Detroit Christian School desires our graduates to read and understand the entire Bible as one unified story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration/consummation.

DCS desires our graduates to have knowledge of the following areas, as revealed in the Bible and expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF):

• God as the Holy Trinity, God’s Eternal Decrees, His Creation, and Providence (WCF 1-5)

• Man, his fall, and his punishment (WCF 6)

• God’s Covenants (WCF 7)

• The person of Christ and his work (WCF 8)

• Salvation (WCF 9-15, 17, 18)

• Good Works (WCF 16, 19, 20, 22, 23

• The church (WCF 21, 25-31)

• Marriage (WCF 24)

• End Times (WCF 32-33)

In regard to Biblical interpretation, DCS desires our graduates to:

• Have the grammatical, reasoning, and hermeneutical skills to properly interpret the Bible

• Have the linguistic skills needed to learn to read the Bible in its original languages

DCS desires its graduates to understand that the entirety of the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Tim 2:2) and to love, seek counsel in, and trust the Bible as the rule of faith and life.

DCS desires its graduates to obey the Lord in thought, word, and deed. (Matthew 5:21-37)

DCS desires its graduates to know what the Lord has commanded of them, especially as expressed in God’s moral law (Exodus 20), and to joyfully keep all his commands (John 15:9-11) out of gratitude for their salvation (1 Th 5:18, Eph 5:20, Phil 4:6-7, Col 4:2, Eph 5:4, Col 3:16)

DCS desires its graduates to demonstrate, through the power of the Holy Spirit and not in their own strength, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

DCS desires its graduates to demonstrate Christian virtues such as faith, hope, honesty, charity, prudence, justice, temperance, courage, and fortitude.

DCS desires graduates who boast not in their own virtues or works but only in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 6:14)

DCS desires its graduates to embrace and live out God’s good design for creation (Genesis 1:28), especially as expressed in:

• Human beings created male and female in the image of God

• Marriage as a lifelong covenant union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:23-24)

• Family as a fundamental institution of human society ordained by God and tasked with the responsibility of bringing children into the world (Genesis 1:28) and raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Ephesians 6:9)

• Work as a blessing from God that allows for human flourishing as we take wise, responsible dominion over all God has entrusted to us

DCS desires graduates who seek to mortify their sin (Colossians 3:1-17; Romans 8:13), resisting the powers of the world, the flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:2-3)

DCS desires graduates who, when they sin, are quick to turn to the Lord in repentance and gratefully receive his grace. (Psalm 51)

DCS desires its graduates to continually grow in their affection for God by regularly avail themselves of the means of grace (2 Peter 3:18, Titus 3:5, Acts 2:21, WSC 88), including Scripture reading and prayer, and especially through the preaching of God’s Word (Romans 10:17) and partaking of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16)

DCS desires graduates who know that all of their gifts are given to them from God (James 1:17) and are willing and able to use their varied gifts for the glory of God and the good of others.

DCS desires graduates who are careful, patient, and charitable listeners, as well as truthful, clear, and gracious speakers and writers.

DCS desires its graduates, through the study of English literature and composition, to:

• identify and examine the worldviews that manifest themselves in language and literature

• evaluate worldviews and texts from a biblical perspective

• be able to apply the classical tools of learning to fully engage the great works of the Western tradition as well as other texts they encountered

• articulate ideas in an accurate, clear, and gracious way through research, documentation, and analysis

• evaluate the absolute values of the truth, goodness, and beauty in literary works

• enjoy expressions of truth, goodness, and beauty in literature

• exercise their creative abilities to the glory of God

DCS desires its graduates, through the study of classical languages, to:

• be able to translate simple and complex grammatical constructions accurately and articulately

• identify and apply grammatical constructions and vocabulary words

• interpret, analyze, and evaluate the culture and value of classical antiquity from primary source readings and according to biblical standards

DCS desires its graduates, through the study of history, to:

• have a scriptural understanding of human nature and historical patterns, including the nature of sin and its consequences

• see the glory of God revealed in history through his providential care for his people and working out of his plan of redemption

• be able to interact with primary historical documents and to clearly and graciously articulate thoughts and beliefs regarding both historical and current events through research, careful documentation, and wise expression

• be equipped to live as godly and responsible citizens and neighbors

DCS desires its graduates, through their study of math, to:

• recognize the attributes of God--his order, non-contradiction, immutability, infinitude, precious, beauty, and harmony--that are revealed by a study of mathematics

• perceive the utility and limitations of the discipline of mathematics

• understand that human standards of measurement testify to the reality of God’s perfect knowledge and righteous standard

• practice logical thinking, skillful problem-solving, and the elegant expression of both

• appreciate the role of mathematics in the historical development of culture and of other disciplines

• have developed their mathematical faculties to the fullest in order to use those tools to glorify God, do good to others, and fulfill the dominion mandate

DCS desires its graduates, through their study of science, to:

• behold and delight in the unity, diversity, order, complexity, beauty, consistency, and precision of creation as a reflection of God’s attributes

• have a biblical perspective on the scientific enterprise

• be able to evaluate scientific theories in light of scriptural truth

• appreciate the contributions of science to human life in the realms of research, development, and invention

• know how to work safely in a laboratory

• be familiar with and able to conduct research using the scientific method

• ethically use scientific knowledge and technology for the glory of God, the good of their neighbor, and the fulfillment of the creation mandate

DCS desires its graduates, through the study of art and music, to:

• reflect and enjoy the absolute values of the truth, goodness, and beauty of God in artistic endeavors

• appreciate human creative imagination and skill as gifts of God’s common grace

• enjoy the exercise of their creativity as a gift from God and way to serve God and others

• recognize the fine arts as valuable means of cultural engagement as commanded in both the dominion mandate and the great commission

• evaluate works of art from a biblical perspective

• understand the history of choral music and its role in worship

• enjoy worshiping God through song

DCS desires its graduates, through their course of physical education, to:

• develop their physical abilities to the glory of God

• be prepared for responsible leadership and effective work

• know the importance of playing by the rules, accepting direction from those in authority, and being gracious in both victory and defeat

• love and enjoy physical activity and movement as a gift from God and a way to serve God and others