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Shining through everything from the academic curriculum to the athletics program to the fine arts offerings, Briarcrest Christian School is structured around a Christian worldview. We sat down with Briarcrest President Caron Swatley to learn more about this unique approach to Christian education in Memphis.
Caron describes a Christian worldview as viewing and interpreting the world through a Biblical lens. “Everyone has a worldview, and at Briarcrest, we are intentional about teaching our children a Christian worldview,” she says. “We’re teaching them to use the Bible as a lens for how we view everything in our culture and everything that happens to us in life.”
Briarcrest Christian School implements a Christian worldview in all aspects — from academics to fine arts and athletics. “The bottom line is that, as Christians, we view and interpret the world through the foundation of our beliefs,” explains Briarcrest President Caron Swatley.
When it comes to implementing this worldview into Briarcrest’s academic curriculum, it begins with the teachers. Every teacher at the school is part of a program called the Faculty Institute, which meets eight times a year. During the program, teachers are taught how to apply God’s Word to their specific areas of expertise — from mathematics to literature, chemistry, and beyond. “We’re a school, so academics have to be delivered with excellence in order for us to have the opportunity for kids to come here and hear about how you put physics, chemistry, algebra, and literature into the framework of the Christian worldview,” adds Caron.
Implementing a Christian worldview into Briarcrest’s academic curriculum begins with faculty members and staff who have a strong faith and can build meaningful relationships with students. “We intentionally place people who are strong in their relationship with Christ in front of our kids, and we use that common interest to help develop bonds to allow them to show the gospel,” says Caron.
The Christian worldview at Briarcrest extends beyond just the classroom. The school views extracurricular activities — from athletics to its fine arts program — as a way for students to get involved and help them build relationships. “With athletics, we want our kids to develop relationships with their coaches who allow them to be able to share the gospel,” explains Caron. “Our hope is that the character students see in the men and women who are coaching them is character that is Christ-like.”
The fine arts program at Briarcrest also allows students to implement a Christian worldview outside of the classroom. “All of our plays, musicals, and concerts are opportunities for our children to not only use their God-given talents to His glory but for our fine arts personnel to be able to use these as teachable moments to point our kids to scriptural truths,” says Caron.
“Ultimately, we want our students to know that their identity is not rooted in their athletic or fine arts performance; it’s rooted in Christ,” says Caron of how Briarcrest implements a Christian worldview beyond academics.
“All of our fine arts performances are family-oriented and biblically-oriented,” explains Caron. “That’s what’s such a neat thing about it — it shows kids there is entertainment that is wholesome and honoring to God.”
This focus on a Christian worldview grows deeper throughout a student’s time at Briarcrest, but it all begins with establishing biblical literacy. To ensure students have a solid understanding of the Bible, Briarcrest has created a curriculum with benchmarks and a common language that starts with their 2-year-old students and continues through 12th grade. “This provides basic biblical knowledge, so our students have these benchmarks at different age levels to make sure they understand biblical concepts and truths,” says Caron. “Then they are able to take those and apply them to the world as they get older.”
Starting at age 2, Briarcrest students are taught how to establish biblical literacy through various benchmarks and common language.
Seniors at Briarcrest are also required to take an apologetics course, which teaches students how to defend their Christian faith. This ensures all Briarcrest students have heard the gospel and are well-equipped for life after graduation. Briarcrest also hosts a Christ in College Seminar for all of its seniors. The event hosts speakers from different organizations on college campuses so seniors know there are opportunities after Briarcrest that allow them to grow in their relationship with Christ.
Thanks to Briarcrest’s focus on teaching students how to view the world through a biblical lens, students can defend their Christian faith and implement this worldview in everyday events.
From the moment a student first steps foot inside Briarcrest and through graduation day, they’re taught how to establish a solid foundation for interpreting the world around them through a biblical lens. “Our goal is for our kids to understand how to look at something that is being presented to them and be able to ask themselves, ‘Okay, is this consistent with a Christian worldview?’”
Briarcrest Christian School is located at 76 South Houston Levee Road, Eads, TN 38028. To learn more, visit briarcrest.com or call (901) 765-4600.
This article is sponsored by Briarcrest Christian School. All photography provided.
