In recent decades, both churches and youth have faced significant challenges. Across the board, church attendance has seen a decline, particularly among young people. Additionally, many teens who do attend church drift away after graduation.
To prevent the next generation of Christian children from falling away, we must create an environment that allows them to be educated in alignment with Christian values. It is no longer sufficient to rely solely on the brief hour or two spent at church on Sundays to counterbalance the influence of secular school culture during the remaining 35 hours of the week.
Outsourcing the education of our children to the state is not always the best option, as it often fails to prioritize the values of the church and the home. So, is starting a school within the church an option worth considering?
Fortunately, the N.C. General Assembly has made religious schooling economically feasible by significantly expanding the Opportunity Scholarship program. It now offers tuition assistance to all students in the Tar Heel state. Scholarship amounts are based on family income, with low and middle-income families receiving the largest awards. This expansion benefits parents who previously could not afford private school tuition. For the 2023-2024 school year, students are eligible for scholarship grants from $3,246 to $7,213.
Private Christian schools maintain their own academic, religious and admission standards. The state respects the autonomy of non-public schools in terms of religious and educational philosophies.
With the expansion of Opportunity Scholarships, churches should seize the opportunity to invest in a Christian school and extend their reach into the community.
Hell, even Tony Perkins sees the need to send those kids to private religious schools but send teacher/missionaries into our public schools.
It comes as no surprise that public school teachers in North Carolina are treated horribly, especially in their salaries. And again Gov. Cooper is asking for large raises for teachers and other school personnel.
A “billion dollar choice?” Where will we get that kind of money?
North Carolina has a projected one-time $1.4 billion surplus in state revenues through Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, according to the latest consensus revenue forecast released on Wednesday by the Office of State Budget and Management (OBSM) and the General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division.
That surplus includes an estimated $413 million in the current fiscal year, and an estimated $1 billion in additional revenue in FY 2024-25.
But those damn vouchers for high-income people seems to be the main priority.
caffeinated rage 