Education is a vital function of every home and every society. Without the intentional development of the next generation, families and even nations suffer. But what is education? For most of us, the word immediately evokes images of pencils and multiplication tables and maybe Norton’s Anthology. But education is much bigger than the mere transfer of knowledge and skills. To educate is to enculturate. So, to know how to educate, we must first know what kind of culture we are after in our homes and in our societies.

In 2013, my husband and I were privileged to join with twelve other couples as we, desiring a different educational option for our children, founded Saint Augustine School. For our families we longed for margin – seeking a life that allowed for long evenings. We observed a world of busyness coming for us, and we knew we needed more time together than what was being cultivated in the wider educational culture.

For our children and our communities, we dreamed of returning to the permanent things, rather than chasing the newest trends. The men and women of the renaissance, the protestant reformation, and the founding of our country were given an education which sought truth, goodness, and beauty. It relied on what has lasted rather than on the hubristic idea that the old ways have nothing to teach us. We knew that the factory assembly line model of education had not worked for our minds or our souls, and so we wanted to return to what had been proven over and over.

With hope, prayer, and laughter, we founded Saint Augustine School so that we might put our hands to work building the school God was calling us to build. As a life-long Mississippian, my heart aches to see my state reinvigorated by wisdom, excellence, and joy. Those are the missional pillars of Saint Augustine, and we hold all that we do up to those guiding lights. We seek to think God’s thoughts after him, to rejoice in the hope we find in Christ, and to be diligent with all that God has given us.

It is a great honor to serve at the helm of the Saint Augustine ship. I am surrounded by capable faculty and administrators who love their Savior and want to be of use in the work of the kingdom. We do this alongside parents who are seeking God’s truth, goodness, and beauty for their children. We are grateful for our community of families who love so well and laugh so heartily. Our graduates come back to see me from time to time, and they explain why they now treasure what they received here at Saint Augustine. It is on those days that I see the Lord’s work most clearly, and I give thanks.

There are many wonderful paths for a rich education, and our prayer is that Saint Augustine can serve as one of those possibilities. We long to see our world love what God loves, and we are grateful to do our bit of that work. If this sounds like what you want for your children and families, we hope you’ll come see us and learn more.