MISSION | VISION | VALUES
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE STRIVE FOR
OUR MISSION
Grace International School is a quality, affordable Christian school in Chiang Mai, Thailand. GIS exists so that international Christian workers are enabled to remain abroad due to the educational and spiritual needs of their children being met. These needs include access to distance education support, adaptive instruction, and tools that enable students to grow in their personal faith journey with the Lord.
OUR VISION
The Vision of Grace International School is that every student will know who they are in Christ, that they will experience a quality education in an inspiring learning environment, and that they will be equipped with a Biblical worldview to impact the world for Christ.
CORE VALUES
- To Follow Jesus
- To Pursue Excellence
- To Cultivate Community
- To Partner with Parents
- To Enable International Christian Workers
TAGLINE
ENABLE | EQUIP | CULTIVATE
- Enable - families to serve by offering a quality, affordable education
- Equip - students through a biblically-integrated education to engage their community
- Cultivate - a diverse GIS community that partners and cares for one another
STATEMENT OF FAITH
Grace International School is committed to consistent Biblical Christianity as expressed in the following statement of faith. It is non-denominational in character.
01
We believe that the Bible is inspired and inerrant, that all 66 books of the Old and New Testament are God’s complete written revelation to mankind, the only infallible authority in all matters of faith and practice.
02
We believe in one triune God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the same in substance and equal in power and glory.
03
We believe in the complete humanity and deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and future personal return in power and glory.
04
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers all believers and enables them to live a godly life.
05
We believe that through Adam’s sin all have inherited a sinful nature and therefore all choose to sin. All are thus sinners and deserving of death.
06
We believe that salvation of lost and sinful man is only by the grace of God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, accomplished through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
07
We believe that our sins block our fellowship with God. As we confess those sins, God forgives us and our fellowship is restored.
08
We believe in the resurrection of the body, the judgment of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal blessedness of the saved, and the eternal punishment of the lost.
WHO WE ARE
Our Commitments flow from our deep love of the Lord Jesus and subsequent desire to honor and please Him. We are guided by the biblical command that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10:27).
Committed to Christ
We are committed to knowing Christ and making Him known, to becoming more transformed into His image each day, and to reflect this in our words and deeds as evidence of His transforming work in our lives. (2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:22-24)
Committed to Biblical Principles
We are committed to applying Biblical principles to our everyday lives including:
Creation: We believe that God created the world, not by chance, but by His perfect plan. Scientific processes enhance our understanding of God’s work, but the existence of the world can’t be explained without the acknowledgment that God spoke everything into existence. (Genesis 1)
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality: We believe that God created people as male and female, both being created in God’s own image. Marriage was designed to be between one man and one woman as a covenant relationship, which also reflects the sacrificial love relationship between Christ and the Church. Sexual intimacy was created as a gift from God to be experienced only within the context of the covenant of the marriage of a man and a woman. (Genesis 2, 1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians 5)
Committed to Excellence In Academics
We are committed to excellence in all areas of educating our students. We uphold the Bible as the measure by which truth is discerned (Colossians 3:23,24).
Our curriculum integrates a Biblical worldview and reflects the cultural diversity of the school. Options are available which enable the larger student populations to matriculate to the next level of education in their home country. Adaptive instruction and distance education are also a priority. All staff will be well qualified to perform their duties, including maintaining certification as needed.
Committed to our Students’ Faith Journey
We are committed to our students having a personal, authentic, and vibrant relationship with Christ. We desire that they know how to grow in that relationship and be able to engage with others about biblical truths. Students are encouraged to pursue discipleship and mentoring relationships (both as mentors and mentees), and to be servant leaders who are respectful, culturally sensitive, and salt and light in their community. (Matt 5:13-16)
Committed to Called Staff
We are committed to our leadership, administrators, educational staff, and foreign staff being called to serve at GIS. These staff must have a personal relationship with Christ and be growing in that relationship in such a way that their authentic, vibrant faith is apparent to others. They are encouraged to engage in discipleship and mentoring relationships (both as mentors and mentees), and to be servant leaders who are respectful and culturally sensitive. (Philippians 2:1-10).
Committed to our GIS Community
We are committed to fostering healthy relationships within our GIS community (both Thai and non-Thai), including partnering well with parents and guardians.
For those in our GIS community (students and non-educational Thai staff) who do not have a personal relationship with Christ: We understand that not all of our community will choose to follow Jesus. Our desire for those is that they would experience love and care within the GIS community, and that by the time they leave GIS they would have a good understanding of who Jesus is, how much He loves them, and how to enter into a personal relationship with Him.
Committed to Enabling International Christian Workers to Remain Abroad
We are committed to enabling international Christian workers to remain abroad by providing for their children’s educational needs. In line with this, we are also committed to being affordable to the families of our Owner Organizations, and whenever possible, to the families of other Christian organizations of the same purpose as our Owner Organizations.
PHILOSOPHY OF EQUIPPING
Grace International School (GIS) recognizes that each student is unique, complex, and created in God’s image. Our desire is that students leave GIS having the understanding (Head) to evaluate life from a Christ-centered worldview, the ability to move toward Christ-centered truth in their relationships (Heart), and the skills to serve (Hands) within the communities or vocation in which God places them.
In light of this, our philosophy of equipping goes beyond academics. Fulfilling our mission compels us to address the GOALs (Head, Heart, and Hands) of each student. Academics*, educational support services, spiritual instruction and guidance, homeschooling support services, athletics, extracurricular activities, and service opportunities all help students grow into the men and women God has called them to be.
*Language Arts, Maths, Science, Social Studies, the Arts, Foreign Languages, Physical Education, Religious Studies, Technology & Design
G|O|A|L|S GLOBAL OBJECTIVES FOR ALL LEARNERS
While acquiring a foundation of knowledge and skills, GIS students are becoming:
Heart
God Seekers who . . .
- Know essential biblical truths and concepts
- Pursue a genuine relationship with God
- Choose to participate in biblical community
Image Bearers who . . .
- Understand their personal identity from God’s perspective
- Cultivate healthy interpersonal relationships
- Choose a balanced and healthy lifestyle
HEAD
Passionate Learners who . . .
- Take responsibility for life-long growth in knowledge and skills
- Display teachable attitudes
Critical Thinkers who . . .
- Apply diverse problem solving processes to real-life situations
- Evaluate issues and worldviews in terms of biblical truths
- Communicate effectively and wisely through a variety of forms
HANDS
Global Citizens who . . .
- Serve others compassionately and advocate for the oppressed
- Exhibit genuine respect and cultural sensitivity
- Exercise stewardship of personal and global resources
- Work as team members, whether as leaders or followers
- Impact their world by applying biblical truth
