OCS Mission StatementTo dedicate ourselves to Christ in the pursuit of academic excellence, artistic expression, and athletic distinction while growing in knowledge and wisdom through God’s abundant grace.
- Biblical Scholarship
- FAQs
- Spiritual Formation
- Statement of Faith
- High School Bible Overview
- Middle School Bible Overview
Biblical Scholarship
We believe that God is both necessary and relevant, that the differences between religions and worldviews are both real and significant, and that Christianity best satisfies the criteria for a livable worldview. The choice of a worldview is both personal and of far-reaching eternal significance. To that end, the Bible program exposes students to the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the life and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and the historic Christian faith and its relationship to the major worldviews of our time. The learning and dialogue seeks to encompass the great breadth of perspectives in the Christian faith.
FAQs
For a listing of our frequently asked questions, please click here.
Spiritual Formation
Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is here and is available. To this end, we provide faith-producing opportunities as a part of our daily teaching curriculum, and through the Chapel program provide opportunities to worship in intentional Christian community. We seek to stress accountable and practical discipleship, wherein students can “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). Our purpose is that students will be formed more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
Statement of Faith
- WE BELIEVE the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible word of God.
- WE BELIEVE that there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- WE BELIEVE that mankind was created good, but lost the hope of life eternal, destroyed his communion with God, and fell under the bondage of sin and death by rebelling against God‘s perfect way of life.
- WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is God‘s eternal Son, who redeemed mankind. As true God and true man, He was born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit, taught men how to live through His sinless life, took the consequences of our sin upon Himself in His passion and death upon the Cross, arose bodily from the dead on the third day after His death, was seen by His disciples, ascended to the right hand of the Father and will return in power and glory.
- WE BELIEVE that all are sinners, that all are called to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, that no one can come to the Father, except through Jesus Christ and that no one can come to faith in Christ, repent and attain holiness, but by the grace of God.
- WE BELIEVE as a gift from God, sexual intimacy is to be experienced only between a man and a woman within a marital relationship. We believe, therefore, that any other form of sexual intimacy is not in keeping with God’s plan for mankind.
- WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit is freely given to those that believe in Jesus Christ, that the fruits and benefits of Christ‘s redemption are applied to us individually by the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us and enables us to live godly lives.
- WE BELIEVE that at the end of the age there will be two resurrections: one to eternal life and glory, the other to eternal condemnation.
High School Bible Overview
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
How do we live out this essential commandment? Who is this God we are called to love? What is true and false, good and evil, right and wrong? The answers to these questions frame our picture of the world — our “worldview.”
We believe that God is very necessary and very relevant, that the differences between religions and worldviews are both real and significant, and that Christianity best satisfies the criteria for a livable worldview. The choice of a worldview is both personal and of far-reaching eternal significance. In that manner, the Bible program exposes students to the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the life and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and the historic Christian faith and its relationship to the major worldviews of our time. The learning and dialogue encompasses the great breadth of perspectives in the Christian faith.
Students are asked to carefully examine their own beliefs as well as the argumentation and beliefs that disagree with a Christian worldview. The purpose of all critical thinking is not to create skepticism in students, but to equip them to be conversant with most of the ideas they encounter in the university and society, so that we follow Paul’s advice: “Test everything. Hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Middle School Bible Overview
The Story of Scripture (6th grade)
This course introduces the transcendent story of Old Testament Scripture as seen in the New Testament light of Christ. In considering what the Old Testament reveals about God and how we, as humans, encounter Him, students will be invited to take practical steps forward in their own faith while being equipped to take greater ownership of their thinking and spiritual growth.
The Life of Jesus Christ (7th grade)
The primary objective for this course is to introduce students to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The course is divided into three distinct strands: the study of Scripture, reasons to believe, and spiritual growth. Students will be encouraged to grow in knowledge, in their ability to reason, and in spiritual depth as they discover the love and power of our Risen Lord.
Bible Exploratory (8th grade)
This 8th grade course is an introduction to the exciting story of the first Christian believers but is tailored towards students who are still figuring out their personal beliefs. In thoughtfully considering Jesus and what happens when individuals and communities follow Him, students will be invited to learn from Him while being equipped and challenged to take greater ownership of their thinking, beliefs, and spiritual growth.
Bible Discipleship (8th grade)
In this 8th grade course, students will engage all three strands of our curriculum; however, there will be an emphasis on the practice of spiritual development as a community of students who have a common interest in Christian discipleship. Students will be introduced to the exciting story of the first believers through the Book of Acts. We will study closely what happens when people and communities follow Jesus. Students in this class will be provided opportunities to step out of the classroom and begin to serve and lead in a variety of interactive assignments which include, but are not limited to, worship, leading devotions, sharing their testimony with their peers, and other spiritual development activities. Students interested in taking Bible Discipleship must complete an application and be approved to take this course.