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Alumni Spotlight:

Jeremy and Kimberly Dierking – Why We Value a Christian Education
 

My wife Kimberly and I were classmates through high school and graduated from Valley Christian School in 1998.  We started dating our senior year, were married in 2000, and by the grace of God welcomed a baby girl in 2002, Mackenzie Taylor.  The strong academic program provided at VCS enabled me to secure multiple college grants and scholarships and prepared me for a rigorous engineering degree program.  The biblically based education we received at VCS provided a strong foundation in keeping us grounded in our faith as we ventured into the world of secular college education and the workforce while balancing a new marriage and parenthood and navigating through some foolish decisions and personal struggles in our 20’s. 

Where to send Mackenzie for education was never a question in our minds.  We knew from day one, that if we lived in the Missoula area, we would do whatever it took for her to attend Valley Christian.  As parents and stewards of the Lord’s gift of children, we are called to bring our children up in discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4), and we believe this applies to all areas of life.  We firmly adhere to the ‘one voice model’ in which children hear the same biblical worldview taught at home, at church, and in school.  A child spends 7 hours per day, 5 days per week in school for 13 years, and that education can be a significant influence on their worldview.  There is no middle ground regarding education (or any other issue) because there is no place between faithfulness to God and submission to a secular education system that denies, excludes, and replaces God.

The financial sacrifice of Christian education is priceless compared to the lifelong and eternal blessings of consistently teaching our children the grace and joy of faithfully following Christ and how that shapes our worldview.  As alumni, it is a special blessing to walk with our daughter Mackenzie through the same halls we grew up in, share our stories and experiences, and watch her represent the Eagles on the playing field.  We take comfort in knowing she will be amply prepared for higher education and career after high school.  The current events of our culture only affirm our conviction of the importance of biblical worldview education.  As parents, we are glad partners with our fellow parents and the VCS staff in serving Christ and the mission of Valley Christian School with the goal of raising up children to be disciples of Christ and shine the truth of the gospel in our community and the world.