Covenant Christian School began as a seed planted in the hearts and minds of members of a young congregation at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Panama City back in the early 1980s. These parents, taking seriously the Biblical mandate of Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it’ saw the need to extend into a Christian and academic school setting, the rearing of their children in a Biblical world and life view. After much prayer, research of surrounding Christian schools and a commitment of ministry support from the congregation, CCS opened its doors in the fall of 1982 with a very small, combined class of 40 PreK students and 4 teachers.

The first graduating class of CCS occurred in 1989 with two students.

It was at this time in the spring of 2009, that a core group of parents and teachers began to research the Classical Education model. Following months of meetings, site visits to other classical schools, and planning sessions, the Session approved the move to transition CCS to the classical and Christian education (cCe)model  beginning in the fall of 2009.

At present, there are only a handful of private “Christian” schools in Bay County offering classes through the eighth grade or higher.  However, none of these schools offer the benefits of a classical education for high school students. There are approximately 1,800 local eighth grade students who have no cCe options available for high school that are provided in a brick and mortar setting besides CCS. The only other possible cCe option for these parents would be to home-school their children. This can be a daunting task particularly at the high school level given the complexity of some of the courses, the parents’ own educational knowledge and experience with the subject matter, as well as parents working multiple jobs resulting in a lack of time to actually be at home in order to home-school.

Our Mission
We exist to glorify God by cultivating students of wisdom and virtue through a Christ-centered, academically rigorous classical education. Our goal is to develop cultural and spiritual leaders through classical, Christian education. We seek to guide students who have a genuine love of learning, who love Jesus Christ with all their hearts and minds, and who can articulate a Biblical worldview with clarity, creativity, and passion.

The Covenant Christian School vision begins with who we want our students to be after their time at CCS. We aim to graduate young men and women who become spiritual and cultural leaders. These leaders will think clearly and listen carefully with discernment and understanding. They will reason persuasively and articulate precisely. They should be able to interpret the world in the light of the Scriptures; and do so with eagerness and joyful submission to God.  They should come to recognize cultural influences as distinct from biblical, and stand against evil. They should be well prepared in all situations, possessing both information and the knowledge of how to use it. They should be socially graceful and spiritually gracious. They should be life-long learners who have developed both a love for learning and an understanding for the tools of learning. They shall desire to grow in understanding, yet always realizing their limitations and the foolishness of the wisdom of this world.  They should have a heart for the lost and the courage to dissuade those who will not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. They should have as their ultimate goal in life to know God and to Love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Just as we aim to raise up children in this way we also desire the same for our families and our faculty. CCS desires to cultivate a sense of responsibility for the school; and to see all members well informed about the goals of our classical, Christian education.  As we build an atmosphere of community, we desire to minister to Bay County. It is our desire to bring unity to the body of Christ, and to develop greater fellowship and understanding within our community.

 

School Goals
“Developing spiritual and cultural leaders through classical & Christian education”

CHRISTIAN

In all its levels, programs, and training, CCS seeks to:

  • Teach all subjects as parts of an integrated whole with the Scriptures at the center (II Timothy 3:16-17)
  • Provide a clear model of the biblical Christian life through our faculty and administration. (Matthew 22:37-40)
  • Encourage every student to begin and develop his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 19:13-15).

 

 

CLASSICAL

In all its levels, programs, and training, CCS seeks to:

  • Emphasize grammar, logic, and rhetoric in all subjects (see definitions below)
  • Encourage every student to develop a love for learning and live up to his academic potential
  • Provide an orderly atmosphere conducive to the attainment of the above goals.

 

 

Philosophy of Education
Although most Christian schools would agree on certain fundamentals, it is imperative that parents scrutinize the foundational beliefs of any school in which they may enroll their child(ren).  Therefore, below are the most important philosophical elements that make CCS distinct in our approach to education.

  • We believe that the Bible clearly instructs parents, not the Church or State, to “bring children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Therefore, we seek to teach and discipline in a manner consistent with the Bible and a godly home environment. 
  • We believe that God’s character is revealed not only in His Word, but also in every facet of the creation. Therefore, we teach that all knowledge is interrelated and can instruct us about God Himself.
  • God wants us to love Him with our minds, as well as with our hearts, souls, and strength (Matt. 22:37).  Therefore, we seek to individually challenge children at all levels and teach them how to learn, by using the centuries-old, proven classical method (see Goals), incorporating instruction in Latin.
  • We want to help parents teach their children that all they do should be done “heartily, as unto the Lord.”  Therefore, we seek to encourage quality academic work and maintain high standards of conduct. This includes biblical discipline principles.
  • We believe that as long as a child is under the parents’ authority and undergoing formal education, he should be trained biblically (Deut. 6:6,7; Prov. 22:6). 

 

Above all, parents can be confident that their student, at every stage of his development in school, will be loved with Christ’s love at Covenant Christian School.