Defining Christian Education

For the purposes of this blog series, we want to take a moment to distinguish between the lifelong sense of Christian Education, or the spiritual journey we embark on throughout the course of our entire lives, and Christian Education in the academic K-12 and college sense of the term. While they certainly overlap for many people, for our purposes today, and over the next several weeks, we will be looking at Christian Education with regard to the formal schooling option. 

Values of Christian Education

Christian education acknowledges that no form of education is neutral and that each method of schooling has a particular lens through which they hope students will see the world and their place in it. No matter how “neutral” an education system claims to be, they all cycle through agendas that often line up with the latest societal trends. Christian education aims to stay rooted in unchanging values that center on biblical truths and, of course, Jesus Christ. 

Christian education doesn’t try to hide it’s agenda or remain neutral. We purposefully strive to help students view and understand the world through the perspective of God’s truth. It emphasizes God as the sovereign creator and explores human patterns throughout history as they seek answers to life’s biggest questions. Christian education highlights the reconciliation to God that we receive through Jesus and how this should influence our everyday lives. 

Aiming to promote more than just a Christian world-view, Christian education strives to encourage a Christian way of living that relies on the example we have in Jesus and the joy we receive through His gift. This way of life is taught through a unified and loving collaborative community. 

Methods

Christian education relies heavily on a collaborative community in Christ. This includes parents, children, teachers, other staff, and community members. We understand that one person or group is not solely responsible for the education of our children and there is tremendous importance in unity and consistency. If values and beliefs from school aren’t supported at home, they are bound to fall flat. Conversely, if the values and beliefs you are trying to instill at home aren’t supported by your choice of school, children will struggle to build a firm foundation and likely be more influenced by pop culture and worldly trends. 

We all know of the phrase, “actions speak louder than words”. It may be one of the most widely used knocks against the Christian community as humans quote scripture but then fail to align their actions with the life and teachings of Jesus. It is important to acknowledge this shortcoming, and work to hold our educators and leaders accountable for modeling the type of lives we aim to equip our children to live. Christian education relies on teachers, staff, parents, and community partners to model spiritual growth and reliance on Jesus. It requires that we strive continuously to abide in the Holy Spirit and live in a way that displays the fruit of the Holy Spirit and shines God’s light and love. 

Christian classrooms are built on a foundation of love and respect for ourselves and others. This is why “discipline” looks different in a Christian Classroom (check out next week’s post for more on that). We hold each other accountable for high standards of work and living, but are quick to extend grace and help one another grow. It is a safe place to explore big questions and doubts, using the Bible as a foundation and source of truth, but also appreciating and utilizing scientific knowledge and advancements. 

Goals

The goal of Christian education is to develop the whole child. We, of course, emphasize the standard core academic subjects that are needed for students to excel in their day to day lives and eventually the workforce. But above and beyond those core competencies, Christian education promotes spiritual formation – a transformation of hearts. We aim to help students develop a love of God. We seek to help them abide in Christ, appreciate fellowship, build character, bear each other’s burdens, and spread the good news of the Gospel to those who are lost. We believe these latter goals that are unique to Christian education are what truly prepare our children to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Looking Ahead

Check back next week as we explore what Christian Education looks like specifically at Our Savior School.  And as always, if you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

We have some great kids activities planned for this final week! These include tie-dyeing, a fairy garden and rock painting! Don’t forget about our scrumptious snack as well!

Tie-Dye

First up is tie-dyeing! Kids (and grown-ups) of all ages love this activity! You will need to purchase a tie dye kit from your local craft store and decide what items you want to tie dye; shirts, shorts, socks, bags, hats, the options are endless! Make sure you have a garbage bag you can take apart and use as a tarp. Lay it on the ground outside, get your tie dye kit prepared with the different colors (wear the gloves provided for protection against the colors on your hands while preparing everything as well as during the process). Have fun using all the different colors on your items! Make sure to follow the directions on the kit for after you have done the tie-dyeing itself. Wash the items separately a couple times before washing with other clothes. This is such a fun activity that the kids can partake in now, as well as enjoy wearing for years to come!

To mix in some STEAM skills, have them try different binding techniques and make predictions about how it will turn out. You can also talk about different colors (primary vs. secondary colors), and how they might mix!

Fairy Gardens

Second is our very own Fairy Garden! Today we are combing a couple of our favorite things, gardening, and fairies! Just a few materials needed, see below!

Materials:

1. Pot (medium size works well)
2. Some plants of your liking (succulents are a good option as well as a small flower to add some color)
3. Potting soil
4. Optional accessories include (found at a garden store or Amazon): small wishing well, fairy garden tool set, fairy garden sign, fairy home, colored glass pebbles and of course fairies! (Could also use superheroes and other figurines instead of fairies.)

Instructions:

1. Place your potting soil in your pot and plant the flowers and succulents wherever you would like.
2. Place your different accessories inside the pot to create a little home for your fairies! Use the glass pebbles as a path for the fairies from one place to another.
3. Be creative! You can move around the fairies and the different items in the pot as much as you want! You can also go on a nature walk to find other natural items to build your fair house and other things out of.

Rock Painting

Lastly, we have rock painting! This is a great activity that allows your child to be creative! Find some rocks/stones in your neighborhood, clean them off (scrub well) and paint! Acrylic paint works best. Depending on your child’s age, give them ideas of things they can paint, including bees, flowers, clouds, owls, superheroes, shapes, patterns, etc. Get those creative juices flowing!

This week’s snack idea: pizza crackers! 

This is the easiest 4 ingredient snack for kids! Who doesn’t love pizza?!

Ingredients:

1. Non-stick cooking spray
2. Ritz crackers
3. Pizza sauce
4. Pepperoni slices
5. Shredded cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. 
3. Place the crackers on the baking sheet.
4. Top each cracker with a piece of pepperoni and spread about 1 tsp of sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Broil for 1-2 minutes, just long enough for the cheese to melt.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Thanks for tuning in to this series! We hope you enjoyed the activities and snacks, and that they sparked new ideas to spend quality time with your family!

In case you missed some of our fun spring activity and snack ideas, be sure to look back at weeks one through three!

Week 1 

Week 2

Week 3

 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8

This week’s spring kids activities are: growing flowers, color hop and a rain cloud craft. Don’t forget to check out our tasty treat idea at the end!

Growing Flowers

Our first activity is growing flowers! This is a very hands-on activity with an outcome everyone is sure to enjoy! There’s no need to be a seasoned green thumb to do this either! Start by picking out what flowers you want to grow. Here is a list of easy flowers for kids to grow:

• Marigold
• Morning Glory
• Zinnia
• Impatiens
• Sunflowers
• Geranium

Some materials you will need:

1. Potting soil
2. Tray
3. Small seed starting pots
4. Permanent marker
5. Scoop of some sort
6. Seeds
7. Water
8. Popsicle sticks and marker for labeling (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add soil to your tray and spread out into an even layer (this step is to make it easy for your kids to fill the pots with soil).
2. Place the seed starting pots in the tray and scoop the soil into the pots.
3. Poke a small hole (~1/4” deep) in the soil and place the seed in the hole. Cover the seed with a thin layer of soil.
4. Moisten the soil by adding a small amount of water to the pot.
5. Label the pot by either writing on the pot itself or use a popsicle stick to write the name on it and place it into the pot on the side.
6. Repeat for as many pots as you want!
7. Set all the pots in a windowsill and water daily to keep the soil moist.* 
8. Watch them grow!

*You can also water thoroughly and then cover with some sort of plastic lid to make a mini greenhouse. If you do this, you don’t need to water as frequently. 

Color Hop

Our second activity is a color hop with chalk! The only item you need to do this activity is sidewalk chalk. Start by drawing flowers in different colors (4 or 5 colors is a good place to start) on your driveway/sidewalk close together. Draw at least a couple of each color (more kids, more flowers!) Call out colors and the kids hop from flower to flower of the appropriate color. This is a great activity for expanding your kids’ motor gross skills.

Rain Cloud Craft

The last activity for this week is a rain cloud craft. This is a fun indoor craft for when you may have a rainy day. Materials and instructions listed below!

Materials:

1. Paper plate
2. Cotton balls
3. Glue (bottled glue will work better than a stick)
4. White card stock
5. Watercolors
6. Yarn or string (blue preferably)
7. Tape 

Instructions:

1. Cut a paper plate in half.
2. Apply glue to the paper plate and add the cotton balls.
3. Draw four raindrops.
4. Using the watercolors, paint the raindrops and allow to dry.
5. Cut four different lengths of yarn (these will be how far the raindrops fall from the cloud)
6. Once dry, cut the raindrops out and hang them from the cloud. Use tape to attach the piece of yarn to the back of each raindrop as well as the back of the paper plate.

This week’s snack idea: Apple Nachos!

Ingredients:

1. Apples
2. Creamy Peanut butter (can also use sunbutter or almond butter)
3. Chocolate chips (mini are the best option)
4. Cinnamon
5. Lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prep the apples by washing and drying them. Cut them into quarters and remove the core. Slice the quarters into thin slices, about ¼- ½ inch.
2. Drizzle with lemon juice (helps keep the apples from browning).
3. Layer the apples on a serving plate in a circular fashion.
4. Top the apples by drizzling the peanut butter over them and placing the chocolate chips on top! (You can warm the peanut butter slightly in the microwave if needed to make it easier to drizzle)

Simple, sweet, what a treat!

We’ve got one more week of Spring activities and treats for you – be sure to check back in next Monday! Until then, we pray you have a joyful week!

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 

This week, we have a scavenger hunt, flying kites and a fun indoor activity! Of course, a delicious snack to make together as well! Enjoy!

Scavenger Hunt

Our first activity is a scavenger hunt! This is a great activity for all ages in the family and so simple! There are a lot of different types of scavenger hunts you can do but a favorite is the “Nature Scavenger Hunt”. You can find the template on freekidcrafts.com here. Take the kids on a walk and have them find as many of the items on the list as they can. Not only are their thinking caps on but they are spending time outdoors, BONUS!

Flying Kites

Next up is flying kites! This you need a windy day to do but such a fun activity for all ages. You can either buy yourself a kite or make one of your own! You can find instructions and materials for making your own garbage bag kite on instructable.com here. Either way the kids will have fun doing an activity that they do not get to partake in very often. Happy Flying!

Floor is Lava

For the last activity this week we have an indoor game for the kiddos. This is called “Floor is Lava”. This is as simple as pretending the floor is lava! Place pillows, blankets or any other items you can stand on around a room in your house. Play the song “The Floor is Lava” by The Kiboomers and let the kids go! The song incorporates different movements for the kids to do including dance, wiggle and crawl. Once they count down the floor becomes lava and you have to get off the floor! Play the game with your kids as they will have a blast seeing you try to balance on a pillow to avoid the LAVA!

Finally, for our snack this week we have veggie boats!

This is a fun and nutritious snack for everyone. Just a few ingredients and simple directions to create the boats.

Ingredients:

1. Cucumber
2. 2 or 3 bell peppers (color of your choosing)
3. Cherry tomatoes
4. Hummus
5. Small skewers or toothpicks

Directions:

1. Cut a cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a potato peeler, cut long thin slices for the sails. Cut these slices in half and put them on skewers/toothpicks to make them into sails.
2. Cut the bell peppers lengthwise into 2 inch thick pieces.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
4. Spoon hummus onto the bell pepper bases and stick the cucumber sail into the pepper on one side.
5. Place one half of a cherry tomato on the other half of the pepper base.

Bon voyage!

Check back next week for week 3 of our Spring Kids Activities series. Until then, we hope you find encouragement and joy in God’s word:

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33

After staying cooped up for much of the last year we are all ready to partake in something new and exciting, as well as get out to enjoy the outdoors! Over the next month, this blog series will go through 12 different Spring activities to do with your children as the weather warms up (hopefully… after all this is Minnesota weather…). We’ve put in some rainy day activities as well, because what is Spring without some Spring showers! 

This week, we have a picnic, card craft, and rainy day activity for you and your kids, as well as a fun snack! Let’s dig in!

Teddy Bear Picnic

Our first activity is a Teddy Bear Picnic (or whatever stuffed animal, action figure or doll is your kid’s bestie)! This is super simple but will be a fun and exciting outing for your child. It’s as easy as letting your child pick out the companion they want to bring along and packing a picnic. Pick a spot that you can walk to, whether it’s just your back yard or going to a park. Lay out your blanket, companion and food and enjoy! Engage in conversation with your child about the food you are eating, the companion they chose to bring and what a beautiful day it is to enjoy a picnic outside!

Pressed Flower Cards

Next up are Flower Cards! This activity helps kids practice fine motor and social skills, and it’s a creative way to stay in touch with family and friends that are distant. You can start by gathering small wildflowers from your backyard or wherever you can find them. Place the flowers between sheets of paper towels and lay them between heavy books. Give the flowers a couple of days to dry and flatten out. Once they are flat and dried you and your child can glue them on some cardstock. Then, depending on your child’s age, have them write or dictate a special message to a family member or friend and mail it! Another option if you can’t find flowers to dry (or you don’t want to wait) is to have your child paint or draw some flowers on the paper instead! Either way, the recipient will be thrilled to receive a handmade card from your child! If your child really loves this activity, you could make several cards and send them to a local nursing home!

Rainy Day Forts

For our rainy day activity, build a fort! Amazing forts are what great memories are made of! You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want. Simply throw a sheet or blanket over some chairs and take it from there! While in your awesome fort, enjoy building more fun structures with magnetic tiles, play a game or two, or read some books! 

This week’s snack idea: Ants on a log – butterfly edition!

Many of us remember growing up with ants on a log, this is just a bit of a twist on it! 

Ingredients you will need:

1. celery
2. peanut butter
3. raisins
4. pretzels

Directions: 

1. Cut celery into ~2 inch long pieces.
2. Spread your peanut butter on the celery. 
3. Place 3 or 4 raisins on top of the peanut butter.
4.  Add two pretzels to make butterfly wings! 

Cute, delicious and nutritious. YUM! 

We hope you enjoy this week’s activities and the snack! Check back next week for more fun Spring activity ideas. Until next time… 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 

Did you know that Our Savior School has a referral program?

A large portion of our enrollments come from word-of-mouth referrals, so to say thank you, and encourage you to keep on recommending Our Savior School to your friends and family, we have this referral program!

Tell a friend about an OSS program and receive* your choice of a $100 gift card from Target, Cub, or Holiday.  

*Gift cards will be given after the referred family’s child has been enrolled for 3 months. Please have the family mention your referral at the time of their enrollment. 

The winds are shifting and the seasons changing. School is starting and the leaves will soon be falling… And that means it’s time to get outside and enjoy God’s beautiful creation! Save our fall scavenger bingo card to your phone (or print it) and use it to be intentional about enjoying the little things over the next couple of months! We’d love to see what you and your littles are doing, so be sure to snap some photos and tag @oursaviorschool.mn on Instagram or @OurSaviorSchool on Facebook! Don’t forget to share the blank bingo card on Instagram/Facebook and play with your friends!

It’s important to take into consideration your family’s own situation, level of risk, and comfort level when considering how to serve. Completely virtual opportunities may be the best fit for you, or you may be comfortable masking up, social-distancing and serving in-person. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach and all opportunities to serve/give are valuable. We’ve come up with the following list of opportunities to serve our communities during the pandemic and will continue to add as we find new ways to serve and give back. Please leave comments or send us a message with any additional opportunities we may have missed!

1. Donate to or Volunteer at a Local Food Shelf

ICA Food Shelf is open and helping to make a difference right here in our community. With every $1 donation, they are able to purchase up to $10 of food from food banks and offer pre-packaged bags of food to community-members in need. Learn more and donate here.

Second Harvest Heartland and Loaves and Fishes are two other organizations that are doing incredible work and stepping up in huge ways to meet the increased needs of our communities during the pandemic.

2. Make Random Acts of Kindness a Family Priority

Often we think we have to serve in big huge ways, but the smaller everyday acts of kindness are just as important! We like this post from Proverbs 31 Mentor that provides a great list of ideas broken down by age. Please note that not all may be appropriate during the pandemic, or may need to be modified in order to complete safely.

3. Donate to or Deliver for Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels have adapted their delivery practices during the pandemic to keep their drivers and the often-times high-risk recipients safe. Learn more about these safety measures and how to get involved on their website here.

4. Donate Blood & Platelets

There is a constant need for blood and platelets and organizations like the Red Cross and Memorial Blood Centers are working hard to providing these resources that are essential to community health. Check out their websites for more information on the donation process and safety protocols for blood donors.

5. Support Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Donations help LSS ensure that youth have shelter, that older adults are receiving nutritious meals and companionship, and people with disabilities have respectful, community-based care. There are also a variety of volunteer opportunities for adults, teens and kids. Learn more on their website here.

6. Get Involved With the Greater Twin Cities United Way

The Greater Twin Cities United Way website has a variety of ways that you can get involved and we love that they are clearly broken down by category – “At-Home Volunteer Opportunities”, “Pack for Impact Kits”, and “Custom Experiences”. There’s really something for everyone. Check it out here.

7. Organize Aid in Your Own Neighborhood

Utilize online platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor to help organize aid for neighbors in need, or simply provide a much needed boost to everyone’s mental health. Offer to order groceries to be delivered or shop personally for a neighbor in need. Offer childcare support or supervision at a neighborhood park. Set up a meal train for neighbors going through a tough time. Set up a little free library or food pantry. Call or be a pen-pal to someone who might be lonely. Organize socially-distanced neighborhood fitness activities… the possibilities are endless!

8. Utilize GIVEMN.ORG to Find a Variety of Local Organizations That Need Our Help

We like this website because you can find a wide variety of organizations and filter by location, category, donations matched or volunteer opportunities. It always feels good to know that someone out there is doubling your donation and helping it stretch even further!

9. Be Inclusive if Organizing Learning Pods

Remember that each family situation is unique and some may be more connected to their school communities than others. Try to help promote equity in learning no matter what the school year looks like by reaching out to students/families who may otherwise be left out. Offer to step-up and help out even when (especially when) the favor can’t be returned.

10. Make Safe Choices

It’s important to remember that we are still in a pandemic and one of the most important things you can do is make safe choices and do your part to help reduce the spread of this virus. So even just by making sacrifices and staying home you are playing an important role in helping keep others safe and letting front line workers and medical professionals do their job more safely and effectively.

Catholic Charities

Hennepin County Human Services

Salvation Army

STEP Food Shelf

WeCan

The last week of January is National Lutheran Schools Week!

We are thrilled to be celebrating all of the schools that are working to raise the next generation of faithful Christian disciples. With nearly 2,000 schools and over 21,000 teachers, we are proud to be a part of a group that is dedicated to providing excellent academic foundations while experiencing and celebrating God’s amazing gifts.

This year we are combining this celebration with a week of giving honoring Pennies for Patients. Please join us in giving what you can and showing your school pride with our fun themed attire days and our NLSW daily mindset themes.

Monday – Pajama Penny Day

Tuesday – Neon Nickels Day

Wednesday – Dazzling Dimes Day

(Something shiny or something that makes you unique)

Thursday – Crazy Quarters Day

Friday – Team up for Leukemia

(Sports jerseys and any coin or dollars)