Why Choose an Episcopal School?

1.  Mission
Every school has a mission, it’s just a question of the scope of the mission. Episcopal schools are Christian communities whose missions integrate spiritual formation into all aspects of the educational experience. At an Episcopal school the mission is nothing short of giving Glory to God and doing Christ’s ongoing work in the world. Students are provided an exemplary education so they can reach their “full potential” and live more fully and more completely into their higher calling which is the purpose to which God has set them apart. The Arts are an important part of the curriculum not just to open a student’s eyes to the visual or musical possibilities, but because God has been glorified in art for thousands of years and our student’s art glorifies God today.

2. Worship
School worship is a regular part of the school week. In some schools worship may be utilized to further an agenda such a fight back against Darwin or to promote moral learning. Those agendas may be fine, but in an Episcopal school there is no agenda in worship. Our worship is not an extension of our classroom, it’s not an out-parcel of our character education program. Our worship is the outpouring of our grateful hearts and a return of thanks to our Creator. The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving.

3.  Community Life
Episcopal schools are created to be communities that honor, celebrate and worship God as the center of life and are models of God’s love and grace. Every school has documents and norms that govern community life. Secular schools have sometimes good/sophisticated norms and expectations and many Christian schools would say their document is simply “The Bible”. In Episcopal Schools, community life is incarnational. (Just means that God comes and dwells among us in Christ and in the Holy Spirit). Belief in Christ’s ongoing presence among us is what guides an Episcopal school’s community life.

If a problem arises in community life some schools will ask, “What’s best for the school?”. Some schools will ask “What does the Bible tell us?”  An Episcopal school remembers that God dwells in every person who is involved in the dilemma: student, parent, teacher, employee. As such we must make every effort to do what is best for everyone because Christ is present in everyone. This does make some dilemmas harder (we accept that).

Our community life in guided by our belief that diversity is part of God’s world and a part of God’s plan. It is in Episcopal schools where people of different beliefs, different backgrounds, and different cultures can come together not toward forced agreement, but through shared experience and corporate worship.

Episcopal education is a long-standing tradition and has worked for a long time, providing the  right balance of building spiritual foundations and providing academic freedom.

As an Episcopal School, SJEDS is a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) to which we use as a resource. NAES is an independently incorporated, voluntary membership organization that provides support and serves and advocates for the vital work and ministry of those who serve over 1,200 schools and Early Childhood Education programs, school establishment efforts, and their sponsoring institutions throughout The Episcopal Church.