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COVENANT PARTNERS
For Christian Education in Ukraine
May
5, 2006
OUR VISION: Explained by Our Name
ENABLING FAMILIES TO BE CHRISTIAN FAMILIES is the focus of our ministry.
This is a great need in Ukraine and the rest of the world. Our name explains who we are and how we hope to minister to the
church of our Lord. Under the guidance of our MTW team in Ukraine, our partnership will minister to the families and congregations
in the EPCU and to other families desiring this ministry.
The word “COVENANT” (Genesis 17:1-2, ff.) is the Biblical
word that describes the relationship God establishes with families in order to bless them in their family life and in all
of life. In the Covenant relationship God is the “senior partner.” He is the sovereign who rules the “partnership”.
Through the COVENANT, GOD MINISTERS CHRIST TO HIS PEOPLE. Under God we partner with one another to achieve God’s purposes.
Establishing Christian Schools is an important part of this ministry, but we must also keep in mind the entire scope of
family nurture including HOME and CHURCH as well as SCHOOL. We want to be COVENANT PARTNERS with Ukrainian families in these
three specific areas.
THREE PRIMARY MEANS FOR MINISTERING CHRIST TO COVENANT FAMILIES
(1) Through parents.
God requires and enables parents to live in Covenant with Him, with each other and with their children. In this covenantal
setting, Christian parents must use all of the “means of grace” to nurture their children in Christ. The means of
grace include the family use of all of the ministries of the church – its preaching/teaching, sacraments, singing and
prayer. Christian parents must also lead one another and their children in the private reading and teaching of the Bible,
study of catechisms, singing of Biblical music and in prayer. OUR MINISTRY will include providing materials, programs and
instructors in how to lead the Christian family in these activities. Our ministry will encourage Christian families to use
Christian schooling for the general education of their children– reading, writing, mathematics, history and social studies
et. al.
(2) Through Churches. God requires pastors, ruling elders and deacons to conduct the life of the church in
such a way that each of the features regarding the church as stated in paragraph (1) will be carried out lovingly, energetically
and effectively. The church must regard the family as the basic social unit within the church and community and must dedicate
significant attention and resources to nurturing the family in the Covenant. The Christian church must encourage habitual
family worship along with worship in the church. At the same time the church should encourage the establishment of Christian
schools and/or home-schooling units, engaging Christian parents and teachers in the instruction of covenant children.
(3)
Through Christian Schools. In Deuteronomy 6:4-10 God instructs His people to educate their children in a God-centered environment.
Applying this principle today, traditional Christian schools or home schooling seem to be our best choices. Most public schools
do not educate from a Christian perspective; so Christians seek alternative Christian schooling. Christian parents and Christian
teachers prepare themselves to teach the BIBLICAL WORLD AND LIFE VIEW in every subject in the curriculum. Such teachers understand
that Christian education is the joyful discovery of God through every academic subject and learning experience. The creation
mandate of Genesis 1:26-27 and the evangelism mandate of Matthew 28:19-20 lie at the base of all education, providing purpose
and direction for parents, students and the whole family of God.
ARTICLES OF PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATION
PILOT
PROGRAM PROPOSAL, from Paul Alexander. This is a pilot program seeking to raise funds for just this school year, 2006 –
2007.
The Odessa Christian school has been receiving $50,000 as an MTW approved ongoing project for the last four
years, number 095997. Since we lost $25,000 of that funding, it seems to me we should not need approval for raising the
25 K we lost. We should need approval only for raising the extra $12,000 for the kindergarten program.
What actually
needs approval should be the $12,000 for the kindergarten need plus the $13,000 I am requesting for new school starts.
This “new money”, therefore, fits into the $25,000 approval level.
It is my hope that this PILOT program
can then lead into the large, fuller purpose of our vision as stated here.
Article 1 - Structure of the Partnership
Section 1. DIRECTOR: During the first year of its existence, June 1, 2006 - June1, 2007, the Director will have full
supervisory authority including revision of this document as approved by MTW in the U.S. and Ukraine. Under the guidance of
MTW, the Director will choose the members and supervise their activities, delegating responsibility where necessary, but reserving
authority to himself. After this first year, the Director will designate other people to serve under his supervision with
adequate authority to fulfill their tasks. When the Director resigns or ceases to function for any reason, he shall be replaced
by the democratic action of the membership.
Section 2. MEMBERSHIP: Members will be made up of Churches, Schools and
individuals, both men and women. For the first year of our existence (June 1, 2006 to June 1, 2007) as a PARTNERSHIP, the
Director will appoint members from each category. After June 1, 2007, members from each category may join by writing a letter
of application and receiving approval of the Director and the Membership. Members may call for meetings by appealing to the
Director or to the executive committee
Section 3. MEETINGS: Because our membership may be widely scattered geographically,
meetings of the entire membership will be rare, never more than once per year. This is to avoid travel expense and schedule
disruption. Meetings will ordinarily be held by conference phone calls or emails copied to one another. Voting may be done
in these meetings and will be governed by Roberts Rules of Order freely adapted to procedures.
Section 4. EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE: A group of members located relatively near the home city of the Director, will serve as an executive committee,
allowing the Director to have more convenient access to these people. The EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE will keep the other members
informed by appropriate means and call for meetings whenever needed.
Section 5. UKRAINIAN INVOLVEMENT: The Partnership
will, from the beginning, inform participating Ukrainians of our intention to give ownership of all our projects and programs
to them in due time. In recognition of the importance of indigenous principles, the Partnership will seek to develop leadership
who can manage and guide the work of the Partnership in Ukraine. We may continue to give counsel, but funding may diminish
to the vanishing point.
Article 2 – Functions of the Partnership
Section 1. Basic Family Program:
In cooperation with MTW Ukraine and local pastors and sessions in Ukraine, the partnership will encourage Ukrainian (1) parents,
(2) churches and (3) schools to develop habits of family discipleship and nurture consistent with our Covenantal vision. To
implement this in a practical, visible way we will offer a program called FAMILY PARTNERS IN THE COVENANT. This will be a
program that missionaries, pastors and churches can use at their discretion.
If it seems wise in local circumstances,
joining FAMILY PARTNERS IN THE COVENANT may be required for those who enroll their children in a Christian Day School or other
educational organization which the Partnership may sponsor. This could help assure that parents do not use such a school or
educational organization as a substitute for nurture in the home and church.
Section 2. Establishment of Christian
Schools: The Partnership is committed to encouraging a CHRISTIAN SCHOOL MOVEMENT in Ukraine. This will include traditional
Christian schools, home-schooling and perhaps other Christian alternatives to public schools. We desire this CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
MOVEMENT to be characterized by Reformed educational principles as articulated by the 16th century Reformation in Europe.
Every effort must be made to maintain the integrity of these Biblical/ Reformed principles. Often this will mean that local
Reformed congregations must own these schools as a parochial ministry. Wherever this is not the case, adoption of Reformed
Confessional statements should be a basic requirement of the school, requiring all school board members to swear allegiance
to the Bible and those Reformed Confessional statements. In every case, school board members, School Directors and all teachers
must be knowledgeable of these Confessional standards and committed to teaching their students in conformity with these standards.
It is important to maintain a regular and recurring pattern of teaching and training teachers in how to teach their children
according to the REFORMED WORLD AND LIFE VIEW. In such education the Grace of God lies at the base of all teaching and the
Law of God flows from this Grace. In this way, legalism will be eliminated and the grace of God established as the basis of
salvation and life, the basis of holiness and service to the Lord.
In the case that we may receive an appeal for help
from a school that is not committed to such Biblical/Reformed principles of education, we may give Biblical counsel to them.
In exceptional cases approved by the Director and the Partnership, we may give limited financial aid.
Section 3. Focus
on Parents: Parents must receive careful instruction in maintaining Christian homes. Before children are enrolled in Christian
schools, parents must commit to raising their children in Christ.
While it is best to have both parents committed in this
way, it is acceptable if one parent or other guardian makes this promise. Parents must show evidence of faith by membership
in a local Bible believing church and a life free of scandal.
In many if not most cases parents should join FAMILY PARTNERS
IN THE COVENANT. Membership in this partnership requires an initial training course in Christian family life. This course
can best be taught before school opens in the Fall and should include at least six more sessions for the parents throughout
the school year.
Section 4. Resource Development: The Partnership will seek to develop resources in three areas:
a.
We will seek to recruit missionaries committed to the Partnership Vision as well as to our overall MTW vision in Ukraine.
These recruits might be either career missionaries or interns. Other part time personnel might also be recruited who could
contribute various educational and teaching skills to our MTW team.
b. Curricula that could help parents, Sunday school
teachers or Christian Day school teachers to disciple families and students in Christ.
c. Funds that can be raised to
accomplish a. and b. This would include funds for buildings and operational costs so long as it is judged by MTW team members
that such funds do not create inappropriate dependency. Accounting for these funds will be simplified by the fact that they
will be given through MTW. If a donor chooses to bypass MTW for any reason, as soon as this is discovered it will be reported
to MTW by the Director or other responsible party.
Section 5. Ancillary Programs: In consultation with MTW leadership
in Ukraine and the U.S., it may become valuable to start or encourage other educational programs like (1) Summer camps for
children and youth, (2) Occasional retreats focused on Christian values and open to children, youth, parents and other adults,
(3) Special training programs for Christian Day School teachers. Teachers for these events would be Christian professionals
chosen for recognized expertise in education/discipleship. MTW Ukraine may want to delegate missionary responsibility for
the present Leadership Seminar to this partnership.
Section 6. Participation of Partners. Christian Day Schools and
other Christian Education entities in Ukraine will be encouraged to partner with American Churches, Schools and individual
persons. These “partnerships” will be subject to review and planning by the Director and membership of the Partnership
and by MTW in the same way as mission teams and interns who visit Ukraine.
COMMUNICATION between American and Ukrainian
partners is key to such partnering. Communication is key to developing ongoing relationships between partners. It is valuable
for American Christians to visit their partners in Ukraine and it could be valuable in appropriate circumstances for Ukrainians
to visit their American partners. American visitors should be encouraged to stay as long as possible, at least a week, preferably
even longer in order to get to know their partners.
Partners from both sides of the Atlantic need to explore the best
ways they can help each other. Cautions on creating financial dependence and understanding cultural differences are always
in order. Proposed actions from either side need to be weighed in counsel both with missionaries, the Partnership Director
and senior participants in such activities.
Article 3 Evaluation
Section 1. The Director and Executive Committee
will conduct an annual review of the actions and performance of the Partnership. This will include an email solicitation of
all American members of the Partnership. The Director will request statements and testimonials from Ukrainian participants
and beneficiaries of partnership ministries. The results of this review will be reported to the MTW director and team in Ukraine
and to MTW in the U.S.
Section 2. The Partnership will be continued only so long as it appears to be providing valuable
service to our church in Ukraine. It will be dissolved whenever its job appears to be finished. Hopefully, this termination
decision will be agreed upon by all interested parties in the Partnership as well as by MTW in the U.S. and Ukraine. It is
recognized that MTW in the U.S. is the final judge of such a matter.
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