By Bo Garner, SBS Board Member and Current Parent
A biblically centered education should not be restricted by finances. At StoneBridge School we believe that through prayerful stewardship, creative planning, and a united community effort, we can open doors for every child whose family desires the kind of transformative schooling we offer.
Instead of a guide for affording tuition, this article is a call to action—to families, schools, churches, alumni, and community partners—to partner with StoneBridge School so that no student is denied the chance to be formed by a biblical worldview.
A Shared Calling: Partnership in Discipleship
Choosing where a child spends their developmental years is one of the most significant decisions a parent makes. For Christian families, this choice is about worldview: an education saturated with Scripture so that history, literature, science, and mathematics are all seen through God’s truth.
This is not merely an academic preference but a partnership in discipleship—an investment in a child’s heart and mind to cultivate wisdom, virtue, and love for Christ. As Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
At the same time, financial barriers often make that vision feel out of reach. Where God calls, He provides—but He often provides through the faithful responses of His people. Only together can we truly achieve StoneBridge School’s mission to restore the Christian character of the Republic and serve Christian families, enabling each child to reach the fullest expression of their value in Christ through a biblical Principal Approach® education.
Where God calls, He provides—but He often provides through the faithful responses of His people.
Cultivating Generosity and Creative Stewardship
The road to making Christian education accessible starts in the home with prayerful stewardship and intentional planning. It requires families to consider priorities and to view education as an eternal investment, all done by budgeting with purpose. Budgeting with purpose means aligning daily decisions with long-term spiritual goals, sometimes choosing simpler living to place a child’s spiritual formation first.
The book of Matthew reminds us of these prioirties: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21). This intentionality is counterculture, as social media, television, and other streaming shows are hyper-focused on tangible or material possessions. Spending time in prayer and with small groups of supporting Christ-loving friends can help us keep our focus on what is most important.
As Proverbs 3:5-8 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
There are also various practical financial tools that can make that stewardship effective:
- Explore financial aid, tuition assistance, and scholarships: Christian schools, including StoneBridge, offer these programs; the first step is to inquire and apply. If you do not need this, then help create it for those who do. Scholarship funds are fully dependent on those who have prioritized investing in students who need the support.
- Use Education Savings Accounts and 529 plans where available to invest and take advantage of tax-advantaged savings. It is simple; click here for more information. Every dollar contributed, plus earnings, can cover K-12 tuition at StoneBridge School, and every dollar contributed has state tax benefits. Children can have various 529 accounts from parents, grandparents, and others.
- Give to the Children’s Tuition Fund (CTF). Our CTF is a unique and impactful way to support accessibility to Christian education through direct contributions to scholarship funds. Donations to our CTF provide direct tuition assistance to deserving students. These gifts have excellent tax benefits and have an immediate, life-changing impact on a student’s educational journey. Click here for more information.
The Church and the Body of Christ: Shared Responsibility
Christian education flourishes when the wider Body of Christ recognizes and embraces its role. The burden does not rest only on parents. Churches can be strategic partners in discipleship by creating scholarship funds, sponsoring students, or earmarking part of missions budgets for local Christian education.
This is not mere charity but eternal investment. With students spending roughly 30 hours each week with their teachers compared to just a few hours in church, supporting Christian education helps ensure that biblical truth is reinforced throughout the week—echoing what parents teach at home and what spiritual leaders teach at church. Consider how you can help your church and StoneBridge School truly connect and partner in the spiritual development of the next generation sitting in their pews.
With students spending roughly 30 hours each week with their teachers compared to just a few hours in church, supporting Christian education is not mere charity but a strategic eternal investment for churches seeking to disciple the next generation.
Alumni, Grandparents, and Donors: Securing Legacy
Generational stewardship is also key to the long-term sustainability of Christian education. Alumni and grandparents, who have witnessed the transformative power of a biblical worldview firsthand, are crucial partners. Their gifts to scholarship funds ensure that future generations have the same opportunity they or their loved ones experienced. These investments are an eternal legacy that far outlasts any material possession.
There are a variety of ways to give, whether for scholarships as mentioned, to be an ongoing partner, to make an honorary or memorial gift or even to include StoneBridge School as part of your planned giving. For more information, click here.
Business Partners: Investing in the Future of Faith
Local business partners and major donors can see student scholarships not just as charitable giving, but as an investment in the future workforce and, more importantly, in future community leaders grounded in faith and integrity.
When businesses support Christian education, they are helping to shape young men and women who will enter the world with strong moral compasses and a commitment to servant leadership.
A Collective Vision: When Community Unites
When families steward wisely, when schools can provide robust aid, and when churches, alumni, and businesses partner, Christian education becomes accessible for those who want it. The vision is simple and profound: no family desiring Christ-centered education should be turned away for lack of funds.
This requires faith, prayer, and action together. Scripture calls us to communal care: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). It also calls us to generosity: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Let us commit to opening doors so every child can flourish in an environment where they are known, loved, and discipled in God’s Word.
Feature Photo Credit: Erik Mclean, Unsplash.
God has been at work in remarkable ways at StoneBridge this year, and your support helps continue that mission. Every gift strengthens our students, teachers, and our entire community. Thank you for partnering with us to equip the next generation of Nation Changers. Make a gift today.
