Editor’s note: Jeannette King is the Director of Admissions at FRCS.
I have been a part of FRCS for 25 years. Our family first came to FRCS in 1999, initially as a parent/partner and volunteer, and I have now served on staff for many years. FRCS is a significant part of my life: the families who come here, the staff and faculty I am privileged to work alongside, and the community to which I belong. Both of our children graduated from FRCS, and now we have three grandchildren here. I love seeing them experience the love of Jesus every day through their teachers and the staff.
I am passionate about Christian education and about who we are as a school and a community. Education is more than academics; it’s about the relationships that are built along the way. I am privileged to witness this on a daily basis.
My hope is to encourage you as parents to trust God in the details of your children’s lives—including their education. I believe a key part of training up our children happens not only at home or in church but also at school. Considering they spend over six hours a day at school, it brings peace of mind to know they are in a community of like-minded people who are partnering with us in their growth and formation.
As both a parent and grandparent, my job is far from finished in either role. Once a parent, always a parent; once a grandparent, always a grandparent—mentor and influencer. One of the verses I’ve held onto throughout this journey of parenting and now grandparenting is Proverbs 3:5–6:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Trusting God in all aspects of our lives and having faith that He will guide our paths is essential. Parenting is not easy, and we know that God never promised it would be. That’s where faith and trust come in—knowing we are not on this parenting journey alone. Parenting brings great joy, love, and responsibility. It requires discipline, teaching, training, sacrifice, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. These are all things we are to model as a parent/grandparent.
“Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” ~Proverbs 22:6
I clung to this verse as a parent and still as a grandparent, knowing that it carries great responsibility. God has gifted us these children for His purpose, and we are called to be intentional in training them—whether as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, or mentors.
When we think of Proverbs 22:6, it’s tempting to believe that if we raise and train our children the right way, they’ll turn out “right.” But that is not necessarily the case. As parents, we intervene when we see their sin nature, redirecting them and pointing them back to Jesus.
The truth is: they will fall, they will stumble. They will push boundaries and cross lines. But when things don’t go the way we hoped, it doesn’t mean we’ve failed as parents. It simply means they are still growing, and God is still writing their story. He is refining them for His purpose and His glory.
I don’t know anyone who has perfect children, nor should we expect them to be perfect—we are certainly not perfect either. As parents, we are called to show God’s grace and mercy when our children fall, to recognize their limitations, and to lovingly guide them back in the right direction. Our job is to love them, encourage them, lead and guide them, teach and train them, discipline them, disciple them, model godly character, and most importantly, pray. They are God’s children first, and He will never walk away.
When God gives us the gift of parenting, we want more for our children than to simply know who Jesus is, we want them to grow in His character and become more like Him. We also know that we won’t be the only influence in their lives. That’s why it’s so important to surround them with a community and a family of like-minded people who will help “train them up in the way they should go”.
At some point during their education, the time we have with them becomes more limited. That is why the people they spend the majority of their day with matters. It needs to be those who will partner with us in training and mentoring them.
Our children will follow what we do more than they will follow what we say. Training up a child is a lifelong journey with a long-term goal. It doesn’t end when they go off to college. As long as we live, God calls us to reflect His character in everything we do. It’s not just about reading the Bible to them, telling Bible stories, or going to church. They are watching how we live—and they’re taking notes.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” ~ Galatians 6:9
Parenting is hard and can be overwhelming; we can become weary and may be tempted to give up. I encourage you to Trust, Train and Don’t give up! It is a privilege to partner with you on this journey in training up our children and grandchildren.
