Foundational Statements

OUR EXPECTED STUDENT OUTCOMES

A maturing ICSB student will be a:

Christ-follower who...

Trusts in Jesus Christ as his/her only means for salvation and lives in genuine relationship with Him
Sees his/her own identity and worth as an image-bearer of God
Values all human beings (regardless of differences) and treats them as fellow image-bearers
Demonstrates Christlike character, attitude, and behavior

Active Thinker who…

Thinks critically and creatively and engages in problem-solving
Practices intellectual virtues
Is well-prepared in all academic disciplines
Pursues ongoing learning opportunities for development of knowledge and skills

Effective Communicator who...

Can articulate a biblical worldview
Reads, writes, creates, listens, and speaks skillfully and graciously
Works collaboratively with others

Global Citizen who...

Is a responsible, productive, compassionate member of society
Develops God-honoring solutions to real-world problems
Practices justice, mercy, and righteousness with others

Faithful Steward who...

Maintains disciplined health and personal habits, and cultivates his/her gifts and interests
Manages the resources and cherishes the relationships that God has entrusted to him/her
Cares for God's creation

Our Philosophies

We believe that a Christian education equips students for a life of service to God by guiding them in the development of essential knowledge, dispositions, and skills within a worldview that affirms God's creation, man's sinfulness, and Christ's redemption. A complete education transforms knowledge into wisdom, practical action, and service.

Educational Roles

We believe that children learn in a variety of contexts. God has given parents the primary responsibility for raising their children; the school and the church are influential partners in the educational process.

Truth and Knowledge

We believe that God is the ultimate source of Truth and knowledge as revealed in both the Bible and His created reality.

Teachers

We believe that teachers are leaders and mentors who nurture and influence students in their care by modeling authentic godliness and by providing a variety of engaging, active learning experiences and assessments, using high quality materials and effective methods.

Students

We believe that students are unique, valued, responsible individuals who are created in God's image. Learning is best fostered in a safe and supportive, yet challenging and stimulating environment that recognizes their multi-dimensional nature.

Curriculum

We believe that an effective instructional program is rigorous and provides carefully structured learning experiences from a biblical perspective within a broad range of subjects in the context of a liberal arts education.

(Genesis 1-2; Proverbs 1:7; 2:1-11; 22-6; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 3:23-24; Colossians 1:15-17; 2:2-3; 2 Timothy 3:16)

Statement of Faith

Updated: 10/27/2020

We Believe...

The Bible

We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible to be the infallible, written Word of God, verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12

The Trinity

We believe in the unity of the Godhead, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possess equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Ephesians 1:3-14

The Person of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and became incarnate through the virgin birth, and that He unites forever in His Person perfect deity and true humanity.
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25

The Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, that He was crucified as the substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of all people, that He rose bodily from the dead, that He ascended into heaven where He is now exalted at the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for the believer.
Matthew 28:6; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Humanity

We believe that man was originally and directly created in the image of God and that through disobedience fell. Consequently, all were brought under divine condemnation and are born sinners, unable to please God in their natural state.
Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the work of the Holy Spirit in the conviction and regeneration of the sinner. We believe in His indwelling presence and ministry in the believer to glorify Christ.
John 14:16-17, 26; 1 Corinthians 12:8-13; Ephesians 1:13-14

Salvation

We believe that eternal salvation is wholly a work of God’s grace and that, upon repentance and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, sinners are forgiven and divine righteousness is imputed to them.
John 3:3-6, 16-18; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 4:1-2

The Church

We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, consists only of those who are born again, having been baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit at the time of regeneration.
Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23

The Second Coming

We believe that Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly, and bodily to receive His own and to establish His kingdom, and to rule in righteousness and peace.
John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Resurrection

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the believer to eternal life and conscious fellowship with God. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the unbeliever to conscious separation from God in eternal punishment.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 50-58; Revelation 20:11-15

The Great Commission

We believe that Christ commissioned the Church to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples in every nation.
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:4-8

Philosophy of Spiritual Transformation

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
- 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
- Life groups (mixed-aged small groups - to be developed)
- Service learning (a natural outgrowth of the classroom and our Expected Student Outcomes - 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.

Specific tools to accomplish this include:

Student Spiritual Transformation Inventory (annual self-assessment and assessment of school programs)
Biblical Worldview Assessments in 5th, 8th, and 11th grades, incorporated into Christian Studies
Spiritual Impact Week staff and student feedback surveys
Senior surveys and interviews before graduation
Alumni and Parent Surveys, every 2 years
Staff Surveys (to be included in end-of-year check-out process: asking about classroom observations of spiritual transformation and of school culture

References

International Christian School of Budapest's Statement of Faith

Barna, George. Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. Baker Books, 2003.

Cloud, Henry and Townsend, John. How People Grow. Zondervan, 2001.

Lawrenz, Mel. The Dynamics of Spiritual Formation. Baker Books, 2000.

Newton, Gary. Growing Toward Spiritual Maturity. Evangelical Training Association, 2008.

Powlison, David. How Does Sanctification Work? Crossway, 2017.

Roberto, John. Best Practices in Adolescent Faith Formation. Lifelong Faith, 2007. www.lifelongfaith.com

Smith, David I. On Christian Teaching. Eerdmans, 2018.

What is Sticky Faith? Fuller Youth Institute, www.fulleryouthinstitute.org/stickyfaith

Ro 8:29-30; Ga 5:22-23; Jn 14:26; 2 Th 2:13-14; Ph 1:6; Ep 1:4; Jn 15:1-17 4 Dt 6:1-9; Pr 22:6 5 Ep 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12:7-14; Ac 2:42

Our Handbook

ICSB's Parent-Student Handbook

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