By Sharon Mager, BCM/D Correspondent
BEL AIR, Md.—Oak Grove Church is the site of a new Christian classical school. Oak Grove Classical Christian School officially opened on Sept. 6, offering classes for children in pre-k through twelfth grade. Educational Director Debbie Glasgow, a member of Long Green Church, Glen Arm, said God has opened doors and smoothed the way for this new venture. Glassgow is the educational director and co-directs the school with Jackie Hutcheson, administrative director.
Glassgow has been involved in classical education for 14 years. The school where she was previously employed had some financial difficulties and jobs were in jeopardy. She and several teachers began praying, seeking God’s direction.
“We were committed to classical and Christian education,” Glassgow said.
One of Glassgow’s colleague had a dream that they were standing in front of a building, hands raised in praise. The same day, another teacher said that she attends Oak Grove Church and that the church’s senior pastor, David Hall, had always wanted a school in their facility. The women felt God was possibly providing an answer.
They approached Hall and Trey Wooten, Minister to Children and Senior Adults, about the idea and both men were very receptive. The church voted in favor to allow the use of the facility.
“Oak Grove has been a huge blessing. Everyone is so gracious and welcoming. Everything was falling into place,” Glassgow said. The church is supportive, but the school is independent of the church.
She explained that students will learn from the ancient classical method and subjects include math, history, literature, bible, and Latin, logic, and rhetoric.
“We work with that to help them learn how to learn, to find joy in learning, and we integrate everything into the truth of Christianity. The curriculum includes Latin and classic literature and logic.
Students will come from varying denominations and the staff will be sensitive to that without shying from the truth.
“We are committed that God created the world, that Jesus is the way of salvation and that God’s word is inerrant,” Glassgow stated. “We will refer children to their parents and their pastors to answer questions if their doctrine is different.”
“This is an appropriately challenging program. Typically, children who graduate do well in college, but more importantly, they are equipped to serve the Lord, to understand that knowledge needs to be discerned through truth and to be leaders who serve God,” she said.
For more information see http://www.oakgroveclassical.org.