Community Students Attend Adventist School

Adventist education is making a significant difference in the lives of students across Michigan. 

Kamran Masih, Cedar Lake Elementary principal, participated in a family-friendly triathlon hosted by the Edmore church last summer. Approximately 15 to 20 families joined the event, enjoying the combination of running, biking, and swimming. EJ Wolf, Edmore church pastor, invited Masih to attend with the intention that he could meet potential families and invite them to attend Cedar Lake Elementary.

After a brief devotional and prayer, activities commenced. Throughout the day, Masih met every attending family. One family in particular responded positively to Masih's invitation to attend the school. After completing the triathlon, Masih informed them about an upcoming Vacation Bible School (VBS), and the family decided to participate. As Masih spent more time with them, he shared additional information about the school.

"When I speak with these families," Masih explained, "I highlight that it's a small school, allowing for a low student-teacher ratio and more personalized instruction." Masih also emphasized that the school is Christian, teaching Christian values. "When I talk to people," he added, "I focus on the challenges children face daily, and how knowing Jesus can guide them on the right path."

Impressed by Masih's introduction, the family enrolled their three children—Aspen, Brooks, and Birch—for the 2023-2024 school year. According to Masih, the students have thrived, and the family has become involved in the local Pathfinder club.

It's not uncommon for non-member students to attend an Adventist school, especially considering the current shift in secular culture. Adventist education offers a stark contrast to secular ideologies.

Charlotte Green, associate superintendent of schools for the Michigan Conference, explains that character values are incorporated throughout the day in the Adventist school system. Students learn how to interact with others and with authority, with a general focus that differs from secular schools. The contrast between a classroom where spiritual discussions are the norm and prayer is commonplace and a secular classroom where spiritual topics are taboo is apparent to families considering Adventist education.

Green further elaborates that in an Adventist classroom, each student is treated as an individual with intrinsic value. "We teach our students that they are created by God and how to treat one another with value. They were created; therefore, they have value." This fundamental concept addresses a common struggle many children face today. Having a firm foundation is of infinite value. "It's very hard in a non-Christian setting to explain why they are valued," Green emphasizes. Teachers in Adventist classrooms can freely discuss spiritual matters during various subjects and guide students in discovering biblical truths for themselves.

Cedar Lake Elementary follows this approach, making every moment an opportunity to guide students to their Bibles and discover truths for themselves. "We had our first week of prayer recently," Masih notes, "and two of the non-Adventist students expressed their intent to get baptized in the near future. They are all currently engaged in Bible studies."

Adventist education is making a significant difference in the lives of students across Michigan. Cedar Lake Elementary School is one such example.