Outreach partner CJF featured in World Magazine

Historically, the Christian tradition considered moral formation in the church and education in schools as two sides of the same coin. How wonderful would it be, then, for Christian and non-Christian children to see that, as Calvin College’s James K.A. Smith puts it, a confession and understanding of “‘Jesus is Lord’ has a radical impact on how we see every aspect of God’s good creation.” Moreover, he writes, “the curriculum of Christian schools [enables] children to learn about everything—from algebra to zygotes—through the lens of Christian faith.” Why not expose all children to the best possible lens for looking at reality?


The good news is that more Christians are catching the salt and light vision for Christian education and taking action. For example, Philadelphia area Christians joined hands and wallets in 1993 to launch the Children’s Jubilee Fund (CJF), which sends inner-city kids to Christian schools and supports the flourishing of urban Christian schools (see video clip below). According to the CJF, only 50 percent of urban young people in Philadelphia graduate from high school and of that graduating group 35 percent are boys and 65 percent are of girls. These statistics have set the CJF on a mission for radical change.

Because of the strong connection between education and family life, these statistics also call for churches to build and strengthen families, as well as create alternative education opportunities for inner-city children that form and shape them to be knowledgeable and virtuous citizens.

What is happening in Philadelphia is innovative and more cities could benefit from missional partnerships of this nature. Missional urban church planting efforts will have little sustaining effect in our cities without missional, salt and light Christian schools.

World Magazine