Faithful Christian Teaching: The Sacred Task of Formation

This spring, the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA) will gather division heads, academic deans, spiritual life directors, and other academic leaders at Little Rock Christian Academy for the inaugural Faithful Teaching Institute. The premise is simple yet profound: faithful Christian teaching is not a subset of our work—it is the very essence of what CESA schools are called to do every day, in every class, and through every relationship.

Faithful Christian teaching recognizes that genuine transformation does not come from human effort, but from the saving work of Jesus Christ. Before virtues can be surrendered to the will of God, the soul must first be surrendered to Christ. We are not in the business of producing moral achievers — we are witnesses to the miracle of new life.

Formation and transformation are inseparable, but the order matters: regeneration precedes renovation. We do not coach students into righteousness; we proclaim the Good News that righteousness is a gift received by grace through faith. We hope that students would come to the end of themselves — seeing their sin, their limits, and their need — and turn to Jesus in repentance and belief.

When a heart has been captured by the love of Christ, learning becomes discipleship. Growth in virtue becomes sanctification — the Spirit conforming us more and more into the likeness of the Son. The aim of Christian education, then, is not simply that students leave knowing more, but that they leave knowing Him who is the Truth.

The history of educational thought affirms this charge. Abraham Lincoln warned of the dangers of educating the mind while neglecting the heart—a society capable of profound achievement becomes equally capable of profound harm. Theodore Roosevelt echoed this concern: “To educate a person in the mind but not in the morals is to educate a menace to society.” And long before them, Aristotle observed that virtue is formed through disciplined practice, not accident or aspiration. Excellence becomes a habit.

Our cultural moment is rediscovering timeless truth: intellectual development without moral direction is a gamble, and college and career readiness seems a low bar. By contrast, a Christian education that honors both knowledge and holiness forms students able to steward their gifts toward flourishing—for themselves, their neighbors, and the Kingdom of God.

Why Faithfulness Matters

Christian schooling is ultimately an act of discipleship. We teach science, literature, history, mathematics, and the arts not as isolated compartments of knowledge, but as realms of God’s creation through which His truth, beauty, and goodness are revealed. We teach because Jesus Christ is Lord over every square inch of life and learning.

Scripture grounds us here:

“Train up a child in the way he should go…” — Proverbs 22:6
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” — Proverbs 9:10
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord…” — Colossians 3:23

Christian education, then, is not a niche version of schooling. It is education as it was always meant to be—ordered toward Truth, driven by love, and animated by worship.

C. S. Lewis captured the stakes succinctly in The Abolition of Man: intellect without rightly ordered affections degenerates into mere cleverness—a capacity for manipulation rather than a commitment to goodness. For Lewis, the aim of education was the formation of the “chest”—the seat of moral imagination, where truth becomes treasured and goodness desired.

Faithful Christian teaching shapes the lives of students. We are forming souls, not simply managing instruction. We are stewards of imaginations, guides for hearts as they learn to align with God’s story.

From Biblical Integration to Immersive Formation

Many CESA schools, including Little Rock Christian Academy, are discovering helpful clarity through Roger Erdvig’s Beyond Biblical Integration: Immersing Our Students in a Biblical Worldview. Our faculty has been studying this work, and its insights resonate deeply with our aspirations.

Erdvig challenges Christian educators to move beyond a shallow approach to biblical integration—one where Scripture is referenced occasionally but remains peripheral. A memory verse at the beginning of class, a closing prayer, or a Christian poster on the wall is not the goal of Christian education.

As Erdvig writes:

“Biblical integration is not about adding more Bible to our classes, but about helping students see all of life through the truth of God’s Word.”

Biblical truth must remain the organizing center of Christian schooling. The grand narrative of Scripture—Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration—should shape curriculum design, pedagogical practice, assessment, relationships, and the very culture of the school. When this integration is pursued faithfully:

  • Students learn to discern God’s purpose in every subject
  • Teachers see themselves as disciple-makers, not merely content experts
  • Classrooms become laboratories of grace and truth

Erdvig articulates Christian education as a formation of affections:

“The goal is not merely that students know the Bible, but that they love what God loves.” And further: “Teachers don’t just teach content. They teach a way of life.”

Christian schooling is an invitation for students to participate in the Kingdom—to desire truth, to reject falsehood, and to live into the story of God’s redemption.

The Work Before Us

Faithful teaching is difficult work. It requires clarity of mission, unity of conviction, and courage against cultural currents that reduce the human person to a producer or consumer.

CESA schools, however, are uniquely positioned for this challenge. We share a commitment to:

  • Academic excellence rooted in biblical truth
  • Spiritual formation as the core task of education
  • Christian leadership development for cultural impact

We believe that when head, heart, and habits align, education becomes transformative. It forms students who:

  • Think critically and wisely
  • Love deeply and faithfully
  • Act courageously and sacrificially

This is not optional enrichment. It is the call of Christ on every Christian educator.

A Shared Vision of Flourishing

As we come together at the Faithful Teaching Institute, we are not merely exchanging ideas or strategies. We are reaffirming a shared identity and mission: to shape future generations who know and follow Jesus in every sphere of life.

Our prayer is that this gathering will strengthen relationships among leaders who share this burden and kindle renewed imagination for what Christian education can be: formation for flourishing, education that leads to worship, and teaching that aims for nothing less than the glory of God.

May we labor with joy and conviction—because our work is not simply to prepare students for college or careers. Our work is to prepare them for life with God—now and forever.

To register for the Faithful Teaching Institute, you can use this link. We cannot wait for this meaningful time of reflection, discussion, and the opportunity to spur one another on in our Kingdom work.

Dr. Justin A. Smith serves as Head of School and President at Little Rock Christian Academy, where he leads with steadfast dedication to Christian education and the integrated intellectual and spiritual formation of students. He earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University, where his research explored the transformative potential of text-centered, discussion-based pedagogy through the Harkness approach. Dr. Smith later completed postdoctoral studies in Organizational Leadership at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and pursued executive training through Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. A Colson Fellow (2019–2021) and a Herzog Foundation Coach for Spiritual Formation and Parent Engagement, he is devoted to shaping communities rooted in a Christ-centered worldview. His academic journey also includes a Master’s in Educational Administration and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of San Diego. A thoughtful advocate for the Christian intellectual tradition, Dr. Smith champions the pursuit of enduring things in both education and life. Justin and his wife, Amanda, along with their daughter, Gracie (Westmont College), and son, Raleigh, make their home in Little Rock, where they worship as a family at Fellowship Bible Church.