The Bryn Athyn Church School
The Bryn Athyn Church School offers a high-quality Christian education for children from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade. Its mission is to provide children with an education that prepares them to become useful citizens of this world, and instills in them the values and habits needed by members of the Lord’s heavenly kingdom.
The Bryn Athyn Church School educates children in the light of the teachings of the New Church. Religion is integrated into every aspect of the life of the school, through direct and indirect instruction. Students attend daily worship services and study religion in the classroom. Love to the Lord and the neighbor are the highest values taught them, along with obedience to the Ten Commandments and a life of useful service.
Families that share an interest in the teachings of the New Church are invited to consider the Bryn Athyn Church School for their children.
The New Church
The Lord’s Prayer speaks of the coming of His Kingdom, and of His will being done on this earth as it is in heaven. Emanuel Swedenborg wrote that God’s Kingdom would come, but not in the cataclysmic way that many Christians expect, for “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17.21). It comes in the realm of the heart and spirit, not observable with the eye.
According to the New Church, the truth of this kingdom is found in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Theological Writings of Swedenborg, fulfilling Christ’s promise to “no longer speak to you in parables, but tell you plainly about the Father” (John 16.25). These Writings are thirty-three volumes that explain Christianity in ways that can be understood and believed. They include teachings about:
God – He is love itself. He was born into the world to break the power of evil and to set the human race free.
The Word of God - Every word of Scripture has meaning for your life, teaching the way to heaven.
Heaven – Everyone lives as a person after death, happily if they have lived well, unhappily if not. Those who love God and their neighbor become angels.
Marriage – The love of marriage is the foundation of all the loves of heaven, and happy marriages last forever.
New Church Education
Ever since its establishment in the late 1800’s, the Bryn Athyn Church has placed a strong emphasis on education. Two reasons for this are:
First, the teachings of the New Church support a philosophy of education that is consistent with the best educational practices. It produces excellent results in terms of both academic achievement and emotional development.
Second, New Church education is a response to the challenges posed by our cultural environment. Its purpose is to help parents pass their beliefs and values on to their children in the context of a safe, loving, and yet thorough education.