A STANDARD FOR LIVING
As a Christian organization, New Hope Christian School must uphold biblical standards of Christian behavior. These standards are laid down here in our Code of Conduct. We expect all our students and staff to live in accordance with the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct can be found in the NHCS Handbook.
Since New Hope Christian School is a Christian organization, we must follow specific Biblical principles that relate to Christian behavior within the organization. New Hope Christian School therefore prohibits practices that are clearly forbidden by the Word of God (e.g., I Corinthians 6:9-20; drunkenness, homosexuality, dishonesty, etc.). Further, to expect the Christian to exemplify Christian love, consideration for the rights of others, honesty, and a high sense of Christian ethics is to expect only that which the Word of God teaches to be primary in the character of the Christian (e.g., Ephesians 4:24-5:8).
New Hope Christian School recognizes the principles of Christian liberty within the sphere of those things that are intrinsically innocent. However, New Hope Christian School also recognizes that liberty needs to be restricted in certain instances. Scriptural precedent is found for this in Acts 15 and Romans 14, where certain practices inherently innocent were forbidden because they could do spiritual harm to other members of the Christian community.
A Christian is also expected to exemplify the standard of conduct becoming to a believer by avoiding gossip, murmuring, anger, greediness, covetousness, backbiting, speaking evil of others, and by showing kindness and meekness to all men by exercising modesty and self-control by abstaining from immodest contemporary dancing, dating and marriage to unconverted people, to refrain from the possession or use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, gambling, secret organizations, by being a disciplined person as an individual or as a family, obedient to those who are in authority, and by active support in a local, Bible-believing church through service, giving and allegiance. It is further expected that all will exercise Christian discretion and restraint in the choice of entertainment—including radio, television, movies, audio and visual recordings, and various forms of literature and the observance of the Lord’s Day.
New Hope Christian School recognizes that observance of these regulations does not comprise the whole of one’s responsibility to God and hence does not necessarily indicate that one is living a life of full commitment. The philosophy of New Hope Christian School, however, maintains that one’s willingness to obey these Biblical principles shows a maturity and spiritual concern for the whole Christian community (Galatians 5:13-24).
Good verses for Biblical consideration concerning the above paragraph are:
1 Corinthians 6:12 – Lawful, but not expedient (not profitable for our good).
1 Corinthians 10:23 – Lawful, but not edifying.
1 Corinthians 8:9 – Could be a stumbling block.
Romans 1:32 – Christians are different, and by living like the world, we approve of it. There should be no pleasure in watching sin.
Ephesians 5:6, 7, 11 – Don’t be deceived with vanity and participate in it.
Colossians 3:17 – Make sure it pleases the Lord, not the emotions – flesh or self.
Hebrews 12:1-2 – Lay aside weights as well as the sin.
New Hope Christian School reserves the right to make any final judgments on conduct and behavior of all personnel at New Hope Christian School.