Christian Educators Journal: February 2026

Christian Educators Journal February 2026 Vol. 65 No. 3 ISSN: 3070-2348

Money Financial Literacy in the Elementary Classroom in Our Cashless Era Seeking Shalom: Christian Education and Income Inequality When God Enters the Microsystem Shrewd Samaritans: Launching Student-Led Group Fundraising Projects So You Want to Have a Pie Sale?

Contents

3 Editorial 5 Financial Literacy in the Elementary Classroom in

Our Cashless Era: Integrating Money Activities and Projects into the Curriculum SUSAN DYKSHOORN

11 Seeking Shalom: Christian Education and Income Inequality CHRIS STEENHOF

15 When God Enters the Microsystem: How Divine Wisdom Can Transform Everyone’s Financial Life LUCIANO CID AND SHANE ENETE

23 Shrewd Samaritans:

Launching Student-Led Group Fundraising Projects MIRIAM LILI

36 So You Want to Have a Pie Sale?

SIMON JEYNES

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Christian Educators Journal Vol. 65 No. 3, February 2026 ISSN: 3070-2348 cejonline.com Editor Abby Zwart cejeditor@gmail.com The Christian Educators Journal (CEJ) encourages letters to the editor in response to articles presented in the CEJ. Letters must be accompanied by the author’s name and email address. The CEJ reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Where a letter addresses issues raised by the author of an article, the CEJ reserves the right to invite the article author to respond to the letter.

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Indexed in Christian Periodicals Index Copyrighted 2000 CEJ. All rights reserved. Christian Educators Journal (130630) is published quarterly by Christian Educators Journal Association.

Scripture All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Statement of Purpose The Christian Educators Journal Association publishes the Journal as a channel of communication for all educators committed to the idea of Christian day school at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. The views expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the association.

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Editor Abby Zwart Copyeditor Bethany Murphy Design Editor Klaas Wolterstorff Business Manager Klaas Wolterstorff Web Shepherd Heather Altena Board of Trustees Dr. Henry Algera Heather Birch (Chair) Eunsub Cho Justin Cook Albert Kok Dave Loewen Gayle Monsma Sean Schat Christine Scholma (Secretary) Tricia Stobbe Heather VanDyke Supporting Institutions Calvin University The King’s University Redeemer University Trinity Christian College Tyndale University Subscribing Organizations Christian Educators Association Christian Educators of British Columbia Edvance Christian Schools Association Prairie Centre for Christian Education Printed back issues (if available) can be purchased for $7.50 per copy (cost of shipping to be added to total).

Some back issues may be available in digital format.

Editorial

I

can pretty confidently say that I learned about loans and interest rates from a computer game.

It was summer in the late 1990s, and I retreated to our damp and cool Midwestern basement for several hours a day to play Roller Coaster Tycoon (RCT) on my family’s desktop computer. The game sets you up as a theme park designer tasked with building a thriving park full of haunted houses, roller coasters, concession stands, and imaginative scenery. To win each level, you must achieve a set of goals displayed on the first day the park opens. You might need two thousand guests by the end of year three, or maybe you need to have five roller coasters rated “high excitement” by the end of year two.

Though it debuted in 1999, RCT is still highly rated in the computer game community for its intricate design and realistic features. When designing a roller coaster, you can watch as the ride records stats on G forces, number of drops, and top speed. Guests get lost if you place too many pathways or make them too meandering. Each guest enters with a certain amount of cash in their pocket and will display thoughts like “I can’t afford to go on Mad Mouse!” after spending a few hours in the park.

Along with guest spending, there’s an impressive amount of other financial data in the game. You can look at concession records and figure out which of your four ice cream stands is making the most per hour and which one should be demolished and replaced with a popcorn stand. You can study the financial records of the park overall, looking for things like rides that cost more to run than what they earn in profit. Maintenance workers, mechanics, and security guards can be hired, but you’ll take a hit at the beginning of each month when you have to pay their salaries. But don’t worry—if you go in the red, you can take out a loan!

It’s in this game that I learned about interest—loans were hard to pay back! I also discovered that building a small attraction the minute I had $600 to pay for it wasn’t the best strategy—it was better to save up money for a couple of hours and then build a big expensive roller coaster that guests would pay a lot to ride. I figured out how to read a budget ledger with its green and red lines and discovered what net value was. All of this learning happened when I was between eight and thirteen, and none of it happened at school. As I continued into high school, I still don’t think I took a class— even economics!—that taught me as much as RCT. (Honorable mention: having to budget my meager savings in the game Oregon Trail.)

I often hear my high school students complain that we don’t teach them things they’ll need in the “real world.” It’s usually around the time that they get their first jobs and have to fill out a form and set up an appointment to Christian Educators Journal

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get fingerprinted, or they’re trying to figure out how working fifteen hours last week only netted them about $100 after taxes. These “life skills” are often financial in nature, and though we teach kids the very basics of money, it can be really tricky to create the authentic-feeling scenarios they might experience in something like a video game.

This month’s issue was inspired by some of those conversations with my high schoolers. I hoped to get authors who would share some strategies for teaching students about money. And I did! Susan Dykshoorn shares many great strategies for making financial literacy (which looks different in our cashless era) part of every activity in the elementary classroom—not just the math units. Chris Steenhof also offers several practical strategies for getting students to think about money, and he acknowledges the difficulty of those discussions in a wealthy Christian school and in a world full of inequality.

Professors Luciano Cid and Shane Enete extend financial literacy to adults, arguing that if we teachers haven’t learned financial wisdom (as I never really did in school), there’s only a small chance we’ll effectively train our students. Miriam Lili’s challenging experience with a student-run charity event at her school acts as a sort of case study, incorporating financial literacy with Christian values. Simon Jeynes ends our issue with a district-level view, discussing the pitfalls of transactional fundraising and offering suggestions for more intentional philanthropy in our school communities.

My to do list this month includes another “real life” financial task I never learned about in school—it’s tax season. I can’t blame my teachers, because I don’t actually think it would have been helpful for them to explain what a standard deduction is to a sixteen-year-old. But I’m reminded that money is a vital and complicated part of our lives—one that can’t be left out of Kuyper’s “every square inch.” I hope this month’s issue inspires you to find ways to add some financial discussions to your classroom—even if it’s just on your board game shelf (Monopoly, anyone?) or approved computer game list.

—Abby Zwart

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Financial Literacy in the Elementary Classroom in our Cashless Era: Integrating Money Activities and Projects into the Curriculum SUSAN DYKSHOORN

S

tudents are increasingly facing challenges when it comes to understanding financial literacy. The idea of monetary exchanges, currency values in math, and the language used around money is often overlooked or cut short in order to elevate more pressing content topics (Henderson, Beach, and Coombs 314; Stallings). However, students need this knowledge, and they need to practice these skills to make informed financial decisions in the future, making the foundational work that happens in the elementary classroom crucial (Chua). The choice to limit their exposure can lead to negative experiences for students down the road. As educators, we need to provide natural and meaningful opportunities to expose students to financial terms and to understand how money-related concepts work by infusing them into our curriculum (Stallings).

We need to provide natural and meaningful opportunities to expose students to financial terms and to understand how money-related concepts work by infusing them into our curriculum.

Challenges Teachers Face With the rising costs of living and shifts in responsibility for funding post-secondary education and retirement, students have a greater need to leave school with an understanding of how to budget and apply financial concepts for future success and well-being (Henderson et al. 310). With this in mind, many educational leaders and governing bodies are opting to include specific financial literacy initiatives in the K–12 school curricula.

Significant challenges to enable this include that many schools do not have a formal curriculum dedicated to these topics, especially in the early years; that schools do not require this to be taught with rigor; and that individual teachers are often the ones tasked with finding appropriate resources to teach these topics yet may not know how to go about it (Henderson et al.

311; Carlsons and Eadens 97). With limited training on money concepts in teacher education programs and professional development, teachers often struggle to integrate learning experiences that are engaging and meaningful into their curriculum (Chua). They may be unsure of how to teach these concepts or how to approach the variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds present in their classrooms, which may cause additional barriers in teaching, understanding, and accessing resources (Carlsons and Eadens 98; Chua).

Additionally, the context of financial interactions has drastically changed, affecting the way financial education may be approached in schools. Digital technology has changed the way money is used, and children are seeing fewer physical coins and bills being exchanged, as credit cards, digital currency, online banking, and online shopping are being used more Christian Educators Journal

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Digital technology has changed the way money is used, and children are seeing fewer physical coins and bills being exchanged, as credit cards, digital currency, online banking, and online shopping are being used.

frequently (Chua). Without the opportunity to apply their learning in a real-world context, students may be more likely to struggle to understand concepts related to basic monetary transactions (Carlsons and Eadens 108; Henderson et al. 313). To scaffold this learning, it may be beneficial to introduce these concepts earlier in the elementary experience and intentionally call attention to appropriate relationships between math skills already encountered and the way people use money in their daily lives.

Using a CRA Approach to Build Understanding of Financial Concepts

By doing this, they are better able to develop mental representations, rather than jumping right to strategy use without understanding the problem.

Financial concepts are complex for students to understand, as they are abstract ideas that require guidance and explanation. Understanding a concept is crucial for connecting meaning and selecting a plan of action to solve the problem (Costello 13). Because money requires an awareness of number sense, computational skills, and place value and decimals, foundational math skills need to be learned and practiced and then connected to a system of exchange and determining value, skills that are often not connected to other domains (Henderson et al. 312). Because of the abstract nature of money, specific teaching of sequential skills in a real and hands-on way may be the most beneficial for students’ success at the elementary level.

One approach and intervention that can be used is the CRA (Concrete– Representational–Abstract) approach, which considers students’ ability to use concrete materials, known as manipulatives, before moving on to pictorial representations to solve equations, and then using abstract or symbolic notations to represent equations (Prosser and Bismark 1061). This approach allows students to use hands-on, interactive, or digital materials to build understanding and support instructional practices, letting them arrange, partition, and group items in order to represent their understanding and solve computations. By doing this, they are better able to develop mental representations, rather than jumping right to strategy use without understanding the problem (Flores and Hinton 183, 192). For example, primary students could lay out a nickel by the number five or five pennies to represent their understanding of the value of a nickel. At an upper elementary level, students could represent numbers in an addition computation by laying down the correct bills and coins to count the total value of all the money.

Following the concrete stage, students represent their understanding through pictorial images, such as drawings of manipulatives or illustrations, showing a display of a completed task (Prosser and Bismark 1061).

This may involve using labeled circles for coins and rectangular bills with the value written inside. This may also involve stacking images of price tags on a whiteboard to line up decimal places with the intention of adding the values together to find a total amount spent.

In the last stage, the abstract stage, students use symbolic representations, applying strategies and internalizing money concepts and computations (Flores and Hinton 184). Students at this stage are forming mental images and implementing strategies without the use of manipulatives and images because they understand the magnitude of numbers, their values, and strategies for solving problems due to an understanding of the previous stages.

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Important to note is that just because a teacher introduces concrete or virtual manipulatives does not automatically mean student understanding occurs (Prosser and Bismark 1061). Manipulatives, like coins, bills, price tags on items, and itemized lists, provide the context and tools to help students comprehend the content and processes, but they need to be connected to instructional practices and explanations. Only then can they support students’ learning and mastery of financial concepts. Clear, effective instruction and implementation of each step of the CRA approach will contribute to the development of students’ use of numerical and algebraic symbols, or their abstract understanding. The instruction used is best done in real-life contexts and in using everyday tasks to escalate students’ ability to make meaning of their learning.

Manipulatives provide the context and tools to help students comprehend the content and processes, but they need to be connected to instructional practices and explanations.

Ideas for Promoting Financial Literacy While the CRA approach can be used to teach any math concept, it is effective when teaching literacy due to the abstract nature of coins and bills representing values, credit cards being applied to subtract from total amounts in a bank account, and percentages being applied for sales taxes and being subtracted for discounts. While there are many ways to integrate financial literacy into the elementary curriculum, here are a few ideas to consider adding to your daily or weekly routines and to your planned curriculum.

Calendar Integrating money concepts into calendar or soft start routines at the early elementary level is effective when the teacher revisits the value of money and coins frequently and in a hands-on manner. For example, when it is the fifteenth day of the month, the students and teacher could show the number 15 represented in coins, such as with a dime and a nickel, counting the total using the values. Showing a variety of combinations would add to this problem-solving activity. Discussion about what the coins look like and their worth can be added to build familiarity with financial vocabulary. In upper elementary grades, using the number of days students have been attending school or the “Number of the Day” would integrate the use of larger numbers, amounts, and currency combinations (Stallings). While this can be done concretely using Velcro or magnetic coins and writing numbers to show symbolic representations, students can also draw their value of the day on whiteboards or storyboards using images, cutouts, or shapes.

STEM/ADST Challenges

To build a financial education component

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or ADST (applied design, skills, and technology) challenges are often used in the classroom to build creative and critical thinking skills connected to a curricular topic. To build in a financial education component, consider calculating the cost of the project after the build has been completed. For example, if building a pipeline, waterway, or bridge, consider assigning a cost to each item used. At an early elementary level, this can be done after the build, having students count the total number of each of the supply items used and then calculate the total cost Christian Educators Journal

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into a STEM project, consider calculating the cost of the project after the build has been completed.

If groups needed to make any “returns” for taking too many supplies or “exchanges” for altered plans, a deduction or percentage could be subtracted for a re-stocking fee.

of making their artifact. If students are working at a concrete level, each item could come with a price tag, coin, or bill to use for calculations. Building groups can compare who created a successful artifact, but also a cost-effective one, and compare how their build could be altered to lower the budget or stay within a budget. At upper elementary grades or middle school grades, groups could know the cost of each supply item before building, and possibly a suggested budget to stay within. This would create a need for groups to plan their artifact to be effective while also using supplies wisely. An added component to extend financial concept integration would be if groups needed to make any “returns” for taking too many supplies or “exchanges” for altered plans, a deduction or percentage could be subtracted for a re-stocking fee. A budget list, bill of sales, and running total list could be kept by group members to represent these calculations symbolically.

Classroom Economy Management Systems Token reward systems are often framed using classroom currency to teach the value of coins and bills and to have students complete calculations based on tokens collected or paid out. While there may be some controversy around associating “pay” and “discounts” to behavior (Kim et al. 562–63), using economy systems to track handed-in work, completed classroom jobs, and organized desks can teach financial understanding and calculations through the use of collecting classroom coins and bills or representing monetary values pictorially or symbolically. Students have a chance to budget, work toward a goal, and make purchases, all while using currency in a real-life type of context.

Using Literacy Education for Giving

While students still had to make calculations to determine their money totals, the game offered a chance to reflect on where money was going, how individuals were feeling, and how others could respond.

David I. Smith, in his book On Christian Teaching: Practicing Faith in the Classroom (2018), refers to a website called What-If Teaching. This site provides teachers with a way of re-imagining teaching topics in light of a biblical Christian worldview. For example, one of the scenarios under math called “Math and Giving” describes a teacher who, unhappy about teaching money through gaining and making money, changed her lesson to use a game about attaining, spending, and giving away. While students still had to make calculations to determine their money totals, the game offered a chance to reflect on where money was going, how individuals were feeling, and how others could respond. Jim McKenzie, author of One Generation to the Next: A Guide to Forming Your Faith and Finding Your Way (2023), also described a scenario in which a classroom teacher saw a culture of want and greed when using toy advertisements to calculate budget totals and spending habits, and so changed her lesson to use a charity giftbook instead, allowing students to select items, supplies, and animals to give away to families and children in impoverished or struggling communities. The students committed to raising funds and putting their math into action, fulfilling God’s calling in Deuteronomy 16:17 and Acts 20:35 to use their wealth in responsible and charitable ways.

Financial literacy is an important component of the elementary curriculum, but it can be complex and abstract for students to grasp. To support students, educators must weave this learning into teaching in practical, 8

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meaningful, and hands-on ways. This includes integrating financial concepts in a way that teaches students how to honor God and others through the way money is viewed and used.

Works Cited Carlson, Elise T., and Daniel W. Eadens. “Relationships Between State Mandates for Financial Education and Young Adults’ Financial Literacy and Capability.” Journal of Pedagogical Research, vol. 7, no. 5, 2023, pp. 97–110, https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202321288.

Chua, Michael. “The Challenge of Teaching Financial Literacy to Youth.”

LinkedIn, 24 Feb. 2024, www.linkedin.com/pulse/challenges-teaching -financial-literacy-youth-michael-chua-nc69f/.

Costello, David. “Meaning Making in the Classroom: What Does Understanding the Problem Really Entail?” Ontario Mathematics Gazette, vol. 62, no.

4, 2024, pp. 13–15.

Flores, Margaret M., and Vanessa M. Hinton. “The Effects of a CRA-I Intervention on Students’ Number Sense and Understanding of Addition.”

Remedial and Special Education, vol. 43, no. 3, 2022, pp. 183–94, https:// doi.org/10.1177/07419325211038009.

Henderson, Gail E., Pamela Beach, and Andrew Coombs. “Financial Literacy Education in Ontario: An Exploratory Study of Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions, Attitudes, and Practices.” Canadian Journal of Education, vol.

44, no. 2, 2021, pp. 308–36, https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.v44i2.4249.

Kim, Ji Young, et al. “A Rapid Assessment of Sensitivity to Reward Delays and Classwide Token Economy Savings for School-Aged Children.” Journal of Behavioral Education, vol. 33, no. 3, 2024, pp. 561–84, https://doi. org/10.1007/s10864-022-09503-3.

McKenzie, Jim. One Generation to the Next: A Guide to Forming Your Faith and Finding Your Way. Genesis Publishing House, 2023.

Prosser, Sherri K., and Stephen F. Bismarck. “Concrete–Representational– Abstract (CRA) Instructional Approach in an Algebra I Inclusion Class: Knowledge Retention Versus Students’ Perception.” Education Sciences, vol. 13, no. 10, 2023, pp. 1061, https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101061.

Smith, David I. On Christian Teaching: Practicing Faith in the Classroom. Eerdmans, 2018.

Stallings, Kendall. “Integrating Financial Literacy Throughout the Day in Elementary School.” Edutopia, 28 Mar. 2024, www.edutopia.org/article/ financial-literacy-elementary-school “Math: Math and Giving.” What-If Learning, whatiflearning.com/example/ math-and-giving/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.

Susan Dykshoorn is a faculty associate and course instructor at Trinity Western University in the Professional Year Program and a grade 1 teacher at Abbotsford Christian School in British Columbia. She encourages teacher candidates and fellow teachers to teach using meaningful, hands-on approaches and to love mathematics.

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Seeking Shalom: Christian Education and Income Inequality CHRIS STEENHOF

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n 2024, musician Taylor Swift reportedly grossed more than $1.2 billion, with her actual income totaling approximately $400 million (Scheid).

During the same year, the average teacher salary in the United States was approximately $72,000. A teacher would have had to work for over fifty-five hundred years to earn the same amount as Taylor Swift’s 2024 income. While difficult to accurately calculate, it is estimated that Elon Musk earned over $24 million an hour in 2024 (Isadore). The average worker during the same period earned approximately $27 an hour. Depending on the calculation, Musk made the same amount as the combined earnings of all 1.6 million employees of Walmart, one of North America’s largest employers.

Although Christians may disagree on the causes, ethical implications, and appropriate responses to income inequality, its presence is impossible to overlook. It is a part of our everyday landscape and has a direct impact on Christian school students, teachers, and parents, as well as on the larger realities of these institutions, including admissions, tuition, and a school’s relationship with the larger community. Although addressing inequality is undeniably complex, it also offers Christian schools a meaningful opportunity to engage deeply with core principles of justice, equity, and compassionate care for those who are most vulnerable.

In this article, I aim to explore the complexities of addressing income inequality, the importance of engaging this issue directly, and the resulting implications for the Christian school curriculum. Finally, I’ll address the various ways we should consider adjusting the practices and structures of our institutions.

The Challenges The biggest challenge in discussing income inequality in the Christian school classroom is the increasing polarization evident in our student and parent populations. However one frames this reality—left versus right, Republican versus Democrat, conservative versus liberal—this divide has made discussions around this topic and others seemingly impossible to navigate. In our midst we have those who have embraced social justice as a contemporary expression of the Christian faith, while others are extremely skeptical of this movement, believing that it emphasizes woke ideology over biblical teaching. The fact that we have rooted our identity in where we see ourselves on the political spectrum makes these conversations even more difficult.

Another reason why this discussion is difficult is that, on average, Christian Educators Journal

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Although addressing inequality is undeniably complex, it also offers Christian schools a meaningful opportunity to engage deeply with core principles of justice, equity, and compassionate care for those who are most vulnerable.

While this is certainly not true of all Christian school communities, statistically, we are wealthier than the general population.

Christian school participants, including those who give generously to our schools, are on the higher end of the income scale (Murnane 2). While this is certainly not true of all Christian school communities, statistically, we are wealthier than the general population. Moreover, on average, those who are part of Christian schools—particularly when compared with other nations and with previous generations—experience unprecedented levels of material prosperity alongside widening gaps in wealth and income distribution among the wider population. With this comes a collective guilt (and sometimes apathy rooted in comfort) that makes addressing the topic difficult.

Why We Must Address Income Inequality

Justice issues such as the environment, homelessness, poverty reduction, and racial injustice—and commitment to organizations that deal with these issues—have become the new religion for many youth.

If we aim to prepare students for faithful engagement in today’s world, we must move beyond financial literacy alone and equip them to grapple with the justice issues inherent in income inequality.

Recent studies have shown that Christian school graduates are leaving traditional Christianity and instead embracing various forms of social justice (Yagel). In essence, justice issues such as the environment, homelessness, poverty reduction, and racial injustice—and commitment to organizations that deal with these issues—have become the new religion for many youth. Many in this generation see the church as failing at addressing what they see as issues fundamental to the true expression of the Christian faith. While this may not be a totally fair conclusion, being willing to address justice issues that surround income inequality may help convince Christian school students that institutional Christianity is not ignoring these important topics.

Additionally, central to our calling as Christian educators is the concept of shalom. God calls us to be people who work actively toward restoring wholeness and order to a broken world. In Teaching for Transformation, a framework for Christian education popular in Canada, one of the throughlines is the concept of justice seeking, where “learners pursue restorative transformation, seeking to bring wholeness where there is brokenness” (Teaching for Transformation).

The increasing divide between rich and poor is a signpost that we live in a broken culture in need of God’s healing. There is growing concern that the income gap is resulting in the disappearance of the middle class, resulting in increased poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity for many. If we aim to prepare students for faithful engagement in today’s world, we must move beyond financial literacy alone and equip them to grapple with the justice issues inherent in income inequality.

What This Means for the Classroom An important starting point for addressing justice issues in the classroom is to help students talk about difficult topics in a meaningful manner. That means establishing a safe environment where all voices are respected and students can speak authentically and truthfully. Students must understand that when their views and perspectives are discussed and even challenged, their identities are not under attack. At our school, we have drawn on a training program called WayFinders, created by the organization The Colossian Forum, which helps individuals and groups embrace conversations around difficult cultural topics with wisdom and sensitivity.

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the topic of income inequality. This includes studying income inequality in other countries and historical periods in order to understand potential reasons for the growing gap, and exploring the consequences of a society where this is a reality. One author suggests that, “in the economic sphere, as any other, the gospel calls us to discern the structure of God’s good design and face the realities of a fallen world while we work and wait for its renewal” (Hollinger). This requires that students, no matter their place on the political spectrum, be willing to challenge their own presuppositions and biases. These conversations may be particularly difficult where some or many of the students are from affluent families.

Christian schools must move from simple understanding to action, directing students toward the pursuit of shalom. Once students understand the effects of increasing income inequality, they must be equipped to engage in meaningful efforts that help heal a hurting world. This could mean anything from researching state, provincial, or national tax reforms that reduce the impact of income inequality to volunteering at the local food bank that provides assistance for those in the community experiencing food insecurity.

Alongside this work, Christian schools must also embrace a prophetic role, questioning our culture’s elevation of wealth and the undue admiration given to the wealthy. Jesus spoke about money more than many of the topics that dominate our cultural conversations, and his teachings about wealth and money run contrary to our present culture’s assumptions. Students are fed unbiblical messages about wealth through professional sports, social media, and Hollywood. Schools should be places where these messages are challenged.

Once students understand the effects of increasing income inequality, they must be equipped to engage in meaningful efforts that help heal a hurting world.

The Larger Picture Christian schools must look beyond their own doors when considering the impact of income inequality. The quality of education that Christian schools and other private schools offer is often not accessible to those who find themselves on the wrong side of the income equation. Without compromising their admission requirements, schools should have robust tuition assistance programs to ensure that Christian education is accessible to all. Perhaps Christian schools can think even more broadly by being a voice for quality education for everyone. One possibility is partnering with secular or other private schools in literacy development or professional development activities. Some schools have established relationships with schools in developing countries, as they look at global economic inequality. My own school’s relationship with a remote sister school in Sierra Leone has proved a blessing for our students while allowing us to positively impact the educational reality for students on the other side of the globe.

Although income inequality is a difficult topic for Christian schools, by avoiding it, we miss a powerful opportunity to seek justice and participate in God’s healing work. This calls for deep self-reflection and a readiness to challenge the assumptions that make us individually and communally uncomfortable. However, when we help students grapple with the growing divide between rich and poor, we reinforce that the pursuit of shalom is central to who we are as Christian educators.

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The quality of education that Christian schools and other private schools offer is often not accessible to those who find themselves on the wrong side of the income equation.

Works Cited The Colossian Forum. “Differences Don’t Have to Divide.” colossianforum. org/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

Hollinger, J. E. “A Christian Response to Economic Inequality.” In All Things, Dordt University, 4 Mar. 2025, digitalcollections.dordt.edu/ faculty_work/1556/.

Isidore, Chris. “Elon Musk, the Richest Man in the World, Is Estimated to Earn over $23 Million Every Single Hour of the Day—Here’s How He’s Spending It.” Yahoo Finance, 21 Jan. 2025, finance.yahoo.com/news/elonmusk-richest-man-world-151517895.html.

Murnane, Richard J., and Sean F. Reardon. “Long-Term Trends in Private School Enrollments by Family Income.” AERA Open, vol. 4, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1–26.

Schneid, Rebecca. “Here’s What We Know About Taylor Swift’s Net Worth as She Reaches a New Milestone.” TIME, 6 Oct. 2024, time.com/7050535/ taylor-swift-net-worth-estimations-billionaire/.

Teaching for Transformation. Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE), 2025, www.teachingfortransformation.org/.

Walmart. “Life at Walmart: Careers, Culture & Growth.” Walmart Corporate, 2025, corporate.walmart.com/about/working-at-walmart.

Yagel, Gary. “Should Christians Pursue Economic Equality?” The Ministry of Gary Yagel, 13 May 2023, forgingbonds.org/blog/detail/should-christians-pursue-economic-equality?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Chris Steenhof is the principal of Bulkley Valley Christian School in Smithers, BC. He loves to fish, golf, coach, and officiate basketball and spends time in the outdoors with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

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When God Enters the Microsystem: How Divine Wisdom Can Transform Everyone’s Financial Life LUCIANO CID AND SHANE ENETE

From Utility to Worship: Reimagining Financial Matters Most people view money as a tool for comfort rather than a force with the ability to shape the soul. Consequently, money is often understood as a mere means to an end, devoid of broader significance. However, financial matters should never be treated as anodyne tools simply requiring proper instruction. Instead, finances should be understood as dynamic psycho-emotional, socio-emotional, and spiritual forces with the power to influence the deepest parts of one’s life—either drawing us closer to or away from God. Given this reality, before teaching children about money and finances, educators and parents must first ensure their own financial presuppositions are aligned with God’s will. Then, and only then, will such mentors be able to bring their financial lives under the Christian mandate of taking every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and attain the righteous perspective required to instruct the next generation of Christian men and women regarding divinely focused financial stewardship. But doing so can often prove easier said than done.

Before teaching children about money and finances, educators and parents must first ensure their own financial presuppositions are aligned with God’s will.

From Ignorance to Stewardship: One Professor’s Journey Toward Financial Wisdom My name is Luciano Cid and, besides being one of the two authors of this article, I also serve as the director of elementary education and as an associate professor in the School of Education at Biola University. Before entering higher education, I spent more than a decade teaching in public schools across elementary, middle, and high school settings. Although I hold a BA (with a double major in philosophy and comparative religions), two master’s degrees (in teaching and educational neuroscience), a doctorate (in educational leadership with an emphasis in educational psychology), and a California Teaching Credential, never once during all that preparation did I receive training in how to teach financial literacy. Consequently, during my tenure in education, I never taught a single lesson focusing on the subject.

That’s likely because the state of California—where I received most of that training—did not expect, until very recently, K-12 students to become proficient in financial literacy. It follows, then, that as a student within the California educational system, I also never received any instruction on the matter.

Instead, like most people, I developed my understanding of money by absorbing the cultural perspectives, as well as the experiences, of the adults Christian Educators Journal

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During my tenure in education, I never taught a single lesson focusing on the subject of financial literacy.

Today, money no longer brings stress to my family; instead, it has become one of the ways we are able to worship the Lord while blessing those in need.

with whom I interacted. As the son of a rancher in Argentina (where I grew up until I was thirteen), money always seemed to be a problem since most of the time there was not enough of it. This would suddenly shift due to a good harvest or the sale of livestock, providing us with substantial amounts of it. Such financial volatility, in combination with the instability of my country’s economy—Argentina has had inflation periods of up to 3,000 percent (Perelman 50)—left me thoroughly confused regarding the value and usage of money. Most importantly, such fluctuations connected finances with stress, building in my psyche some erroneous perspectives. I was not aware of the need to save money, how to spend it, how to invest it, nor that God even had a perspective upon the matter—a perspective that, when followed, would allow me to honor and worship him. Still, this is not an unusual situation. In 2008, Wright found that “seniors at . . . university who are preparing to graduate do not have an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding of money management concepts” (72).

It wasn’t until my late twenties that I began to develop a biblical perspective regarding financial topics. Through the influence of people and programs that modeled godly financial stewardship (e.g., my fiancée [now my wife], her father [who served for years as our church’s treasurer], and Crown Financial Ministries), I began to adopt biblical principles related to saving, spending, tithing, generosity, supporting missionaries and Christian organizations, and caring for those in need. Gaining this knowledge has been one of the greatest blessings God has given me. Today, money no longer brings stress to my family; instead, it has become one of the ways we are able to worship the Lord while blessing those in need.

The Psychology of It All: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the Shaping of Our Financial Self

Bronfenbrenner introduces six major factors, arranged as concentric circles, with the capacity to shape human development.

All humans are born with an inherent capacity to absorb information from their surroundings and, as a result, be shaped by it during their development. An example of this phenomenon is language acquisition. From birth, the human brain demonstrates an innate predisposition—a biological endowment—enabling infants, without ever receiving any form of instruction, to discern what the most frequently occurring sounds within their environment are, recognize their saliency, and generate novel neural pathways (networks) that can facilitate future communication. This reciprocal interaction between the individual and the surrounding environment is effectively conceptualized by Urie Bronfenbrenner’s 1979 “ecological systems theory,” which he ultimately expanded to include biological determinants (or engines of development) in what came to be known, in 2005, as the “bioecological systems theory.” Simply put, the models provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how an individual’s brain, mind, and—though Bronfenbrenner himself did not employ this word—soul are continuously shaped by one’s bioecological factors.

Within the models, Bronfenbrenner introduces six major factors, arranged as concentric circles, with the capacity to shape human development (see figure 1). In the center are a person’s biological traits—such as age, gender, and health—which influence how individuals interact with their environment. Surrounding that immediate interaction is the microsystem, 16

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Figure 1: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development (Wikimedia Commons—Creative Commons SA)

made up of one’s closest relationships and most intimate settings (e.g., family, school, church, peers). The mesosystem reflects how the microsystem’s elements interact with one another, such as the relationship between home and school.

Beyond these lies the exosystem, which includes indirect influences like mass media, neighbors, and social services. After that is the macrosystem, which embodies the broader cultural beliefs and values. The chronosystem, which is not included in the diagram provided, represents the impact of time. It includes life transitions and historical events. The combination of all these have the power to influence every part of our development (i.e., the self or the soul).

Learning, the Environment, and the Formation of Godly Character It would appear, therefore, that one of humanity’s primary functions is the ability to learn—that is, to interact with, absorb, and be influenced by one’s surroundings. This is probably why God warns us, quite often in fact (e.g., Prov. 6:16–19; Isa. 1:16–17; Ps. 1:1–2; Rom. 6:12–13; Gal. 5:19–21; 1 Thess. 5:22; Christian Educators Journal

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God warns us, quite often in fact, to be diligently aware of the environmental and ecological forces to which we are

James 4:7–8; 1 John 2:15–17), to be diligently aware of the environmental and ecological forces to which we are exposed (2 Tim 2:22), urging us to disassociate from any spiritually unfruitful thoughts, actions, or people. A passage illustrating such divine admonitions is Ephesians 5:3–7. In it, God displays the way he perceives of and, consequently, the way Christians should understand such developmental influences:

exposed.

The Greek word translated as “greed” within the scriptures is pleonexia, which combines two concepts: πλείων (“more”) + ἔχω (“to have”).

Given the apparent tension between money and spiritual formation, it is not surprising that many faithful Christians may find themselves with more questions than answers.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. (Emphasis mine)

Interestingly, one of the topics found within such warnings is that of greed. Merriam Webster defines the term as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed.” The Greek word translated as “greed” within the scriptures is pleonexia, which combines two concepts: πλείων (more) + ἔχω (to have). This combination is employed to describe a person who wants to have more, or displays an excessive desire to acquire. A similar description is also found in Colossians 3:5, where Paul states, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (emphasis mine); and, again, in 1 Timothy 6:10–11, where the concern shifts away from greed and more explicitly into the topic of money, Paul writes to Timothy: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”

And yet, a tension arises in Scripture because, for all the warnings around the dangers of wealth and possessions, there are also affirmations around their faithful stewardship as a means of testing and growing our devotion to God (see LaPierre). For example, God uses Joseph’s prudent saving to preserve his chosen people (Genesis 41), the teacher praises the ant for storing resources (Prov. 6:6), Paul states that those who fail to provide for their families are “worse than unbelievers” (1 Tim. 5:8), and—even more surprisingly—Jesus commends a dishonest manager for his shrewd financial behavior (Luke 16:1–13).

Given the apparent tension between money and spiritual formation, it is not surprising that many faithful Christians may find themselves with more questions than answers. The most essential and critical question is this: How should devoted Christians understand money and financial literacy? Should they simply see such concepts as spiritually neutral without any influence upon their souls? Perhaps they should sever and compartmentalize the financial part of their lives from the religious one, as many have inaccurately argued using Mathew 22:18–22. Or, possibly, given its potential connection with superficiality and worldliness (Matt. 19:21), they 18

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should avoid the topic altogether by affirming it as an idol (Matt. 6:24). All of these propositions, however, appear to shove us into adopting a biblically limited perspective of finances. MacLean explains: One reason for this difficulty is that many individuals focus on a single scripture or biblical concept from which to build their theology. Since the Bible deals with many aspects of money in various contexts, this single-focus strategy can lead to a rules-based theology—sometimes with only one rule. Excluding consideration of all the other scriptural references to money can lead to a highly limited understanding of what I think God envisions our relationship with money to be. Moreover, the context of a scripture and the person speaking it should be factored into its interpretation. If a biblical principle concerning money is only mentioned once in the Bible, then perhaps basing a whole theology on it is a mistake. (13-14)

We as authors agree with MacLean’s rationale. So to help the reader understand a broader view of the history and theology of Christian finances, we’d like to highlight the following resources.

• For a concise overview of the various modern perspectives on how professing Christians have interpreted money and finances, see Mesa’s article in the Gospel Coalition’s website titled “What’s Your Theology of Money (in 200 Words or Less)?”

• To become aware of some misinterpretations, read Petersen’s article in Christian History titled “Modern Voices: The Christian and Money.”

In it, Petersen provides an explanation of how “the various Christian theories about money [have] raise[d] a confusing cacophony [of ideas], differing on basic biblical interpretation and fundamental views of human society.”

• For a deep exposition of the tension that exists within the Christian tradition between the haves and have-nots we recommend reading Blomberg’’s book Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions (particularly pp. 16–44).

We have shared these resources as evidence of how theologically impactful finances can be, which begs the question: What is one’s theology regarding such topics?

Teaching from Wholeness: The Need for Financially and Spiritually Wise Educators A possible explanation for the lack of a biblically focused financial literacy may lie within the very framework described by Bronfenbrenner. That is, many of the influential systems shaping an individual—such as parents, teachers, churches, peers, neighborhoods, mass media, and extended family—often lack the proper formation or training in this area themselves.

Simply put, one cannot share what one does not possess.

A closer look at a well-known adage helps illuminate this challenge.

It states, quite accurately, that if you “give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but when you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” Yet Christian Educators Journal

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Simply put, one cannot share what one does not possess.

this statement raises a critical question: What if the persons responsible for teaching others how to fish have never learned to fish correctly themselves?

The underlying assumption—both in the proverb and in much of modern society—is that the knowledge being passed from one person to the next is adequate and trustworthy and that the teachers themselves have received proper training. Unfortunately, when it comes to the topic of financial godly wisdom, this assumption has often proven to be unreliable at best and untrue at worst.

A Much Needed Change in Our Christian Ecology

Beginning with the graduating class of 2031–2032, California high school students will be required to complete a semester-long course in financial literacy. But this raises an important question: Is the church keeping pace?

Children are unlikely to retain factual, textheavy information about money but will engage deeply with stories.

Fortunately, in California, new legislation (AB 2927) is helping address the lack of financial literacy among young men and women (“AB 2927: Pupil Instruction”). Beginning with the graduating class of 2031–2032, California high school students will be required to complete a semester-long course in financial literacy. But this raises an important question: Is the church keeping pace? Will the body of Christ be satisfied with its children receiving what will likely be an academically accurate perspective on finances, yet one that lacks divine wisdom?

At Biola University, we believe the answer to this question should be a committed no. This is because the university’s mission is to provide biblically centered education, scholarship, and service, equipping men and women in both mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our vision is to cultivate a community abiding in truth, abounding in grace, and compelled by Christ’s love to serve as a relevant and redemptive voice in a changing world, which is why professors at Biola University continually strive to be the mentors and educators that Bronfenbrenner’s model requires them to be.

Among such professors is Dr. Shane Enete (the other author of this article) of the Crowell School of Business. An associate professor of finance, Dr. Enete has consistently labored to provide individuals of all ages with biblically centered financial literacy. From his book Whole Heart Finances: A Jesus-Centered Guide to Managing Your Money with Joy, to the Money Storybook Bible podcast he produces with his two young children, to his leadership at the Kingdom Financial Coaching Center, where he mentors college students to provide free financial coaching to the community, Dr. Enete’s contributions are both extensive and impactful. His numerous articles and presentations, as well as his latest project, an upcoming book titled 8 Great Money Dates—designed to help couples cultivate healthy financial conversations—reflect a tireless commitment to helping others develop a divinely focused understanding of money and finances.

However, the breadth of his work is not as important as the way he chooses to convey his knowledge. Dr. Enete thoughtfully applies the appropriate pedagogical lenses, adapting his approach to the cognitive and financial developmental needs of his audience. For instance, when developing the Money Storybook Bible, he shifted from a written model to an oral, story-driven approach. He recognized that children are unlikely to retain factual, text-heavy information about money but will engage deeply with stories. Through this shift, he ensures that even the youngest Christians are introduced to God’s perspective on money and finances in developmentally 20

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appropriate ways, a technique educators, at all levels, should both appreciate and try to emulate.

Still, you might say: I can’t do this. I don’t have the same level of financial or pedagogical expertise that Dr. Enete has. Our response is simple: You don’t have to. All that’s needed is a willingness to demonstrate a sustained commitment to understanding, enriching, and applying a biblical worldview of finances in your own life and in the lives of those within your microsystem. For those ready to begin transforming their ecosystems, we recommend the following actions: 1. Recognize that you are a product of your environment and that changing the factors that shape your environment, in turn, will begin to change you as well, while providing you with the ability to alter others’ environments (see Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory).

2. Analyze how you have come to view money and financial matters.

Do you hold a godly perspective or a worldly one?

3. Find a financial mentor or curriculum that grounds the teaching of money and financial stewardship in God’s principles. A comprehensive list of stewardship curricula is available on the Christian Stewardship Network’s website.

4. Begin transforming your own financial habits and decisions so that you can experience the freedom that comes from aligning your finances with God’s wisdom.

5. As change begins to take root, celebrate it by acknowledging that adopting a divine view of financial stewardship empowers you to bless not only yourself but others—then act on that truth.

6. Reflect on how to share your financial wisdom with others using age-appropriate and socio-economically applicable approaches. The Stewardship Sandbox from the Christian Stewardship Network (link provided above) offers curricula tailored to different ages and financial contexts. For example, a financially vulnerable household has vastly different needs than a more affluent one, and high school students require different guidance than retirees.

Conclusion As Bronfenbrenner’s model illustrates, we are all inextricably linked to the systems that surround us; however, as Christian educators, we do not have to be merely passive recipients of our environment. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit as well as the tutelage of the Scriptures, we can empower ourselves to become intentional architects of our own ecology. By seeking out biblical wisdom, auditing our internal presuppositions, and utilizing the wealth of resources available to us today, we can generate a Christian ecology regarding financial matters, rather than a worldly one. Doing so will ensure that our microsystems—our homes, classrooms, families, and churches—become fertile ground for a new generation of divinely focused financial stewards. In short, to transition from a worldview of financial utility into one of divine worship will require more than just a change in cognition, it will require a transformation of the self (i.e., the soul) to see finances as God sees them. And, when we finally construct our finances under Christian Educators Journal

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We can generate a Christian ecology regarding financial matters, rather than a worldly one.

the authority of God’s word, money will cease to be a source of stress or an idol of insecurity but instead will become a powerful instrument for blessing others as an expression of our devotion to the Creator.

Works Cited “AB 2927: Pupil Instruction: High School Graduation Requirements: Personal Finance.” Digital Democracy Calmatters, Calmatters California Explained, 29 June 2024, calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ ca_202320240ab2927?slug=CA_202320240AB2927.

Abbeyelder. Graphic “Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development.” Adapted from Wikimedia, 2022, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Bronfenbrenner%27s_Ecological_Theory_of_Development_(En glish).jpg.

Bandura, Albert. Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. W. H. Freeman, 1997.

Blomberg, Craig. Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions.

InterVarsity, 1999.

Bronfenbrenner, Urie. The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press, 1979.

Bronfenbrenner, Urie. Making Human Beings Human: Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development. Sage, 2005.

“Greed.” Merriam-Webster. 2025, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ greed.

LaPierre, Scott. Your Finances God’s Way: A Biblical Guide to Making the Best Use of Your Money. Harvest House, 2022.

MacLean, William. “My Theology of Money.” Word & World, vol. 42, no. 1, 2022, pp. 13–20.

Perelman, Mariano. “Living with Inflation in Argentina.” Current History vol. 123, no. 850 (2024): 50-55.

Petersen, Randy. “Modern Voices: The Christian and Money.” Christian History 6 (1987): 28-33.

Wright, Tricia. “Comparing the Financial Literacy of Public School, Christian School, and Homeschooled Students.” Journal of Research on Christian Education, vol. 25, no. 1, 2016, pp. 56–75.

Luciano Cid, EdD, is an educator, scholar, and leader dedicated to integrating faith, psychology, and pedagogy. After more than a decade teaching in K–12 schools, he now directs and teaches in the Elementary Education Program at Biola University, preparing future teachers to apply biblical wisdom to educational practice.

Shane Enete, PhD, CFA, is an associate professor of finance at Biola University’s Crowell School of Business. With over fifteen years of investment research experience, he founded Biola’s CFP board-certified program and equips students of all ages to honor Christ with their financial lives.

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Shrewd Samaritans: Launching Student-Led Group Fundraising Projects MIRIAM LILI

T

he Benevolence Bazaar is an annual event at Olive Tree College (pseudonym), a small Australian Christian school. This event is the culmination of teacher-facilitated, student-led learning over an extended semester of thirteen weeks, where groups of middle-school students (years seven to ten) implement the market stalls that they have planned as project-based learning (PBL) in STEAM classes (STEAM is an acronym for an integration of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and the arts). The purpose of the event is to raise funds as a gift for the college’s sister school in a developing country. This is an important part of an ongoing connection with this overseas school. Later, in senior school, Olive Tree College students have the opportunity for a friendship visit to the overseas school with their teachers.

In my first year as a teacher at Olive Tree College, I was assigned the eighth-grade STEAM class. While familiar with and greatly interested in STEAM education, I was much less familiar with the nuances of Olive Tree College’s approach to the fundraising project than were my students. As I followed the lesson plans, I found that I needed to adjust my expectations and work with colleagues to achieve the objectives of the unit with my students. In the process of teaching the unit, I had reason to send several emails to my students’ parents and to my colleagues. In this article, I reflect on these emails, the basis in literature of the Benevolence Bazaar project, and how implementation of the unit contributed to students’ practical understanding of money through teacher collaboration and a use of spreadsheet technology.

The Benevolence Bazaar Project Students at Olive Tree College, over the period of four years of participation in the Benevolence Bazaar fundraising project, learn about money and how to make a profit. They plan stalls, investigate costs, receive donated supplies, work with a starting float, handle money, calculate change, and finally reconcile costs, takings, and profits. In doing so, staff hope that students develop an open heart for God’s love and compassion toward others in need and learn to work shrewdly with money and with their own ready access to material possessions in acts of Christian service (1 John 3:17).

While shrewdness is not usually listed in a Christian school’s set of values, it is something that Jesus commended. In the parable of the shrewd manager (Luke 18), a dishonest man who knew well his own limitations had keen insights into the power and usefulness of money and financial dealings Christian Educators Journal

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Students plan stalls, investigate costs, receive donated supplies, work with a starting float, handle money, calculate change, and finally reconcile costs, takings, and profits.

“The shrewd manager, despite possible character flaws, understands at least one important thing: money is temporal, but people and relationships are not.”

The students at Olive Tree College learn to understand money for shrewd compassion in an integrated approach through STEAM PBL.

for his own benefit. He used his fading access to the resources of a business to gain friends who would support him, out of gratefulness or obligation, when his employment ended. Shrewdness is generally considered to be a positive trait when associated with business and the management of money.

It is associated with resourcefulness, good judgement, astute decision making, and a sharp mind. Wydick suggests that the ideal of showing compassion and generous care to people from other countries and cultures, often drawn from the story of the good Samaritan, should be resourced with shrewdness, combining the two concepts in a vision of Christians and Christian organizations as “shrewd Samaritans.” Wydick explains, “The shrewd manager, despite possible character flaws, understands at least one important thing: money is temporal, but people and relationships are not . . . and if he can pull that off, how much more wisely, beautifully, and creatively could [money be used] to love and care” for others (12). The intended outcome of the Benevolence Bazaar was indeed for students to take the lead in designing wise, beautiful, and creative stalls to raise funds as an act of compassion for a school connected through friendship with Olive Tree College.

The Benevolence Bazaar project is included as part of Olive Tree College’s discretionary time, alongside the required key learning areas from the Australian Curriculum. It focuses on teaching, learning, and assessment of the general capabilities from the Australian Curriculum, which include literacy, digital literacy, numeracy, personal and social capability, ethical understanding, intercultural understanding, and critical and creative thinking. According to version nine of the Australian Curriculum, “Students become numerate as they develop the knowledge and skills to use mathematics confidently across learning areas at school and in their lives more broadly” (para. 2). Numeracy is further organized into elements and sub-elements. The Benevolence Bazaar project contributes to the development of “understanding money,” the eighth sub-element of the “Number Sense and Algebra” element. This sub-element includes “financial numeracy skills that support students to become financially literate members of society, [and] financial decisions [that] require the capacity to carry out calculations with money and apply their knowledge to purchasing, budgeting and justification for the use of money” (para. 23). The students at Olive Tree College learn to understand money for shrewd compassion in an integrated approach through STEAM PBL.

Learning through STEAM and PBL In STEAM, disciplines from the literary and creative arts are expected to engage interest, increase motivation, and encourage the development of the twenty-first-century and STEM skills that are considered necessary for students to achieve success in their future employment (Guyotte et al.; Quigley and Herro). This includes critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity (Fullan et al.), “multiple sensory and motor domains” (Fugate et al. 283), and competency with STEM subject content. Further, Perales and Aróstegui argue that the arts in STEAM education can have a positive impact on “humanity, the individual, and society . . . provid[ing] a well-rounded education that responds to the needs of our world at all levels, including the 24

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economic one” (65). STEAM approaches to teaching and learning are usually positioned as student-centered, inquiry-based learning. Teachers provide resources and guidance as necessary as their students learn to identify and construct task-specific knowledge and understanding. The integrative design of STEAM lessons and units varies in practice and largely depends on how a project or problem can unite disciplines in achieving a common task.

In most approaches, the disciplines contribute knowledge, skills, or expertise. For example, science brings laws and methods, technology brings materials and machines, engineering brings design principles, the arts bring ways of communicating and illustrating, and mathematics brings ways of measuring, representing, and calculating. In doing so, interdisciplinary connections are made, disciplinary boundaries are blurred, and multidisciplinary projects are collaboratively completed.

With STEAM, students are encouraged to recognize how subjects connect and how learning applies to the realities of life. This encourages the development of a holistic view of their learning, the world, and society. The preferred approach at Olive Tree College aligns with New Tech Network’s approach to PBL: the LAUNCH cycle. Spencer explains that “in the first phase [of the LAUNCH cycle], students [are to] look, listen, and learn. The goal here is awareness. It might be a sense of wonder at a process, an awareness of a problem, or a sense of empathy toward an audience” (para. 6, emphasis mine here and below). The Launch Cycle then expects that students will be motivated and able to “ask tons of questions about the project” (para.

7), and gain greater understanding as they conduct research through accessing a range of print, media, and practical resources. They then navigate through a sea of ideas to conceptualize a way forward, create a trial version as a prototype, and highlight and fix any limitations or shortcomings. The LAUNCH cycle is iterative, and students may move through the six stages in any direction until they are satisfied with the success of their project.

Finally, the project is presented “to an authentic audience. They share their work with the world!” (para. 12). Olive Tree College’s Benevolence Bazaar projects are shared with the college community, in real interactions and transactions, and the proceeds are given to a school in a needy part of the world.

STEAM approaches to teaching and learning are usually positioned as student-centered, inquiry-based learning.

With STEAM, students are encouraged to recognize how subjects connect and how learning applies to the realities of life.

Beginning Facilitation of the Benevolence Bazaar Projects I learned about the Benevolence Bazaar projects while preparing to teach the STEAM lessons in the unit. The Benevolence Bazaar pre-dated my employment at the school, and so by the end of the first lesson, I had many questions. There were sufficient existing resources to assist me with lesson preparation, including videos about the school in the developing country and fundraising ideas. However, I was trying to imagine how the Benevolence Bazaar would unfold in practice. Lessons to implement the LAUNCH cycle were provided for me, arranged week by week in a Google Classroom.

In line with what I understood about the project, I started by showing the videos and facilitating a “non-group forming” structured reflection and brainstorming process. However, I found that the majority of the students in my class did not want to start by looking and listening. This was especially true for those who already knew about the ideas presented in the videos and Christian Educators Journal

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I found that the majority of the students in my class did not want to start by looking and listening.

Figure 1. Email to parents of Year 8 at Olive Tree College

Some students were withdrawing, and others were showing their displeasure vocally.

who had experienced previous Benevolence Bazaar events. The students who had attended Olive Tree College in their primary years were very familiar with the school, the cause, and the projects. They had prayed for the students who attended their sister school and had attended many previous Benevolence Bazaar events. It may have been this familiarity that led them to be more interested in working with what they knew rather than researching new ways of raising funds. I had to admit that it made sense that they were not interested in questioning or exploring new possibilities because they already knew ways that had worked.

As such, many of my students were pushing forward. They wanted to form groups and start planning their stalls. They were very keen to produce and sell the products and experiences that they liked, enjoyed, and remembered. They were keen to work with the familiar in order to get to the fun part of fundraising: the making and selling. At the same time, I noticed that some of my students were holding back. The Benevolence Bazaar project, along with all other STEAM projects at Olive Tree College, is designed for group work, and this was something with which they were clearly not comfortable. Some students were withdrawing, and others were showing their displeasure vocally. There were also some students who were very 26

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Figure 2. Email to substitute teacher covering my Year 8 STEAM class

comfortable in their groups, but were either distracting the others or quite happy to sit back while the others did the work.

In order to meet unit requirements, I needed my students to consider how they could use LAUNCH cycle processes to consider the cause more deeply, and to make and document wise decisions about their fundraising ideas. Being sure that my students would have already been involved in conversations about materials and equipment with their parents, I wrote an email to their parents to seek their partnership and clarify the intention of the unit (see figure 1).

There were no replies from parents, but this was not surprising, as the email was informative in nature. I continued with the next lesson, still somewhat reluctant to let students form groups until more ideas had been generated and discussed. I was hoping that discussions about possible projects would create a whole class vision from which all students could become inspired to be involved, make informed selections, and work collaboratively in fundraising-focused groups.

In the end, I had to recognize that the majority of my students were determined to begin at the fifth stage of the LAUNCH cycle: the creation of a prototype, which involved the fun of designing posters, making lists of ingredients, and arranging supplies and costs. There were offers to bring items from home with an assurance that they could start production immediately. The students’ generosity and enthusiasm were heart warming, Christian Educators Journal

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Sure enough, there were students on the fringes of the groups.

encouraging, and spontaneous. I did wonder, though, whether the option to donate was simply seen to be less work than having to follow the full process of applying for start-up funds from the school to cover the costs of supplies. I also had several weeks of learning for the general capabilities in the unit plan that I was now not sure how to cover if my students already had their plans in place and were not interested in considering other options. I conceded and removed the restriction of group formation and, sure enough, there were students on the fringes of the groups. I was away from school for the next lesson, when students were to prepare their business proposals in their groups, so I emailed the teacher who would cover my class (see figure 2).

Adding value when raising funds reflects the mindset of the good Samaritan. In arranging for the inn keeper to contribute shelter and assume direct responsibility to care for the injured man, the Samaritan added value by contributing his own monetary gifts of compassion. For the Benevolence Bazaar stalls, while profit was the main goal, the funds were being raised in a community for a community. I encouraged my students to keep the purpose of their stall in the center of their thinking and to design non-monetary ways to add value in order to honor their customers and contribute to a sense of community partnership in Christian service.

Addressing Misconceptions About Money and Fundraising, with Teacher Collaboration

I encouraged my students to keep the purpose of their stall in the center of their thinking and to design non-monetary ways to add value in order to honor their customers and contribute to a sense of community partnership in Christian service.

Over the next month, the groups of students in my STEAM class worked with varying levels of efficiency. Most made progress on their business proposals, but in discussing my experiences with the other STEAM teachers, it became clear that there had been some confusion, and not just with my class. We arranged to meet and discuss the best way forward. I had noticed that my eighth-grade students were writing overly complex business proposals. They were preparing to sell multiple items, but there was insufficient detail in their lists of required materials to realistically manage them on the day. The posters that the students were preparing were bright and attractive—with their products, the costs, and their group names—but did not include anything about the purpose of the fundraising event. Finally, all STEAM teachers were concerned that the students’ plans did not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the importance of achieving a profit.

They were clearly planning enjoyable stalls, but there was room for greater shrewdness so that the goal of raising funds would be achieved.

I noticed that there was a risk of waste or loss of profit for some of my students’ market stalls. They were offering low prices and overly generous prizes, despite using supplies with a high cost. For other groups, their prices were too high, making their wares inaccessible and unlikely to be sold. Some students were asking what would happen with leftover items if they used school funds to purchase them, and whether they would be able to keep them if they were not sold. In my mind, my students needed to aim to attract customers and sell all of their products. They needed to maximize their profits with the least possible expenditure while still offering a quality product with value-added service. They also needed to consider the possibility of competition for customers and the reality of what could be achieved in 28

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Figure 3. Email to the other STEAM teachers after our meeting

the time limit within which sales could be made. There would be sixteen stalls running for approximately an hour for the Benevolence Bazaar. In the meeting, some guidelines were discussed and determined. Recognizing the importance of being consistent with the details of these decisions, I took notes and emailed them to the other teachers (see figure 3).

consider the possibility of competition for customers and the reality of what could be achieved

Calculating and Comparing Costs

in the time limit within

With more structure in place for all groups from all the teachers, the students settled more peacefully into their preparations. However, it became clear that my students also needed some structure to support them in applying for start-up funds. I designed and shared a Google Sheet with my class where all four groups could work together to complete their orders for supplies (see figure 4). This approach supported task completion, as it Christian Educators Journal

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which sales could be made.

Figure 4. Shared Google Sheet for placing orders and documenting received goods

The four groups researched the costs of required items from the local supermarket and used the first two columns of their forms to place orders.

allowed the groups to see each others’ work as examples of what to do. It made it easier for me to provide feedback, monitor progress, and promote accountability. The use of Google Sheets also allowed students to use the inbuilt formulas for calculating totals and comparing costs.

The four groups researched the costs of required items from the local supermarket and used the first two columns of their forms to place orders of between twenty and forty dollars each. While it would have been beneficial to take the students to the supermarket to buy their supplies, there was limited time available, and so I did all the shopping and brought back bags of ordered supplies with the receipts. The groups confirmed that all items had been bought and used the receipts to compare the actual costs of the goods they had received with the outlay that they had expected. Two groups ended up having lesser amounts on their receipts, as some items had been on special at the supermarket. Once finished, I made a back-up copy of this Google Sheet, just in case any changes were made to any of the groups’ records. In total, the four groups spent just under $120 on supplies.

Launching the Benevolence Bazaar Projects

The ice cream group tried to be resourceful in managing without having ordered spoons.

As the date for the Benevolence Bazaar drew closer, my students finalized their preparations and designed paper record sheets to document their sales while operating their stalls. Then, having undergone a somewhat cursory engagement with the LAUNCH cycle, my students readied themselves to launch their stalls to their audience of parents and younger students. Once their stall was complete and ready for fundraising, they were given a labelled container with a float of ten dollars of small change. One group ran a game, and the other three sold a range of food items. There were successes and challenges. The group selling cakes sold out very quickly. The ice cream group tried to be resourceful in managing without having ordered spoons.

I let them struggle just long enough to never forget, and then provided them with spoons that I had brought in order to avert a melted ice cream disaster.

After the Benevolence Bazaar had concluded, the containers of money were collected by the teachers. The money was counted, including the float, by 30

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Figure 5. Shared Google Sheet for placing orders and documenting received goods

the teachers, and total amounts were recorded. Then the containers were safely locked away until the next lesson.

At Olive Tree College, the students complete their Benevolence Bazaar projects with a lesson where they handle and count the money that they raised: sorting notes and coins, returning the float, repaying the costs of their ordered supplies, and finally calculating and counting the funds raised. Once again, I prepared a shared Google Sheet on which all of the groups recorded their findings about the money in the containers (see figure 5). Google Sheets technology meant that they could sort the money into denominations and use the Google Sheets multiplication and SUM formulae to calculate the total amounts and the overall totals. From completing these tables, we determined that, on my very first Benevolence Bazaar, the groups of students in my eighth-grade class all made back their expenditures with a combined class fundraising profit of just under $400. The fundraising had been both fun and successful.

Assessing Understanding of Money, and Achievement of General Capabilities For my assessment of my students’ achievement of the intended Australian Curriculum “general capabilities,” I used a Google Form with questions designed to collect written evaluations of their successes and failures and their overall learning from planning and implementing their stalls (see figure 6). None of the questions specifically asked about their understanding Christian Educators Journal

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Figure 6. Questions from the Google Form for assessing students’ achievement of the general capabilities

They variously and reflectively demonstrated their knowledge of numeracy, personal and social capability, ethical considerations, intercultural understandings, and critical and creative thinking.

of money, and yet this understanding was woven throughout their responses. They variously and reflectively demonstrated their knowledge of numeracy, personal and social capability, ethical considerations, intercultural understandings, and critical and creative thinking. Through the use of the Google Sheets templates, many had also developed skills in digital literacy related to planning and accounting for a shrewd use of money. It was clear that my eighth-grade students better understood fundraising as Christian care and compassion enacted through shrewd benevolence. They were becoming shrewd Samaritans.

Benevolence Bazaar is an annual event that is greatly anticipated by Olive Tree College’s middle school students. There are challenges in ensuring that the enthusiastic industry of planning entertaining and enjoyable market stalls for the local school community event is balanced with a sustained focus on the purpose of the event as an act of service and compassion. The Benevolence Bazaar provides a valuable opportunity for groups of students to gain a biblically informed understanding of raising money by collaboratively managing all aspects of a stall while being supported by teachers who help to put common structures and guidelines in place.

Works Cited Australian Curriculum. “Understand This General Capability: Numeracy.” Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/curriculum-information/ understand-this-general-capability/numeracy.

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Fugate, Jennifer, Sheila Macrine, and Christina Cipriano. “The Role of Embodied Cognition for Transforming Learning.” International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, vol. 7, no. 4, 2019, pp. 274–88, https://doi. org/10.1080/21683603.2018.1443856.

Fullan, Michael, Peter Hill, and Santiago Rincón-Gallardo. “Deep Learning: Shaking the Foundations.” New Pedagogies for Deep Learning: A Global Partnership, 2017, www.researchgate.net/profile/Santiago_Rincon-Gallardo/publication/316044370_Deep_Learning_Shaking_the_ Foundations/links/58ee3abf458515c4aa52b0e8/Deep-Learning-Shaking-the-Foundations.pdf?origin=publication_detail.

Guyotte, Kelly, et al. “STEAM as Social Practice: Cultivating Creativity in Transdisciplinary Spaces.” Art Education, vol. 67, no. 6, 2014, pp. 12–19, https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2014.11519293.

Perales, F. Javier, and José Aróstegui. “The STEAM Approach: Implementation and Educational, Social and Economic Consequences.” Arts Education Policy Review, vol. 125, no. 2, 2024, pp. 59–67, https://doi.org/10.108 0/10632913.2021.1974997.

Quigley, Cassie, and Dani Herro. “‘Finding the Joy in the Unknown’: Implementation of STEAM Teaching Practices in Middle School Science and Math Classrooms.” Journal of Science Education and Technology, vol. 25, no. 3, 2016, pp. 410–26, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9602-z.

Spencer, John. “The LAUNCH Cycle: A K–12 Design Thinking Framework.”

Spencer Education, 2020, spencereducation.com/the-launch-cycle/.

Wydick, Bruce. Shrewd Samaritan: Faith, Economics, and the Road to Loving Our Global Neighbor. Function, 2019.

Miriam Lili believes a biblical worldview provides the most satisfactory and empowering answers to life’s questions. She has taught in Christian schools across Australia and lectures with National Institute for Christian Education and Alphacrucis University College. Her recently completed PhD explores STEAM education.

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DESIGNED FOR IMPACT Dordt University’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) program equips forward-thinking educators to lead with wisdom, purpose, and innovation.

Grounded in both theory and practice, the program cultivates leadership through strong faculty mentorship, real-world application, and a Christ-centered vision for education.

Teachers and school leaders emerge from the program prepared not only to adapt to change, but to shape it.

MEET DR. DAVE MULDER Mulder exemplifies Dordt’s commitment to bridging theory and practice.

Known for his hands-on approach to learning, Mulder remains deeply connected to the evolving ed tech landscape. Through conference presentations, podcast hosting, and his newlypublished book on technology in education, he models what it means to be an actively engaged educator shaping the future of learning.

Even in the online format of the M.Ed. program, Mulder is also deeply connected with his students, mentoring them to become the kind of leaders who bring vision and innovation to their school communities.

“Our whole program is aimed at developing leadership capacities in our students. We continually hear that Dordt graduates are leaders in schools, whether that is in a named leadership role or just because they have been equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be effective in the roles they are called to serve. We aim for transformational learning that shapes not only really effective educators, but faithful disciples.

There is a pretty persistent myth that online learning is somehow easier or less work than faceto-face learning. However, that isn’t the case in our program at Dordt. We have high expectations— and high support—for students in every course in our program. Students work hard, but it’s real work, for real people, that meets real needs, and the learning is real learning that makes a difference in how graduates from our program will serve in the places God calls them.”

Learn more about Dordt’s M.Ed. and other graduate programs at dordt.edu/masters.

MEET DARRIC DENNIS Darric Dennis is a graduate of Dordt’s M.Ed. program and now serves as the president of the National Association of Liberia School Principals.

Dennis credits the program for equipping him with both the strategic insight and practical tools to lead change in schools, especially where technology and education intersect. For him, Dordt’s M.Ed. program wasn’t just about learning new ideas; it was about learning how to put them into action.

“Dordt’s online program is an exceptional approach to creating a platform for all professional individuals to work and learn at the same time. The professors’ level of flexibility to enable learners to succeed is unmatched.

Additionally, every lesson taught had a deep connection to my everyday work.

For example, the technology component was not just an acquisition of academic knowledge but a reality I implemented at the school where I work.”

Read more about Dennis’ experience in Dordt’s Master of Education program online at dordt.edu/dennis.

So You Want to Have a Pie Sale?

SIMON JEYNES

S

o you want to have a pie sale? Or in the case of one school I recently visited in early 2025, an apple pie sale? This was a lot more complicated than just a bake sale. It used the gym space for an entire week, required every parent to participate, and resulted in $116,000 of sales (but with expenses totalling $64,000). Was it worth it?

But let’s start somewhere else. Why do we want to raise money? There are two basic answers: • To cover the operations budget • To attain an objective tuition cannot pay for

We need money. Bring in cupcakes. Now buy the cupcakes back. Thank you for your help.

Why would a school hold bake sales, apple pie sales, ice cream socials, auctions, fun runs, gift card programs, and the like to cover the operations budget? Because they didn’t charge enough tuition. It’s ironic, isn’t it? We don’t charge the parents what it costs, and so we ask the parents to donate what we didn’t charge them for, and we ask them to volunteer to do the thing for which we charge them. We need money. Bring in cupcakes. Now buy the cupcakes back. Thank you for your help.

Stewarding Volunteers

When motivated, our parents and their parents and our neighbors can be energized to give of themselves in amazing ways.

It certainly feels as if it is much harder to get our parents to volunteer than it used to be. Our society has become much more individualistic, focusing on I rather than we. This has been a long progression beginning in the 1960s and (hopefully) at its apotheosis in today’s fragmented American society.

Some of our Christian schools disrespect our parent volunteers so much that they demand payment if a certain number of hours are not volunteered. We are a long way away from Deborah’s song: “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves—praise the Lord!” (Judg. 5:2).

On the other hand, when motivated, our parents and their parents and our neighbors can be energized to give of themselves in amazing ways. So maybe our parents need inspiration in a different way than before. As the saying goes, if you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same results. Thinking about philanthropy, the love of our neighbor, our parents can be motivated if they are called to something greater than themselves. It has to be something where when they see the outcome, they are proud to have been a part of it. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

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Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Pet. 4:8–10).

There are many ways to give of yourself. Here, we are focused on philanthropy. Penelope Burk provides three very specific things that volunteers as donors want (Burk 12): 1. Prompt, meaningful acknowledgement whenever they make a gift 2. Confirmation that the gift will be used as the request for the gift promised 3. A report on measurable results achieved, to be done before another gift is requested This is helpful. The school must demonstrate organizational integrity, personal connection, and transparency.

Let’s go another step forward. In all three Synoptic Gospels, Jesus says that “if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). In sociological language, we call that social capital. And social capital is a better predictor of philanthropy than how much money people have. In other words, where people are connected to each other, generosity flows.

When we bring people together in community, amazing things result, including commitment to volunteer (Jeynes 171; see also Putnam 118–22). Benefits of this kind of community engagement involve: • Mutual obligation (if you will work a shift making hamburgers, I will work a shift later in the year helping you) • Increased trust (because we work together, we get to know each other and therefore are more likely to trust each other, for example, by leaving my child with you on the sidelines while I go to pick up my spouse) • Growth in knowledge (we share information that each of us has, information that overlaps in its extensiveness) • Established norms (this is the way we do things around here)

Social capital is a better predictor of philanthropy than how much money people have. In other words, where people are connected to each other, generosity flows.

We have a great opportunity as Christian schools to be part of the movement swinging I back to we!

Transactional Fundraising Doesn’t a pie sale engender community and raise money at the same time?

Doesn’t it give people an opportunity to volunteer for something meaningful and be part of something bigger than themselves?

The moment you put a dollar sign next to it, all of those things are diminished. For a few, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet and catch up. For the vast majority, it is a chore to be undertaken. This is universal. People love to create community. They hate to fundraise. As soon as “come to the potluck” is followed by “we are raising money for,” the motivation shrivels.

It is clear that community is not the objective. Money is the objective.

I am using the apple pie example because it is, on the surface, very lucrative. The school raises over $50,000 each year. But at what cost? A week where the gym is not open to children, thousands of hours of labor making the $50,000 dwindle in achievement by the minute, and resentment from those for whom making apple pies is not their talent. Apply the same criteria Christian Educators Journal

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People love to create community. They hate to fundraise.

Transactional fundraising also leads to power struggles.

to any other fundraiser you have. Compare how many hours it took with the financial results. Did it actually increase community/social capital? Did it truly lift up people’s giftings?

Since 2017, Christian School Management has looked at hundreds of ways in which schools have utilized this kind of fundraising. Not one could be validated. Most, indeed, had negative impacts. We call it transactional fundraising. You do something for me. I will do something for you. It is entirely secular in its orientation. There is no verse of Scripture that supports it, and many that point in a different direction. Paul quotes Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Transactional fundraising also leads to power struggles. Many Christian schools have booster clubs and parent associations, begun with idealism and goodwill. They run fundraisers for their own pet projects, sometimes control their own bank accounts, and tell the school how the money will be spent.

Senior classes sell pizza to fund their own trip. Younger children are asked to put together baskets that will be auctioned off. They do raise money. They do “help.” Try to change that system and be ready for a fight. But it is out of self-interest, a desire to help what their child is interested in. It is not missional and for the interests of all children. In the case of children, it exploits them and focuses them on themselves rather than outwardly, onto serving the community within which they live.

Biblical Relationship There is a much more powerful alternative. Henri Nouwen says: “From the perspective of the gospel, fundraising is not a response to a crisis. Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. Vision and mission are so central to the life of God’s people that without vision we perish and without mission we lose our way” (16).

There are so many examples of philanthropy in the Bible that it is genuinely a textbook for how to do it. There is one where God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, is the chief fundraiser. He does not do anything transactional. He bases his request for funding on his relationship with his people. The people of Israel are in the desert. God has brought them out of Egypt and given them the tablets of stone. He travels with them in fire and cloud. He instructs Moses that he is to make a tabernacle. These are his very words: The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.

These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” (Exod. 25:1–8)

What did the people do? There were no mandatory “volunteer” hours.

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them came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the tent of meeting” (Exod. 35:21). What was the outcome? “Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: ‘No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.’ And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work” (Exod. 36:6–7). God brought his people out of bondage into freedom and, in gratitude, they gave what they had, overflowingly and abundantly. He gave them a vision, and they bought into it. He was clear about the mission that his people had. He invited, and they responded.

When we begin with relationship, with the person, generosity overflows. When we begin with a transaction, the person is lost and the moment becomes merely mechanical. The point of philanthropy is not the gift but the person. As Nouwen remarks, “Fundraising is . . . a call to conversion. . . .

We are inviting people into a new way of relating to their resources” (17, 19).

Christian School Management (CSM) puts it this way:

The school as the donor steward cares for the donor. The donor cares for the school. They both do it on behalf of the child. The relationship is mission based. The giving is inspirational. But the gift is not central; the relationship is, on behalf of the child. We want the gift as part of friendship, prayer, and involvement. Mark Dillon writes: “It is when the mission and passion of the Christian Educators Journal

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God brought his people out of bondage into freedom and, in gratitude, they gave what they had, overflowingly and abundantly.

The gift is not central; the relationship is.

organization match the mission and purpose of the giver that extraordinary giving happens” (107)—giving to such an extent that we have to ask our donors to stop giving, at least for a time.

Inspired Giving It’s not that you can’t raise money through transactional fundraising. We’ve been doing it for decades: fun runs, bake sales, apple pie sales, raffles, auctions. We have to recognize that schools are peculiar institutions. We are not like general charities. We are not operated entirely by donation. We have a tiny client base of support. Nonetheless, we claim that the principles of relational philanthropy, of biblical relationship, are universals. The chocolate bar that someone buys is a far smaller “gift” than the money they would invest if you took the time to develop a relationship.

Jesus himself had a “philanthropy committee.” They did not engage in transactional fundraising. Luke 8 is very explicit: “The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means” (vv. 1–3). We draw specific principles from Jesus’s own example and ministry: 1. Giving is in gratitude for what God has done for each one of us.

2. Giving is done by people who are intimately involved with the action.

3. Giving includes involvement, not just the act of giving itself.

4. Giving galvanizes possibilities that otherwise could not be imagined.

5. Giving is recognized and honored.

What Should Schools Do? Here are a series of concrete steps that every Christian school should take in order to release the generosity that God wants for us in our ministry with children.

Step 1: Balance your budget so that you do not need philanthropy for your operations—that is, everyday expenses. Build the parent association expenses into the school’s budget so they can focus on community building; fund athletics and the arts appropriately so booster clubs can go back to true support. If it’s a program in the school day, then it’s a tuition cost.

Replace transactional events with pure community events.

Step 2: Replace transactional events with pure community events. Invite people to the potluck without holding your hand out; enjoy grandparents’ day without them fearing you passing the plate; enjoy school events without having to do the administration of counting money; invite to the concert to celebrate, not to think about dollars.

Step 3: Engage your donors at every level in intentional relationship building. Communicate and inspire them through the school’s mission and 40

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vision for children, through the stories of transformation in children’s lives, and through the impact on families of the witness of Jesus.

Step 4: Enjoy God’s generosity through his people.

Relational philanthropy is not an easy path. The Christian path is not an easy path. But taking it leads to rewards that are beyond our imagining.

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Cor. 8:1–7)

Works Cited Burk, Penelope. Donor Centered Fundraising: How to Hold On to Your Donors and Raise Much More Money. Cygnus Applied Research, 2018.

Dillon, Mark. Giving and Getting in the Kingdom: A Field Guide. Moody Publishers, 2012.

Jeynes, Simon. The Christian School and Philanthropy: From Secular Transaction to Biblical Relationship. Westbow Press, 2024.

Nouwen, Henri. A Spirituality of Fundraising. Upper Room Books, 2010.

Putnam, Robert. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon & Schuster, 2000.

Simon Jeynes began teaching in 1977. Now, he is executive director of Christian School Management, a research and biblically infused consulting group composed of Christian school leaders who help schools increase enrollment, implement the best emerging practices in governance, operations, and academic leadership, and put resurrection hope back into the Christian school movement. Feel free to contact Jeynes at christianschoolmanagement@gmail.com or visit him online at christianschoolmanagement.org.

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Future Issues April 2026—Resource Review Each year we highlight the best books, films, websites, teaching tools, and other resources for Christian school teachers. We publish reviews of student-facing material (like which books to stock in your classroom library) as well as materials relevant to school staff (like curricula or books about teaching). Articles may focus on one text or may be written in a list style featuring multiple texts around a particular theme.

This issue is no longer accepting submissions.

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