Learning to Lead: Morning Star’s Mission in Action

Neil & Brandi Anderson

Morning Star Academy’s mission is to provide a classical Christian education that teaches truth, trains disciples and equips students to transform their communities for God’s glory. We’ve been watching our children grow stronger in their faith, becoming leaders who can share and defend their faith. Here are a few ways God is answering our prayers for their education at Morning Star Academy.

Training Literate and Logical Thinkers

The Trivium—the classical progression of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric—bolsters our children’s ability to defend their faith as they become literate and logical thinkers. Our children started at Morning Star in kindergarten and our son is now a senior and our daughter is in fifth grade. The Trivium follows the natural development of a child: learning and gathering facts for younger ages; questioning those teachings to effectively argue; and finally, expressing and defending their own opinions and thoughts. 

We started to grasp the depth of our son’s Logic training when he started writing persuasive papers in seventh and eighth grade. His arguments were well-formed and his writing was articulate. His teachers have continued to provide personalized feedback to help him refine his writing—and now he is working on his capstone project: the senior thesis!

Pursuing Biblical Leadership

Morning Star’s curriculum is a perfect supplement for Christian parents who desire for faith to be woven throughout their children’s academic lives. Our children understand that we are not just Christians on Sunday but in everything we do and seek, including knowledge. As parents, we are so grateful that the Biblical truths we are teaching are not “undone” at school but rather reinforced.

These truths are applied in daily life, as Biblical principles are the backbone for leadership opportunities. Morning Star’s teachers have helped our children learn how true leadership is service. Leading well means letting others’ strengths fill in the gaps where your weaknesses may lie, offering constructive criticism to encourage growth and, above all, good leaders listen.

Deepening Discipleship at Home

Finally, Morning Star has deepened our faith together as a family. We speak easily with one another about our faith and we reference the Word when we need guidance. In our family, if there is a concern, there is prayer. When there is sadness, happiness, misunderstanding, grief, thankfulness, joy… there is prayer. As a family we have found peace in relying on God for everything. 

Another significant impact that Morning Star has had upon our family is that we are all learning from one another. The curriculum at Morning Star prompts us to ask questions that require discussion. Quite often, this results in all or some of us learning something new or gaining a new perspective! This has strengthened our bond as a family, encouraging us to listen and respond in meaningful ways to one another. 

John 4:24 says: “God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” Providing this solid base for our children is critical because we are not just “raising” our children; we are making disciples who will make disciples.