In our last post, we began a series examining why we teach what we teach here at ODCA. We began with the Bible, and today we turn to look at language and reading. 

There are a myriad of good reasons we teach this subject, but none can surpass the significance of the fact that God is a relational being that desires to be known by us. We teach communication skills because God is a God of communication and desires to communicate with us. This is how we first respond to Christ, trusting Him as our personal Savior rather than joining a religious club. This is also how we grow in Christ, communicating with Him daily as we grow to love and trust Him more and more! 

God’s desire to communicate to mankind is evident in the way He provided His written Word to us. It is critical that students are able to read the Bible for themselves and respond appropriately to God. It is also important that students can read theological literature and stories of how Christ has worked in the lives of others. 

We also teach language because communicating is a vital way Christians can share their faith. Of course, our testimonies and the way we conduct our lives matter, but there is never a substitute for communicating the love of God though the words that we write and speak. God commanded the church to spread the Gospel into all the world, and we want to equip our students to answer that call. 

In high school, we teach two years of Spanish as well. In conjunction with the above paragraph, we believe it is important that students can communicate their faith to our geographically closest neighbors. We also know that many may have the opportunity to go on a missions trip and utilize the information they glean to serve Christ. 

There are obviously many other practical benefits of language and reading that are essential to everyday life. However, these above form the most important motivations for why we do what we do in this area.