HP Philosophy of Education

OUR MISSION:
The mission of Horizon Prep is to educate the whole student within a Christian context of spiritual, social, mental and physical development. As an extension of the ministry of the Church, we exist to help students cultivate a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, to discover and encourage their gifts, and to inspire each student to realize his or her full potential in serving God in spirit and in truth.

OUR FRAMEWORK:
The framework for our Mission is founded upon what is Biblically described as the Greatest Commandment: “To love God with our Heart (spiritually), our Soul (socially), our Mind (intellectually) and our Strength (physically)” according to Mark 12:30.

OUR VISION:
Our vision is to prepare a generation of spiritually mature, academically advanced, physically equipped, and socially developed individuals for a life of opportunity and service to the glory of God.

OUR CORE VALUES:
When Jesus was asked what the greatest achievement in life was, He said; “The first of all the commandments is: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” We find this passage to be the foundation for our philosophy of education and it is an ideal template to provide a Christ centered environment of learning. As a result, the instructional basis for cultivating the whole child exists to proclaim:

I. THE LORD IS ONE:

A) THE TRIUNE GODHEAD
The Lord our God is Triune (one being in three persons) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Father is the source of all that is good. He is Father to his eternal Son, Jesus Christ, and to all who are adopted as His sons and daughters through faith in Jesus Christ and filled with the guarantee of God’s Holy Spirit in our hearts.

B) THE DEITY OF CHRIST
God the Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ—one person in two natures, fully human and fully divine—who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. In His life and in His death on the cross He conquered the powers of darkness, paid the penalty for our sin, and demonstrated God’s love for the world. In His bodily resurrection His life and death are vindicated, and He is revealed to be the only judge and redeemer of the world. He intercedes for us now before the Father and will return in glory.

C) SPIRIT CENTERED LIFE AND LEARNING
God the Holy Spirit is Lord and Life-Giver, the one who empowered Jesus Christ and who empowers His people to continue God’s work today. God the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, brings us to faith in Jesus Christ, and conforms us to the image of Christ. The Spirit inspired the authors of Scripture and guides the church in faithful translation and interpretation. The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is God-breathed and true, without error in all that it teaches; it is the supreme authority and only infallible guide for Christian faith and conduct—teaching, rebuking, and training us in righteousness. Thus, we are committed in all aspects of learning to a Spirit-centered and biblically based approach to truth.

II. WE ARE TO LOVE THE LORD:

A) WITH ALL OUR HEART (Spiritual Faculties)
Glorifying God is the end result of the Christian life. In the end, it is our spiritual life that matters most. We realize we have been created with a spiritual need to know God and to have a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. As the Westminster Catechism states, “man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” We believe the spiritual elements of our life and learning are the most fundamental. As a result we place top priority on the scriptures as our source of truth. We believe the scriptures, without error in the original writings, are the divine and final authority for all Christian life and faith. Our desire spiritually is that we would hold fast to our faith more than to life itself. As the Apostle Paul said, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” becomes the basis of our existence and purpose of all we pursue. Thus, at the core of our academic program is a daily incorporation of the nature of God and study of the scriptures as they relate to each subject studied. The results will provide each student a deeper appreciation of their relationship with God and help form a worldview that has at its foundation the heart and teachings of Jesus.

B) WITH ALL OUR SOUL (Social Faculties)
Here Jesus uses the word “psuche” referring to the essence of who we really are. The Bible says when God created Adam He breathed into Him the breath of life and Adam became a living soul. This is the part of us that will live forever, not being dissolved by death that was brought to life in Adam. Housed therein is the essence of who we really are, as well as the determining factors of how we relate socially to one another and to God. Thus at HP we seek to instill and promote the harmonious interrelationships between one another; to value and treat others with integrity and respect as God desires. Within our soul is contained our deepest desires, fears, affections and feelings, all of which create our social interaction with God and each other and the responsibility through which to lovingly honor Him in our daily conduct and relationships.

C) WITH ALL OUR MIND (Intellectual Faculties)
Horizon Prep yearns to foster an intellectual atmosphere where all students are prepared in all academic settings, covering a broad field of knowledge. The objective of a classically founded curriculum is to equip students with strong skills of analysis, expression, comprehension and critical thinking, that will ultimately prepare them for every opportunity the Lord has purposed for their lives. Our methodology features traditional, well-balanced curricular emphasis focusing on the time-proven educational blocks of a classically based, liberal arts curriculum. All subjects are presented cumulatively, with each lesson building upon previously acquired knowledge and understanding. Memorization, drills, repetition and comprehension are emphasized in the lower grades. Critical thinking, application and analysis are stressed during the upper grades. Communication, synthesis and evaluation are interwoven throughout each grade level; culminating in a well-rounded, creative approach towards education.

D) WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH (Physical Faculties)
Paul reminds us in 1Corinthians 6:20 that we were “bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” We strive to inspire each member of our student body to live a healthy life and care for their bodies as holy temples of the Lord that are equipped to carry out the good news of the gospel. We encourage students to sanctify themselves by abstaining from sexual immorality and substance abuse in order to keep themselves safe from the consequences of poor decisions. Therefore, through the promotion of regular physical activity, organized sports, health awareness, purity of body and good sportsmanship, a healthy balance between mind and body is achieved for the glory of the Lord.

III) WE ARE TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR:

A) AS OURSELF (Service Oriented)
As a result of a Horizon Prep education students will have an active awareness of the school community that surrounds them and the biblical mandate of putting the interests of others ahead of our own. Students will understand that everyone has different backgrounds, abilities and attributes. Due to these differences, students will be encouraged to practice kindness, humility and mercy with others. In order to ensure the vibrant community of which the students belong, it is required of them to get along with one another, with an awareness of the ramifications when community standards of service are not respected. Ultimately this daily commitment towards loving our each other spills beyond the campus and becomes the application of our education in the world.

B) AS UNTO THE LORD (Full Circle)
We take seriously the words and example of Jesus, making our calling inseparable from our mission: ‘Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret’ (not to be served but to serve - Matthew 20:28). Therefore we seek to serve in all we do, to educate the whole person, to demand excellence in all walks of life, to seek high levels of moral responsibility and to glorify God. Students will know they are called to go into the world and make a difference for Christ. Having been taught the elements of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit through a Christ centered based learning, weekly Chapel sessions and community service projects, our students will embody the vision and educational philosophy of Horizon Prep and be prepared to live for His glory.