Discipleship at CCS

At Cornerstone Christian School, discipleship is not just a program added to the curriculum. Discipleship is at the very core of who we are. It is a responsibility taken up by teachers in the classroom, students in the hallways, coaches at games and practices, families at special events, and administrators in how the school is managed and operated. Discipleship cannot be separated into an add-on program, because it permeates everything we do. Our interest is in helping students become true disciples of Christ – not just people who have a Christian worldview.

While we believe that discipleship happens in every area of our school, there are specific programs created at CCS to help facilitate this kind of transformation. Our goal is for every person – faculty, staff, student, Board member, administrator, coach, etc. – to be actively discipled in some way. At CCS, we want our students to chase Jesus.

Imagine a school where a student is motivated to do his or her very best in response to his or her love for God. Whether it is in academics, athletics, or fine arts, a student’s primary focus would be to commit all of his or her might to doing the best that he or she can as a means of expressing his or her love for God. Take academics for example. Because students realize and believe that their minds are more than just storage for information, they become life-long learners of truth. Academics become more than transcripts for successful completion of high school and necessities for entrance to college. In this environment, the mind is not “checked-at-the-door” for ignorant and naïve religious indoctrination, but rather clear and well-developed wisdom and knowledge are looked upon as an achievement in expressing gratitude to the provider of all Truth.

Interwoven into this relentless pursuit of excellence is a heartfelt passion for our fellow man. As a means of expressing their love for God, students welcome and seize the opportunities to meet the needs of others. Upon completion of high school, students have had the opportunity to reach out and touch lives locally, nationally, and internationally. Imagine what it would be like if students were able to begin to shift the focus from “What does this world have to offer me?” to “What do I have to offer this world?” What if students entered the world after graduation better knowing what gifts and talents they possess and how they could possibly offer these in their careers?

What if students began to capture and integrate this passion for discipleship and the Truth of God’s Word to the point in which they too felt the need to make sure those who follow them know the magnitude of traveling this path of life? Would the lives of students in such a school be different? What would their impact on the world be? If this is possible, could this not bridge the gap of what Jesus taught discipleship to be and what it has become? With this in mind, “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17) takes back its original meaning. This is your student’s potential at Cornerstone Christian School.

(Written with excerpts taken from Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation by James K.A. Smith)