Tina - I grew up in a Christian home that attended church on the weekend, but didn’t make a practice of faith outside of church. In Junior high, a friend invited me to her church and the message of grace that I came to understand transformed my life. I gave my life to Jesus and never looked back. I was a high school choir teacher for many years prior to having children. I was in the public school setting, but I saw it as a mission field to be able to use sacred text as part of the curriculum while also pointing kids’ hearts to Jesus. It was a really sweet eight years. After Henry came home, I took on a role at the church in children’s ministry and worked there for eight years. This was a catalyst for me to create a vision for the way our children learned about and engaged with Jesus at home. Zach - I was also raised in a Christian home that attended church on the weekend, but didn’t practice outside of the church. In my high school and early college years I encountered a lot of Christians who didn’t represent Jesus well and my faith was stagnant. Upon meeting Tina, I discovered what a real and vibrant relationship with Jesus looked like and went after it for myself. In our early marriage, we became very involved at our church and my faith grew by leaps and bounds. My personal faith walk right now is both about me and my relationship with Jesus as well as setting an example for our boys.

Very simply, we have felt a pull towards Saints since we first heard about it. The Spirt just keeps putting it in front of us and putting it on our minds. We are currently part of a classical conversations community, but do not see that being our path forward for the long-term future for our children. Henry will be a sixth grader next year and we are eager to have him interact with more students and teachers as he grows up so that he has the opportunity to engage in and connect with others in a safe space - AND practice doing that away from us. We think the model at Saints is really beautiful for parent participation while also having a teacher guiding and directing. We know several families who we deeply respect who are at Saints and have heard nothing but wonderful things. After a lot of prayer, we are ready to take our next step!

Jesus is woven into everything that we do in our home! We start our day with family devotional time. Right now we’re reading through the gospels. We enjoy conversation about what the text meant for the people that it was being written for in that time and what it means for us today. We talk about how to be with Jesus and to become like Him for the sake of the world around us. We’ve carefully chosen curriculum that is Christ centered. Prayer and conversation about Jesus is ongoing in our home.

Our biggest concern is who Henry becomes, not what he knows or can do. Saints seems like a place where he will be deeply cared for as a whole person. We’re eager for him to continue to grow in his knowledge of how to learn, ask questions, and grow in wisdom. He is very bright and one goal that we have for him is to continue to grow in his independence and ability to be a self-starter. We want Henry to be in a class of students who challenge him. We want him to learn from others and encounter a variety of social settings that encourage maturity and growth. We think it’s really important that Henry have several trusted adults in his corner who can pour into him and help deepen his walk with Christ. We know that he is reaching an age where peers and role models outside of the home are very important and we believe that Saints will be a place where he will be able to find both of those things.

My understanding of the classical Christian model has grown over the past two years during our participation in classical conversations. I really love the beautiful way an emphasis is placed on how children learn, not just what they learn. I think that’s really what drew me to it the most. Both of my kids are still in that grammar stage of learning that is rooted in knowledge and facts. They have really thrived in an environment of using memory work to deepen their understanding of systems and the world around them. I can feel Henry starting to move into that logic stage of trying to understand relationships of things and really asking how and why things work the way that they do. I’m eager to watch my kids progress through the stages from learning to understanding to being able to boldly communicate truth! We believe that there is absolute truth and that truth is found in Jesus Christ and we love the classical Christian model supports that!

We adopted Henry as a baby and so secure attachment has really guided and formed our parenting philosophy over the years. We (try to!) approach parenting with an emphasis on secure attachment, relationship, character formation, and age-appropriate responsibility. We believe kids learn and grow best within secure connection, clear expectations, and consistent follow-through. Our goal for our boys is never just achievement (although of course truthfully we love when they do achieve their goals and cheer them on!), but the formation of character — helping our boys grow in diligence, respect, perseverance, and self-control. At home, we intentionally cultivate curiosity, a love of learning, and an appreciation for what is true, good, and beautiful. We value structure alongside grace, with a focus on shaping both the heart and the mind over time.