Statement of Faith

Mount Paran Christian School is a nondenominational, covenantal school that is unapologetically Christian in its mission, vision, and programs. All staff, students, and parents sign the following Statement of Faith identifying their shared commitment to the Christ-centered purpose of MPCS:

• We believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept.

• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• We believe that man was created in the image of God, but as a result of sin is lost and powerless to save himself.

• We believe that the only hope for man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon himself the punishment for the sin of mankind and who rose from the dead, so that by receiving him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood.

• We believe that Jesus Christ, in person, will return to earth in power and glory.

• We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells those who have received Christ for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and godly lives.

• We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ and is composed of all who, through belief in Christ, have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the responsibility of the church to nurture Christians and to spread the Word of Jesus Christ worldwide.

Assumptions and Principles:

• Life within the Christian community must be lived for the glory of God, daily conforming ourselves to the image of Christ, and recognizing the Lordship of Christ in all aspects of our shared work. (Matthew 22:36-38, I Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:9, 10, 17)

• An abiding love for and accountability to Jesus motivates all our actions in this community of believers. (John 15:12-17, I John 4:7-12)

• As ministers of Christ, Mount Paran Christian School faculty and staff bear responsibility of service. (Matthew 7:12, 25:31-46, Galatians 5:14, 6:10)

• Attaining common goals and ensuring an orderly community life necessitates subordination of individual prerogatives. Christian freedom also includes the option of not doing some things in order to contribute to the common spiritual and emotional good of the impressionable students we serve, as well as promote the betterment of Christian community of which we are a part. (I Corinthians 8:9-13, 9:19-23, 10:23-33)

• Mount Paran Christian School recognizes that certain attitudes are expressly condemned in Scripture. These include, but are not limited to greed, jealousy, pride, lust, needless anger, an unforgiving or rebellious spirit, harmful discrimination, and prejudice. (Galatians 5:19-21, I Corinthians 6:9-10)

• God’s Word prohibits certain behaviors. These include, but are not limited to theft, lying, cheating, plagiarism, slander, profanity, vulgarity, adultery, homosexual behavior, premarital sex, sexual promiscuity, pornography, drunkenness, immodesty, occult practices, and heresies. (Galatians 5:19-21, I Corinthians 6:9-10)

• Scripture teaches that all of our actions should be God-honoring. We seek, therefore, to be selective in personal choices, recognizing the influence of our decisions impacts the Mount Paran Christian School community and the broader body of Christ. (Romans 12:2)

• Secularism is a subtle issue involving uncritical conformity to the spirit of the culture and age. As disciples of Christ, Mount Paran Christian School faculty and staff members are called to be counter-cultural, understanding that one’s disposition concerning such matters as materialism, isolationism, success, hedonism, and moral relativity must stand in perpetual review. Christians are called to be especially vigilant against idolatry, allowing a preoccupation with other things to come before God. (Romans 12:2, I John 2:15-17, Exodus 20:3, Philippians 3:18-20)

• The Bible defines marriage as a sacramental covenant between one man and one woman; God-designed human sexuality is expressed and affirmed within a monogamous, heterosexual marriage. (Genesis 2: 23-24, Colossians 3:5-7, Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9-10, I Timothy 1:9-10)

• Christians are compelled by Scripture to believe that God creates life in the womb of a mother and that life, being divinely ordained, is sacred and should be protected and preserved by a Christian community. The Bible also affirms that the sexual nature and identity of a person is determined by God at conception. This God-given gender is recognized and verified by a legal document at the time of birth. (Psalms 139:13-15, Psalms 22:10-11, Galatians 1:15)