was a resolution related to the LIMOS (Lutheran Identity Mission Outcome Standards). I know that there is some measure of anxiety or concern about the LIMOS. Some are even concerned with the phrase “Lutheran identity.” Yet, I wanted to take some time in this podcast to offer a different perspective on the LIMOS, and to make a case for why I believe that the LIMOS are a beautiful gift, not only to Lutheran universities, but to Lutheran education as a whole. So in this podcast, I go through standard by standard…each of the seven, and I explain how they draw us back to God’s Word. Because at the heart of a faithful and flourishing Lutheran school are the Holy Scriptures, which point us to Christ and all of God’s good gifts. Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    The LIMOS Are a Gift to Every Lutheran School

  9. Jun 29

    Plundering the Egyptians: Secular Knowledge in the Christian School

    Plundering the Egyptians: Secular Knowledge in the Christian School When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried out Egyptian gold. Bezalel used it to build a dwelling place for the Lord. Aaron melted it into a calf. Same metal, two destinations. That image has intrigued me for more than thirty years. What does a Christian do with knowledge that comes from outside the faith? I trace how the church has answered this question, from Augustine to C.F.W. I look at Walther's call to sanctify the sciences under the authority of God's Word. I challenge the idea that knowledge is a neutral tool. Some of what we receive is gold that can serve God or an idol. Some is closer to lead, handled by people who insist it's safe. From there I make a case that the Christian school teacher and the public school teacher are both noble but they do not have the same vocation. The work of using God's Word in every subject belongs to the Christian school in a way that is limited in the public school classroom. Mentioned in this episode Exodus 12 and the Israelites leaving Egypt; Bezalel and Aaron Augustine, On Christian Doctrine and The City of God C.F.W. Walther on sanctifying the sciences Daniel in Babylon; Paul at the Areopagus (Acts 17) Luther's use of Aesop's Fables Melanchthon on education Stultitia Dei: A Journal of Lutheran Education, a new peer-reviewed, open-access journal Call for papersThe first edition of Stultitia Dei takes up this theme, secular knowledge in Christian schools. The call is open now at researchinlutheraneducation.com, submissions due July 31. Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    Plundering the Egyptians: Secular Knowledge in the Christian School

  10. 12/11/2024

    How to Be an Awe Full Christian School - Podcast Episode 3

    In this solo episode, Bernard Bull makes a case for creating Christian schools that lean into wonder and awe…becoming an awe-full Christian school. Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

  11. 11/27/2024

    Interview with Dr. Jim Pingel on Lifelong Professional Growth for Christian Leaders

    In this second edition of the Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools Podcast, I talk with Dr. Jim Pingel about lifelong professional development for Christian leaders. Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

  12. 11/21/2024

    Welcome to the Faithful and Flourishing Christian School Podcast

    Get full access to Faithful and Flourishing Christian Schools at www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com/subscribe

    Welcome to the Faithful and Flourishing Christian School Podcast
  • 12 Episodes

About

A podcast devoted to seeking, celebrating, cultivating, and learning about faithful and flourishing Christian schools. www.faithfulandflourishingchristianschools.com

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