We aim to graduate young men and women who think clearly and listen carefully with discernment and understanding, who reason persuasively and speak precisely, who are capable of evaluating all human knowledge and experience in the light of the Scriptures, and who do so with eagerness in joyful submission to God. We desire them to recognize cultural influences as distinct from biblical, and to be unswayed toward evil by the former. We aim to find them well prepared in all situations, possessing both knowledge and the wisdom to know how to use it. We desire that they be socially graceful and spiritually gracious; equipped with and understanding the tools of learning; desiring to grow in understanding, yet fully realizing the limitations and foolishness of the wisdom of this world. We desire that they have a heart for the lost and the courage to seek to dissuade those who are stumbling towards destruction, that they distinguish real religion from religion in form only, and that they possess the former, knowing and loving the Lord Jesus Christ. And all these we desire them to possess with humility and gratitude to God.
We likewise aim to cultivate these same qualities in our staff and to see them well paid so that they may make a career at Mars Hill. We desire them to be professional and diligent in their work, and gifted in teaching, loving their students and their subjects. We desire that they clearly understand classical education, how it works in their classroom, and how their work fits into the whole; that they possess a lifelong hunger to learn and grow; and that they have opportunity to be refreshed and renewed. We desire to see them coach and nurture new staff and to serve as academic mentors to students. We look to see them mature in Christ, growing in the knowledge of God, their own children walking with the Lord.
We aim to cultivate in our parents a sense of responsibility for the school; to see them well informed about the goals of our classical and Christ-centered approach. We desire them to grow with the school, involved in and excited about the journey. We aim to help them to follow biblical principles in addressing concerns, to be inclined to hearing both sides of a story before rendering a verdict, and to embrace the Scripture’s injunctions to encourage and stir one another on to love and good works.
Finally, in our relationship with our community, we aim to be above reproach in our business dealings and supportive of the local business community. We further seek to exemplify the unity of the body of Christ, to develop greater fellowship and understanding with churches, and to bring honor to our Lord in all our endeavors.
We Possess the Four Loves
Our faculty and staff desire to embody what we refer to as the Four Loves:
1) Love and commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ;
2) Love for students;
3) Love for our subjects; and
4) Love for classical and Christian education.
The Four Loves are our source of inspiration and express our God-given passion for educating children in the classical method so that we may imbue them with a lifelong love for learning and for our Savior, Jesus Christ.
We Partner with Parents
Many schools assert that education is merely about a student’s academic development. However, true education encompasses both academic development and the formation of young women and young men. While so many schools wish to subsume control over a child’s formation in the place of their parents, we exist in loco parentis. Mars Hill Academy serves as a trusted caretaker, partnering with parents in raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. The goal is to cultivate a deep and lasting love for Christ and the people He has placed in their lives and to see our students’ depth of conviction grow in the timeless truths of God’s Word — all while learning about the amazing creation of our great God.
We are a Classical School
Rather than chasing the latest and changing fad in educational instruction, we seek to employ the very best of time-tested and proven education methods in human history — the classical method. The classical method draws on the natural development stages as a child matures into adulthood and places an emphasis on utilizing the seemingly lost tools of learning — grammar, logic, and rhetoric — as children progress in their studies. Through the tool of classical education, we desire to cultivate students who can participate effectively in society for the good of others and the glory of God.
We are Distinctively and Genuinely Christian
Faith is taken seriously and joyfully throughout all aspects of the education and formation of our students. All families at Mars Hill Academy ascribe to faith in Jesus Christ. In addition, every faculty person and board member ascribes to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Therefore, our faith should be lived out actively in the school community, we should seek joy in our walks with Christ, and our lives should be marked by a striving for personal holiness and God-honoring relationships. We believe the Bible is the primary source of truth and instruction in all matters of faith and life. Our classical and Christian school applies the classical method to provide a wholly-integrated Biblical worldview, where elements of faith are routinely taught and interwoven throughout each subject. At Mars Hill Academy issues of faith and practice are not contained to weekly chapel or a single Bible or religion class but instead provide the foundation for all instruction.
We Value Community
One of the many beautiful results of a distinctive and genuine Christian education is the community of faithful believers that springs to life. We earnestly share life together: praying for one another, discipling students in the way of Christ, enjoying meals together, helping each other with school projects and special needs, spurring one another on toward greater faith, serving alongside each other in furtherance of our common mission and vision for our school, cheering our sons and daughters on in athletic competition, and in immeasurably more ways. Parents and faculty at Mars Hill hold a shared purpose and, as a result, participate in genuine community.
We are Independent
We value our institutional independence. Independence preserves Mars Hill’s freedom to educate and engage in the formation of our students in a distinctively and genuinely Christian manner through the very best of the classical tradition and to do so consistent with our mission and vision. Our pedagogical freedom allows us to focus on proven methods which yield enduring and superior results for both the education and formation of our students and their engagement with society. In terms of culture, our independence grants us wide latitude to evaluate and explore all human history across contemporary and historical cultures, while focusing on the truth, beauty, and goodness found in the Western tradition and boldly embracing our Christian faith. Protecting our institutional independence is essential to the development and cultivation of a distinctively and genuinely Christian and classical model of education and to the intentionally Christian formation of our children consistent with a Biblical worldview.