Vision
To develop a comprehensively Christ-centered community through the paideia of the Lord, training students to enjoy and honor God in every aspect of their culture. The ultimate vision of Veritas is the building up of Christ-centered communities, who enjoy and honor God in their worship, work, and leisure. This is accomplished as parents transfer a way of life to their children with the support of a classical education and of local churches that share the same vision, thus unifying home education, school education, and church education.
Mission Statement
The mission of Veritas Classical Academy is to disciple students to delight in, discern, and display the glory of God in Christ in all areas of life through classical, Christian education.
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The vision of Veritas is achieved by means of discipleship. To disciple is to make the student a follower of Christ, one who loves, obeys, and imitates Christ. Discipleship involves the whole person, training the student to love the Lord our God with all his heart, mind, and strength. At the core is the training of the heart, where the student learns to delight in the Lord. His mind is then trained to discern what is right, both logically and morally. Finally, the student is trained to display the glory of God in Christ in how they live and relate to others.
Delight, Discern, Display
Classical education is, in a nutshell, biblical education par excellence. Classical education began with the Greeks and the Romans before the “Christian era” under the common grace of God, but its roots are found in the Scriptures. It developed throughout the centuries under the leadership of Christian theologians and educators such as Augustine, Diodorus, Alcuin, Erasmus, Milton, Hugh of St. Victor, Melanchthon, Luther, and many others. In America, it was the education of the Founding Fathers. It died out and is now making a comeback more vigorously than ever before.
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One way to describe classical education is by the concept of trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. These three terms describe both the three stages and the three aspects of a classical education. At the grammar stage, students learn the fundamental rules of each subject. At the logic stage, students order the relationship of particulars in each subject. Finally, at the rhetoric stage, students learn how the grammar and logic of each subject may be clearly expressed.
For each of the three stages and aspects of education, there is a corresponding goal of discipleship: delight, discern, and display the glory of God in Jesus Christ.
Delight
During the grammar school years, the goal is to disciple a student to delight in the Lord. This is the starting point of education. A child should be motivated to learn, and that motivation comes chiefly from enjoying God’s truth, goodness, and beauty in everything. It is at this early stage of learning that the capacity of a child’s learning is created for the rest of his or her life. And this capacity is created not by mere knowledge or skill, but by enjoying the very source of our life: God. This is in line with the biblical principle that understanding and wisdom comes from enjoying God: “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.”
Discern
During the logic school years, the goal is to disciple a student to discern in the Lord. This is the stage in which understanding grows by means of discernment. There are two kinds of discernments: logical and moral. By learning the rules of logic and applying them to the study of nature, history, language, and math, students learn to see God’s truth, goodness, and beauty with greater clarity and depth. Students are also trained to discern good and evil, right and wrong, so that they understand that knowledge is not neutral and that with knowledge comes moral responsibility. They are called to defend the truth, and to submit to the truth, by which they become more free.
Display
Finally, in the rhetoric school years, the goal is to disciple a student to display the glory of God in Jesus Christ. The assumption here is that after a student learns to love God with their heart and mind, he or she should be able to love God with their will. They should reflect God’s truth, goodness, and beauty through writing, speaking, and the way they work with others. They should represent God persuasively and winsomely to others, with integrity (ethos), clarity in their presentation (logos), and with respect and gentleness toward their hearers (pathos). When they see a problem in the society, they should respond with moral courage and compassion.
A Classical and Christ-Centered Education
In all its levels, programs, and teaching, VCA seeks to:
A. Provide a clear model of the biblical Christian life through our staff and board (Matthew 22:47-40)
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B. Encourage every student to begin and develop his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 19:13-15)
C. Teach all subjects as parts of an integrated whole with the Scriptures at the center (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
D. Teach all subjects from the perspective of Lordship of Christ in every area of life
(Colossians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 10:5)
E. Disciple the students, training them in the instruction and the discipline of the Lord, teaching them to obey everything Christ has taught.
(Ephesians 6:4; Matthew 28:20)
