Our mission is that each child who joins the Origins KC community finds their God-given calling that ignites their curiosity, unlocks their pursuit of truth, and changes the world in honor of God’s glory. Education is the indispensable process by which the educated discover how to provide for themselves and others. However, the ability to provide requires an understanding of what to provide and why, both of which rest on the concept of truth. While preference of “what” and “why” is, necessarily, unique to the individual, truth is not. For us to operate in a cohesive, safe, and thriving society we must rest on irrevocable and shared truth. Therefore, relentless pursuit of truth is the heartbeat driving every element of our school. As Christians we believe that truth cannot emerge from a consensus of secular humanist opinion. The plurality of human experience alone is too complicated for sufficient morality to emerge that can produce lasting peace and harmony. In contrast, God’s truth as revealed through scripture provides a framework for lasting peace and harmony. Caitlin and I are aware that an increasingly secular society struggles with accepting God’s truth as legitimate, but as loving parents and devout Christians we holdfast to our love of God and his creation as a beacon of hope and truth to the community.
With all of this said, faith practice within the studio is not practiced in the typical way of Christian schools because the Acton model is not a typical schooling model. Following the bold example of one of Acton’s primary inspirational minds, Dr. Maria Montessori, we believe the image of God present in each child is best expressed through unrestrained exploration. Effective education requires a willing flow state, which is a state of engagement and enjoyment that occurs when learners are immersed in a challenging learning activity, to produce deep learning. We do not force our students to pray or memorize scripture for the same reason we don’t force them to memorize long lists of dates, words, or events. Freedom of choice is not just necessary for a learner-driven education, it is antecedent. An Acton studio in which learners have a structured dogma to follow are fundamentally unable to freely pursue truth for fear their inquiries may violate a set of imposed principles. At Origins KC we have Guardrails, Contracts, and the Honor Code to communicate the minimum of shared morals and etiquette required to have a productive studio where deep learning can occur in a seamless and emergent fashion. The moral standards of our Guardrails, Contracts, and Honor Code are based upon biblical principles, and explanation of their biblical roots will be provided to our learners through scripture and classical commentary. However, learners will not be compelled to confess agreement with the reasoning for the genesis of these moral standards. Just as God has given each of us the freedom to pursue him through the three transcendental values of “the good, the true, and the beautiful”, we also ensure our learners are free to explore their education unfettered by compulsion.
Our faith is the cornerstone of our morality that justifies our Guardrails and Honor Code. While we would never force a learner to agree with our points of view, if asked, we will joyfully share the foundational scriptures on which the school’s morality and learning model is based. In practice, we will hold prayer sessions and the occasional Bible study outside of school hours for families or learners who want to participate, but these will be fully voluntary and not connected to the coursework. Additionally, we will hold a prayer over our food during the lunch break but, like above, this prayer is voluntary and not connected to coursework. Throughout their exploration in the Origins KC studio, learners will be invited to read from the Bible and reflect on the lessons presented as well as be introduced to biblical scripture when relevant to course material. As our learners develop into the high school years we will not prevent or discourage exploration into theology and philosophy. In fact, quite the opposite. While we do emphasize Christianity, we also enthusiastically explore philosophy and other religions and observe the impact of these ideas in the world.
Caitlin and I are passionate to share the love and glory of God through exploration of his creation with genuine curiosity. We know that every person is a child of God blessed with a calling to their hero’s journey through which they can triumph and change the world in honor of God’s glory. Our hope is to unlock the door in the minds of young learners, so they willingly embark on that journey and explore the world with radical honesty and relentless pursuit of the truth.