As a prospective teacher, my thoughts extend far beyond things like how I might arrange my classroom or how I might balance friendship and authority in the classroom. While these are some factors that are crucial to bring into consideration, an even greater concern of mine is the possibility of my own students becoming prey […]

I was going to introduce this issue of Beacon Lights by expressing the need that we have for teachers. I was going to make the point by referencing a letter that the Federation of PR Schools sent out recently, expressing that great need. I was going to punctuate my introduction with a lengthy quote from […]

I considered a different title for this editorial. “The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Prospective Teacher” while certainly more catchy and accurate would probably have faced some copyright issues for ripping off the title of the popular book written by an “unlikely convert,” Rosaria Butterfield. So, what you see is what you get. At least […]

As with most jobs, when the alarm goes off in the early hour of the day, the first reaction can be a few sighs as one briefly contemplates the work ahead.  Thoughts can immediately go to all the tasks that await, and for me as a teacher, the thoughts become concentrated on the lessons that […]

There are tons—and that’s a lot—of questions I never was asked. Some of them might be labeled frivolous: Do you like sushi? Or, what is your fourth favorite color? Others might be considered meaningful: Who is the most important U.S. President and why? Or, how important is the U.S. Constitution to you? Then there are […]

For the sake of this essay, two main types of young Christians can be identified. The first type of young Christian is one who is young in age and faith. He was been born into a covenant home, raised in the bosom of the church, and educated in Christian schools. He has been gathered into […]

How important do you consider Christian education to be? Is Protestant Reformed Christian education valuable? Do you recognize the needs of our schools and consider how you can be used of God in them? I recently finished reading two volumes by Paul Kienel called A History of Christian School Education. It was amazing to see the […]

This past summer about eighty people, mainly teachers and board members of our schools, attended and participated in a seminar entitled “The Kingdom of God and the Protestant Reformed Christian School.” The seminar was held June 21-22 at Faith PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan. Each day began with a lengthy lecture by Professor Engelsma and the […]

Rev. Langerak is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This article was also published in the March 1 issue of the Standard Bearer. Covenant members must take heed to many important details in the kingdom of heaven. One of them is that prospective teachers and preachers receive adequate financial resources to […]

Michelle is a member of Hull Protestant Reformed Church in Hull, Iowa. She wrote is article for the 2001 Protestant Reformed Scholarship For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. […]