FAITH AND LEARNING STATEMENT
 Linda Feekes

     I believe in one God revealed as three different persons: God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I believe I am a child of God and he has delivered me from Satan's power and makes me his very own. I acknowledge I am a sinner and daily need God's forgiveness and grace. I pray that the Holy Spirit will lead me to live and model a life that is pleasing to Him. 
      The Lord has given me the unique opportunity to guide and instruct his covenant children. Children are special creations of God and I need to show my students how sin has affected this world and share the good news of salvation with them. I believe the Bible is God's Word and is the foundation of all my teaching. It is my responsibility to teach that this world is His world and God is the center of all learning. I have been created in Christ's image and strive to show Christ's love through me in all aspects of  my teaching. Not only do I want to open the eyes, minds and hearts of my students to an understanding of the world, but also the marvelous plan and design of God's creation. Through this understanding my children will begin to learn who they are, where they have come from and that their lives belong to the Lord.
     I strive to develop an atmosphere in my classroom that is loving, joyful, trustworthy, and comfortable for my students to work and learn in.  It is my prayer that I can develop in each individual third grader a knowledge and understanding of Christ and His creation so he/she can serve God and others obediently as they work and play. It is important that I try to nurture them academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually so they may grow and develop as children of the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-9 says, "Live as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth." As children of light, our actions should reflect our faith. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ.
     As a Christian instructor it is my responsibility to teach my children and prepare them for Christian living. I want to guide and encourage my students to use their talents and abilities to show they are one of God's children and should serve him faithfully every day. I strive to be a good example to my students and show them how much the Lord loves us and how we are to love and obey Him. Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." The Lord has given us an awesome responsibility as Christian instructors, but what a rewarding experience it truly is!