- FFCS
- School Profile
- History
- Mission
- Philosophy
- Covenants
- Statement of Faith
- Nondenominational Position
- Statement of Nondiscrimination
Firm Foundation Christian School is a non-profit ministry of the Apostolic Lutheran Church. At Firm Foundation Christian School, our mission is to provide an education emphasizing academic excellence using a Bible-based curriculum for Christian youth in the community. Our goal is to assist the home and the church in developing today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders.
Our curriculum is based on A Beka Book for all of our core subjects except for 6th-11th math, where Saxon is used. Our Bible curriculum is published by ACSI and Bob Jones University Press (depending on the grade level). We have created our own curriculum for art, music, and PE. We are blessed to be able to offer a Learning Center, staffed by a certified teacher. For those students who need extra help in reading, writing, spelling and comprehension we have a program called ARISE. FFCS also offers tutoring in all subject areas.
| Grades | Preschool through grade 12 |
| Enrollment | 345 |
| Student/Teacher Ratio |
17:1 |
| Enrollment Fee | $165/family – $110/family with Pre-school only. (Non-refundable) |
| Book Fee | $150 per student (K-12) - $39 (Preschool) |
| Tuition | Please see the Tuition Calculation Sheet |
| Uniform | Yes, Land's End ONLY for kindergarten though grade 8 |
| Hours | 8:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for kindergarten through grade 8. Children are to be at school by 8:10 a.m. 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. for high school. High school students are to be at school by 7:55 a.m. |
| Curriculum | ABEKA, ACSI, Saxon, Bob Jones |
| Certified | State of Washington Private School |
| Accreditation | Provisional: Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS) |
| AM/PM Care | Available |
| Music | Music classes(two-three times a week), Christmas and Spring Programs |
| Art | Weekly classes with classroom teacher |
| Sports | Physical education classes (2 times a week), Basketball, Soccer and Track |
| Other | Weekly Chapel; Educational Field Trips; Kindergarten Graduation; Outdoor School for 6th Grade; Washington DC Trip for 8th Grade; 8th Grade Recognition. |
Firm Foundation Christian School is a non-denominational school. It was founded as a K-8 school in 1995 as a non-profit ministry of the Apostolic Lutheran Church. Thirty-two students attended the first year. For the first six years the school used rented facilities. In 2001, FFCS moved to its current location in Battle Ground. The school’s program grew to include preschool offerings in 2002. God provided the means to complete an additional building in the fall of 2006. The first high school class began their freshman year in September, 2006, as the founding Firm Foundation Christian High School class. The high school continued to add one class each year, with the first senior class graduating in the spring of 2010. In the fall of 2008 FFCS began an exciting partnership with Northwest Nazarene University in Boise, Idaho to offer concurrent college credit classes on the FFCS campus. Eleventh and twelfth grade students qualify for concurrent credit classes, as well as select tenth graders who have instructor permission.
The school’s enrollment indicates the tremendous growth the school has experienced, from 32 students the first year of operation to a current enrollment of 345 from preschool through grade twelve. The student body represents over sixty different local churches. This current year we have over fifty staff members, including fifteen full-time certified and six part-time certified classroom teachers for grades pre-school – twelve, a music teacher and a PE teacher, and five part-time teacher aides.
The mission of Firm Foundation Christian School is to assist families in developing today’s youth into Christian leaders serving in the home, church and community by providing an education emphasizing academic leadership using a Biblical curriculum.
The Bible states that parents are to raise up their children in the way they should go, and when they are old they shall not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). At Firm Foundation Christian School our purpose is to assist the parents in meeting this objective, to point their children toward Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and give them a morally upright approach to life.
In order to accomplish this in an educational setting, we will first provide a Christ-centered education for the qualified children of the greater Clark County area without distinction to race or color.
Our aim is to provide an education:
That is in accord with the sixty-six books of the Bible, which we believe to be the verbally inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice;
That promotes academic excellence, spiritual growth and moral integrity, and to see it demonstrated in the lives of our students and;
That prepares students for Godly participation in the American society.
FFCS exists as a nondenominational, coeducational, preschool through high school. It is operated as a non-profit, educational ministry of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Hockinson, WA and is governed by the School Board.
The goal of the school is to lead each student to a voluntary commitment of his/her life to the Lordship of Christ. We desire to develop each student’s God-given spiritual, physical, mental, social, and creative gifts to their fullest potential; and thereby glorify God.
FFCS would like to thank you parents for joining us in the partnership of the academic, spiritual, and emotional education of your child(ren). We believe that the parents are the primary educators (Deut. 4:9) of our children. However, to enable our school to function effectively and smoothly, we depend upon your support, which we view as essential. You are encouraged to discuss any of the following details with the staff.
AS PARENT/GUARDIAN...
1. We understand that the primary purpose of Christian education is to prepare our children to function effectively and joyfully in the world as submitted servants of Jesus Christ. We support FFCS in its desire to seek eternal salvation for our child(ren) through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We accept that FFCS is committed to a thoroughly Christ-centered and Biblically integrated curriculum. We understand that any verbalized philosophy, personal conviction, or theology which contradicts or conflicts with the Bible will not be tolerated in any school setting (II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:21).
2. We give our child(ren) our permission to be involved in all school activities, including school-sponsored trips away from school, and we absolve FFCS of liability to us or our child(ren) because of injury occurring at school or at a school function. We understand that FFCS carries liability insurance on every student covering activities on and away from campus; FFCS carries liability insurance during the transporting of students on field trips when students are transported by bus. There is no liability coverage provided in such cases where parents, guardians or other individual drivers are transporting students on field trips. If individual drivers are transporting students, liability coverage must be the responsibility of the individual owners of the vehicles involved, and information on current insurance coverage and driver's license must be provided to the school office.
3. In case of emergency, we give FFCS our permission to obtain appropriate medical care for our child(ren) unless specific previous arrangements have been made.
4. We recognize that our participation in volunteer parent activities is essential to the success of the school. Each parent agrees willingly to be held accountable for active involvement in at least one area of parent-supported activity each year. We also agree to make a sincere effort to attend Parent-Teacher conferences as an effective means of staying informed and communicating our ideas.
5. We agree to uphold the academic goals of FFCS within the family setting and assist with completion and accountability of homework as required for our individual child(ren). We recognize the need for sustained open communication with our child(ren)’s teacher(s).
6. We agree to have our child exposed to instruction in the Bible according to the FFCS Bible curriculum and FFCS Statement of Faith. The staff agrees to make specific information regarding Bible curriculum available to parents if desired.
7. We pledge not to grieve the Holy Spirit or God’s people with idle words of complaint or dissension. Rather, we agree to attempt to swiftly and scripturally settle grievances according to the Matthew 18 principles of discretion, mercy, and forgiveness in love (Matt. 18; Eph. 4:29-32).
8. We understand that tuition payments are made through FACTS Management Company and are due on the 5th or the 20th of every month. We will consult our agreement for the terms of our contract. We agree to be timely in our financial obligation to FFCS and to notify the school should any situation arise which makes this commitment difficult to uphold. Should our account become past due by two (2) payments, we agree to clear our account within ten days or withdraw our child(ren) unless a mutually agreeable arrangement is made with the administrator and the school board.
9. We agree that FFCS has authority to discipline our child(ren) when necessary at school. We agree to communicate to our child(ren) the need to respect school authority and comply willingly with school classroom rules.
We understand that FFCS will not tolerate abuse of school property, disrespect to staff, or profanity in any form.
We agree to work with our child(ren), teachers, and aides on minor problems as they occur, particularly with home follow-up.
We acknowledge that correction or suspension may be deemed necessary by FFCS. If such action is necessary, we will be notified by the school.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” III John 4
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell (hades); the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick (living) and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
(The Apostle’s Creed, above, is found in Luther’s Large and Small Catechisms and the Book of Concord.)
FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS
We believe in the creation of man by the direct act of God (Gen. 1:26-28; Gen. 5:1,2).
We believe in God’s covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. We believe God established the family as the primary means by which children will grow in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Gen. 2:18-25; Deut. 6:4-7; Eph. 6:1-4).
We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired and only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21).
We believe that man is sinful by nature and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential and an absolute necessity for his salvation (Rom. 3:19, 23; John 5:24; Eph. 2:8-19; Titus 3:5,6, John 3:16-19).
Grace Alone: God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve his love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly (Eph. 2:8; Gal. 2:21).
Faith Alone: By his suffering and death as the substitute for all the people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him (Rom. 1:17, 3:22a, 3:28, 5:1, 2).
Scripture Alone: The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which he reveals His law and His Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian believers (Psalm 119:105; II Peter 1:19-21; II Tim. 3:16; Hebrews 4:12).
Firm Foundation Christian School acknowledges the trust placed in the school by its enrolled families, and holds in high regard the authority of the home and church to teach those distinctive doctrines held in esteem by a family’s own local church. We focus on basic Christian teachings that are common to all believers. The Statement of Faith is fundamental to basic Christian tenets and contains those doctrines to which we unreservedly adhere and teach. In order to do so in all fairness, it is necessary that we remind faculty, staff, parents and students that the following areas are left primarily to the teaching of the home and family church:
| Church government | Personal autonomy; Authority granted to the church |
| Time and mode of baptism | Infant baptism as a means of grace; Adult “believer’s baptism” |
| Security of the believer | Eternal security; Free moral agency |
| End times (eschatology) | Amillennialism; Premillenialism; Dispensationalism; The Rapture |
| Baptism of the Holy Spirit | Holy Spirit given at Justification; Holy Spirit given as a second work of grace subsequent to justification |
| Sinless perfection | Positional sanctification; Progressive sanctification |
| Manifestations of the Spirit | Tongues (and Interpretation of), Healing, Miracles, Discerning of spirits |
| The human role in Salvation | Synergism – the doctrine that the Holy Ghost works in cooperation with the human will in the work of regeneration. Monergism – the doctrine that the Holy Ghost acts entirely independent of the human will in the work of regeneration. SPECIAL NOTE: The position of Monergism is taught at Firm Foundation Christian School. |
In honoring this desire concerning the purpose of the school, there shall be no attempt by school personnel to promote specific denominational positions listed above. Firm Foundation Christian School’s goal is to remain united in the salvation and love of Christ, avoiding the dissension that may be caused by denominational distinctives.
Firm Foundation Christian School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
We acknowledge that there can be no preferential treatment with God (Romans 2:11). We are bound to extend our ministry to all qualifying students if we are to carry out our Lord’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)