Our Christian Identity

At Bear Creek, we believe it is not enough to train a student's mind without devoting instruction to character and spiritual development. Here, students gain a deep knowledge of Scripture and learn how to apply Biblical principles in their lives. We believe that God's character is revealed not only in His Word, but also in every facet of Creation; therefore, we teach that all knowledge is interrelated and can instruct us about God Himself.

That integration is the promise of high-quality Christian education. Done right, it instills within students knowledge, skills and a Christian perspective from which to solve problems by placing them in a larger context – by giving them a bigger narrative. It prepares students to wisely and biblically discern, “so what and now what?” In the end, Christian education is about integration and not fragmentation. It teaches both knowledge and biblical wisdom, so students are prepared to make wise and creative decisions as they engage tomorrow.

Chapel is a significant venue for helping students develop and practice a Christian worldview. Even in the remote learning environment, this is key to helping students become the individual God intends. Watch a short video to see our remote Chapel in action.

Christian Instruction

Chapel

All of our kindergarten – grade 12 students participate in Chapel each week. This is a time of worship, praise, teaching, and reflection. Chapel topics focus on a particular Bible verse, story, or passage and are presented by faculty and special speakers. A faculty-led worship team creates a thoughtful yet energetic experience for our Lower School communities, while Middle School and Upper School students take the lead on worship teams. Preschool students attend Chapel once each month.

Character Development

Bear Creek Leads is one of the distinctive programs at Bear Creek. Teachers work to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage, in themselves and in each student. In the Lower School, teachers seek to help students identify and name the evidence of the virtues as students grow in relationship with one another and in Christ. Lower School students are honored weekly with Growing in Virtue Awards, while each month, students in grades 5 and 6 are recognized for leading our student body by exercising virtue. Students in grades 7 – 12 are encouraged to develop and exercise their leadership skills in formal and informal settings throughout the school year.

Community Service – Compassion in Action

As Christians, a call to service is inherent in our faith. We help our students to live out the ideal of Christian service in age-appropriate ways.

In the Lower School, students learn about compassion for others by participating in a variety of service projects, including a school-wide food drive.

Middle School students belong to Servant Leadership Clubs, in which they choose a specific area to serve, either at The Bear Creek School and broader Redmond community.

Upper School students invest at least 100 hours of community service as a graduation requirement. Many choose to go well above and beyond the minimum. Students are encouraged to build ongoing service relationships and, over time, experience the powerful impact of service to others.

Bear Creek partners with Hopelink and World Vision, involving students in various ways to benefit these organizations.

Statement of Faith

The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in faith and conduct.

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in the three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

Regeneration

We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that the Holy Spirit regenerates those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone as Savior.

Core Values

Faith

We believe that faith supports knowledge, reason, inquiry, and analysis and that faith combined with reason produces wisdom.

Excellence

We believe in pursuing superior standards of academic, artistic, and athletic excellence, enabling students to grow in maturity, to learn how to think, to succeed in higher education and in life, and to engage the world.

Virtue

We believe in education designed to encourage individuals to live lives of truth, beauty, and goodness and to inspire others in the same direction.

Trust

We seek to strengthen mutual trust and caring among our employees, relying on one another as one coherent team.

Innovation

We seek to empower faculty and staff members to address challenges creatively, to grow and learn, and to view their Bear Creek experience as a shared adventure.

Predictability and Support

We seek to create an environment focused on stability and reliability, in which students and adults alike clearly understand expectations and receive the support they need to meet and even exceed those expectations.

Dignity and Respect

We believe that every human life is sacred and possesses intrinsic worth because we are created in the image of God; therefore, each individual is to be treated with dignity and respect. See Headmaster and President Patrick Carruth's letter to our school community regarding racism and racial injustice.

Wisdom

We seek to cultivate intellectual virtue in students so they develop wisdom to live lives of integrity and influence.

Compassion

We seek to foster in students a love and compassion for their neighbors and the greater community, demonstrated by word and deed.

Courage

We seek to encourage students to be courageous and to lead by engaging the world with wisdom, compassion, and courage.