Welcome

Welcome to Stillwater Christian School; we are so glad that the Lord has brought your children to our school, and we are so excited to see how He will continue to bless their growth and learning. In his work, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson commented, “…we are people who spend our lives being apprenticed to our master, Jesus Christ. We are in a growing-learning relationship, always. A disciple is a learner, not only in the academic setting of a schoolroom, rather also at the work site of a craftsman.”

Our Board of Trustees, administrative team, faculty, and staff are considering three important scriptural principles related to Christian education. The first observation is rooted in what we call the “incarnation”; that is, how Jesus Christ purposefully entered the world as an infant and grew according to the same stages that govern all human development. In other words, we believe that God considers every moment of a child’s life as precious/purposeful and expects us to be “lifelong learners”. Although God could have created Jesus as an adult (remember, in the Garden of Eden, God created Adam and Eve as adults - not children), He chose instead to have Jesus Christ, His only son, progress and experience the same “milestones” as each one of us! Therefore, at SCS, we consider all of the ages/stages of our students’ growth as precious and purposeful, and we will celebrate that growth as a fulfillment of our intentional mission and vision.

The second aspect guiding our program and preparation is founded upon Romans 12:1-8; this passage of scripture affirms that we are all created imago dei (in the image of God) and therefore:

1. we are created to learn (transformed by the renewing of our minds),
2. learning is a “spiritual act of worship” (our curiosity, imagination, service, etc. are all gifts we offer back to God),
3. learning is inherently transformational (we change/grow via both process [how we think] & product [what we think]),
4. learning fosters “discernment”; the ability to make informed, robust and just assertions based upon clear evidence/rationale,
5. we are created to be interdependent; that is, learning occurs within the context of community; it therefore requires, and cultivates, virtues (like humility, charity, boldness, mercy, etc.).

Lastly, I wanted to share our 2025-2026 theme, “LIVING STONES” (1 Peter 2:5-6), which we hope will focus and unite us all toward the essential truths from scripture as our firm foundation. As we expand our campus facilities and enhance our curricular programs (so that we may serve additional students and families) our commitment to making Christ pre-eminent must, and will, remain unwavering. We believe that we “…like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5-6, ESV). In our work to intentionally strengthen and support Christian families, and their churches, throughout the Flathead Valley, we desire to “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity...” (2 Peter 3:18)

Of course, we know that the progress we see is only through the grace and faithfulness of our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ; He alone deserves the credit for these evidences of God ordained growth! As 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 reminds us, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (ESV)

I am so honored to serve as the Head of School and excited to partner with you; please join us in prayer that Jesus Christ will continue to unite our community as we work together to shepherd His precious children. As we meditate together on these important reminders, may the Lord fill us with His Holy Spirit to enliven our community so we might continue to fulfill our important mission and vision in the Flathead Valley.

Grace & Peace,

Dr. Laura McCollum