Foundational Statements

Definition of Spiritual Transformation  

ICSB defines Christian spiritual transformation as a Holy Spirit empowered process through which an individual actively becomes more like Christ in the context of an intentional, grace-filled, and truth-speaking community. This transformation is a work of the Spirit and requires personal engagement. It is an internal process, where the mind and heart are shaped to think and love like Christ, resulting in an outward life which points others to God.

Indicators of Spiritual Transformation

Spiritual transformation is becoming more like Christ. Indicators of spiritual transformation are evidence of a life that is pointing others to Jesus, imitating Him, desiring a deeper relationship with Him, seeking to learn from Him, and desiring to obey and please Him. These indicators will be unique to each student and may be both internal (heart and thought processes) and external (behaviors that can be readily seen).

As the Holy Spirit transforms students and they respond in obedience to Him, their lives should increasingly demonstrate a mind and heart that is being renewed in the image of Christ. In other words, the student will begin to think about themselves and the world around them as Jesus does. Evidence of this transformation should be seen in our Expected Student Outcomes of Christ-follower, active thinker, effective communicator, global citizen, and faithful steward.

Key Factors in Spiritual Transformation

• God does the work of sanctification (spiritual transformation)
• Truth (God's Word; truth from peers and adults; truth from listening and reading; and truth spoken to self)
• Community (grace, acceptance, trust, wise counsel, loving rebuke, gentle encouragement, confession, and forgiveness)
• Humility (repentance, willingness to change, honesty in accountability)
• Time (growth is a process and will take time)
• Pathways (the Bible; Christian community; spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Scripture reading, meditation, worship, service, fasting, journaling, etc.; and experiences, including suffering, struggle, and challenge)

Best Practices for Spiritual Transformation

• Cultivate inter-generational relationships
• Present truth in the context of a relationship with Christ
• Engage students in conversations around doubts
• Build community around symbols, rituals, narratives and habits
• Offer Christ-centered encounters with God outside of the confines of the regular routine
• Offer a sense of belonging (being tied into a spiritual community)
• Offer a sense of meaning (the purpose of life rooted in God's truth)
• Provide opportunities to develop competencies in using gifts or God's glory
• Provide opportunities for students to participate in and take leadership of group activities
• Nurture spiritual disciplines and contemplative practices
• Nurture the faith of the whole family
• Utilize a variety of teaching models in order to reach and address various students' needs

ICSB's Role in Spiritual Transformation

ICSB recognizes a variety of agents who collaborate in the process of spiritual transformation. First and foremost, it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Through God's power and under His guidance, parents and the church are responsible agents in this process of spiritual transformation. ICSB seeks to partner well with parents, local churches and other ministries in providing a holistic approach to spiritual transformation that addresses the individual needs of each student. ICSB recognizes however, that as a Christian academic institution, our school community is primed for the role of shaping and strengthening the minds and hearts of students as they develop a biblical worldview and learn to live accordingly.

Practical Implications of ICSB's Role in Spiritual Transformation

• What are our values when considering our role as a school?
  • The significance of teachers, the quality and depth of their relationships with students, and their ability to model genuine Christlikeness before their students
  • Space, margin and balance in our approach to calendaring in order to protect time for family, church, and service
  • Collaboration and communication with local churches and with families
  • ICSB's freedom to say yes/no to programs in light of our unique role in spiritual transformation

• What will we focus on to accomplish our role?
  • Practicing faith in the classroom through biblical integration and expression in every subject and through teaching methods and learning environments rooted in core Christian values that encourage student engagement
  • This emphasis requires that all teachers can articulate a biblical perspective and can model, train, and lead students to apply biblical principles and truths to all aspects of life.
  • Special events (such as retreats, senior trip, prayer/worship nights, Freshman Challenge Weekend, Spiritual Impact Week, etc.)
  • Daily devotions and classroom prayer times
  • Chapel services
  • Service learning (to be developed)

  • Mixed-aged groups for some discussion and/or activities (to be developed)

• What tools of spiritual transformation will we seek to promote in partnership? (These are not our primary tasks, but we can support, advise, assist and promote these, especially in families, churches and other local ministries.)
  • Student Bible studies
  • Student mentoring program
  • Student prayer groups
  • Student evangelistic outreaches

ICSB's Plan for Spiritual Transformation Assessment

While we recognize that only God can ultimately know how students are growing spiritually, the spiritual development of our students must be intentionally included in the ongoing evaluation of the school's effectiveness in measuring its school-wide expected student outcomes.

Tools to accomplish this include:

• Student self-assessment and program assessment surveys  
• Biblical Worldview Assessments in 5th, 8th, and 11th grades
• Senior surveys and interviews
• Alumni and Parent surveys
• Staff Observations