Statement of Faith

Mount Paran Christian School is a nondenominational, covenantal school that is unapologetically Christian in its mission, vision, and programs. All staff, students, and parents sign the following Statement of Faith identifying their shared commitment to the Christ-centered purpose of MPCS:

• We believe that the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept.

• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• We believe that man was created in the image of God, but as a result of sin is lost and powerless to save himself.

• We believe that the only hope for man is to believe in Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon himself the punishment for the sin of mankind and who rose from the dead, so that by receiving him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood.

• We believe that Jesus Christ, in person, will return to earth in power and glory. 

• We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells those who have received Christ for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and godly lives.

• We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ and is composed of all who, through belief in Christ, have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the responsibility of the church to nurture Christians and to spread the Word of Jesus Christ worldwide.

Statement of Lifestyle and Conduct

Mount Paran Christian School is firmly committed to its institutional mission, which identifies MPCS as a Christ-centered community focused on academic excellence, partnerships with home and church, and servant-leadership development.  Since the founding of the school in 1976, those core beliefs have formed the foundational truths from which it operates as an educational ministry.

As a Christian community, Mount Paran Christian School distinguishes itself by its covenantal commitments with participating families and staff members and by its dedication to fostering those ideals and standards that are consistent with a biblical worldview.  In addition to the Statement of Faith, which recognizes foundational, theological truths, this document is an attempt to identify Christian ideals and standards as they relate to those who serve as ministers, which includes all staff members, within our community. 

The desire to be a God-honoring community requires mutual understandings, and neither the difficulty of the task nor the imperfection of the end result should deter us from establishing reasonable and viable expectations of community participants. It is the aim of Mount Paran Christian School to promote Christian freedom without becoming libertine and to promote responsibility without becoming legalistic. The following statement of life and conduct adheres to our long-held intentions to, in the words of Lutheran theologian Meldenius, provide an ethos that promotes, “In the essentials unity, in nonessentials diversity, and in all things charity.”

Basic Assumptions

Mount Paran Christian School is dedicated to maintaining its identity as a Christian academic community of faculty and staff. Therefore, the school expects that all faculty and staff will adhere to the following:                                

1. Identify themselves as Christians by virtue of the grace of God and their personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

2. Recognize the Bible to be God’s inspired, infallible, and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precepts.

3. Possess a desire to grow in both knowledge and behavior as a result of a commitment to the work of the Trinity in our lives.

4. Commit to regular participation in the ministry of a local church, personal faith disciplines, and ministry.

5. Accept the work at Mount Paran Christian School as a personal calling and identify themselves as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

6. Understand they have become part of a non-denominational, orthodox Christian community, in which unity is to be sought while diversity within orthodoxy is to be respected and valued.

7. Be concerned and prayerful about the welfare of all individuals within the community.

8. Assume responsibility for their own behavior as it reflects upon their Lord, the school community, and themselves, particularly in the area of personal freedom where discretion, moderation, and restraint must be practiced.

9. Accept the biblical obligation to submit to governing authorities, whether national, local, or institutional.

10. Recognize that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the character and design to which God has called them and that redemption for those sins is found only through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

Biblical Principles

Mount Paran Christian School faculty and staff recognize and affirm that Scriptural principles are foundational to life in the community. The principles which are relevant to life and conduct as ministers in this covenantal, school community are as follows:

1. Life within the Christian community must be lived for the glory of God, daily conforming ourselves to the image of Christ, and recognizing the Lordship of Christ in all aspects of our shared work. (Matthew 22:36-38, I Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:9, 10, 17)

2. An abiding love for and accountability to Jesus motivates all of our actions in this community of believers.  (John 15:12-17,  I John 4:7-12)

3. As ministers of Christ, Mount Paran Christian School faculty and staff bear responsibility of service.  (Matthew 7:12, 25:31-46, Galatians 5:14, 6:10)

4. The words and actions of all staff and faculty members in this community are not solely a private matter.  They are called to pray for each other, go to each other in love when dissensions or concerns arise, and hold each other accountable for the implications of their attitudes and conduct. (Matthew 18: 15-17)

5. Attaining common goals and ensuring an orderly community life necessitates subordination of individual prerogatives. Christian freedom also includes the option of not doing some things in order to contribute to the common spiritual and emotional good of the impressionable students we serve, as well as promote the betterment of Christian community of which we are a part. (I Corinthians 8:9-13, 9:19-23, 10:23-33)

6. Mount Paran Christian School recognizes that certain attitudes are expressly condemned in Scripture. These include, but are not limited to greed, jealousy, pride, lust, needless anger, an unforgiving or rebellious spirit, harmful discrimination, and prejudice. (Galatians 5:19-21, I Corinthians 6:9-10)

7. God’s Word prohibits certain behaviors. These include, but are not limited to theft, lying, cheating, plagiarism, slander, profanity, vulgarity, adultery, homosexual behavior, premarital sex, sexual promiscuity, pornography, drunkenness, immodesty, occult practices, and heresies. (Galatians 5:19-21, I Corinthians 6:9-10)

8. Scripture teaches that all of our actions should be God-honoring. We seek, therefore, to be selective in personal choices, recognizing the influence of our decisions impacts the Mount Paran Christian School community and the broader body of Christ. (Romans 12:2)

9. Secularism is a subtle issue involving uncritical conformity to the spirit of the culture and age.  As disciples of Christ, Mount Paran Christian School faculty and staff members are called to be counter-cultural, understanding that one’s disposition concerning such matters as materialism, isolationism, success, hedonism, and moral relativity must stand in perpetual review. Christians are called to be especially vigilant against idolatry, allowing a preoccupation with other things to come before God. (Romans 12:2,  I John 2:15-17, Exodus 20:3, Philippians 3:18-20)

10. The Bible defines marriage as a sacramental covenant between one man and one woman; God-designed human sexuality is expressed and affirmed within a monogamous, heterosexual marriage. (Genesis 2: 23-24, Colossians 3:5-7, Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9-10,  I Timothy 1:9-10)

11. Christians are compelled by Scripture to believe that God creates life in the womb of a mother and that life, being divinely ordained, is sacred and should be protected and preserved by a Christian community. The Bible also affirms that the sexual nature and identity of a person is determined by God at conception. This God-given gender is recognized and verified by a legal document at the time of birth. (Psalms 139:13-15, Psalms 22:10-11, Galatians 1:15)

Qualifications:   

High School education and two years of experience as a substitute teacher. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities.

Job Description: The Permanent Substitute is given the duty of providing instruction to students in the absence of the regular classroom teacher. 

Physical Requirements: Lifting and transporting boxes not exceeding 20 pounds; ability to stand for long periods of time while instructing; excellent hearing abilities; ability to transport students from one area of a building/campus to another

Responsibilities: A Substitute is responsible for the following:

· Ministering to students compassionately and sincerely so they may continue to grow in their faith.

· Accepting the work at Mount Paran Christian School as a personal calling and identify themselves as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

· Become familiar with the current subtitute system 

·Ensuring that proper instruction is provided for students in the absence of teachers

· Supporting and strengthening the learning capabilities of each student

· Monitoring and management of students’ behavior, including appropriate enforcement of student behavior rules

· Maintaining a professional demeanor in dealings with parents and students

· Attending and participating in faculty meetings and other assigned meetings and activities according to school policy

· Assuming responsibility for supervision of students in out-of-class settings, such as field trips or recess

· Showing support and high esteem for MPCS

· Complying with conditions as stated in employee contract and handbook

· Modeling appropriate Christian behavior in speech and actions

· Any other duties as assigned