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Educational philosophy

Our Purpose

Oklahoma Christian Schools, Inc. (OCS) is a private, non-denominational Christian school dedicated to providing a spiritually rich and academically rigorous education. Our primary purpose is to help students establish and grow in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ (John 17:3). All instruction and activities are grounded in a biblical worldview (Romans 12:2), and our goal is for students to reflect Christ in all areas of life—spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically, and culturally (Luke 2:52).

Relationships

Partnering with Parents

At OCS, we believe parents are the primary educators of their children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Christian education is most effective when the home and school work together in unity (Ecclesiastes 4:9). We support this partnership through orientation sessions, parent-teacher conferences, and family education programs designed to equip parents with biblical insight and practical guidance (1 Corinthians 1:10).

A father and his two children take a photo outside their school at OCS
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Church and the School

While OCS provides Christian education, we recognize the local church as the primary spiritual community for believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). As Paul Kienel wrote, “The school is temporary; the church should be permanent in a person’s ongoing experience,” (1 Timothy 3:15). All OCS faculty and staff are expected to be active members of a local, Bible-believing church, and students are required to regularly attend as part of their spiritual growth (Romans 12:4-5).

Young OCS Students rest their heads in their hands during a group prayer in the gym
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Students

We believe every student is created in the image of God and is deeply valued by Him (Genesis 1:27). As His image-bearers, students possess inherent worth and purpose (Psalm 139:13-14; Jeremiah 29:11). A Christian education nurtures their spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical development, helping them reflect God’s image more fully (2 Corinthians 3:18).

OCS Students take turns giving speeches during a school assembly
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Teachers and Coaches

At OCS, teachers and coaches are more than instructors—they are ministers of the Gospel, relationship builders, mentors, and role models (Titus 2:7-8). Like Jesus, who taught and led by example, our faculty engage students with humility, passion, and purpose (John 13:13-15). They are both subject matter experts and fellow learners, modeling a commitment to lifelong growth and Christlike character (Philippians 3:12-14; Colossians 3:16).

A teacher smiles during his class lesson and it shows that he enjoys his job and is passionate about teaching
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Spiritual Formation

Spiritual formation is central to life at OCS. Students engage in daily Bible classes and spiritual activities that integrate faith with life (Colossians 2:6-7). These include weekly chapel, discipleship groups, domestic and international mission trips, and serving their local communities through service opportunities (Galatians 5:13; James 1:22). 

Students are also exposed to other worldviews to deepen their understanding of Christianity and encourage respectful, biblically-grounded engagement with the broader world (1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 28:19-20). 

Spiritual formation includes the correction and redirection of behavior. Discipline at OCS is restorative and relational (Hebrews 12:11). We understand that students will make mistakes. When they do, we guide them through a process of reflection, correction, and restoration—grounded in love, truth, and prayer (Galatians 6:1). Our goal is to help students understand that their identity is rooted in Christ, not in mistakes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1). Our discipline policies are biblical, firm, impartial, and applied with discernment and care.

Curriculum and Instruction

Biblical Worldview Integration

The authority of Scripture is foundational at OCS. The Bible is taught both as a core subject (PK–12) and integrated into all academic disciplines. The Bible provides timeless principles that guide ethical reasoning, personal conduct, and academic inquiry (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Students are taught to evaluate information, ideas, and world events through a Christ-centered lens (Romans 12:2).

OCS Students engage in prayer during an assembly

Skills and Content

OCS believes in equipping students with both essential content knowledge and critical skills. Our rigorous curriculum emphasizes reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and Bible, and is designed to prepare students for college and lifelong learning (Proverbs 4:7). Students develop skills in research, communication, computer literacy, and analytical thinking—tools that empower them to engage thoughtfully and faithfully in the world (Proverbs 18:13).

We also value professional excellence. Teachers are encouraged to grow in their pedagogy, apply best practices, and stay current with educational research (James 3:1). Students are at the center of learning, and instruction is continually refined to meet diverse learning needs (Proverbs 1:5).

Reading and Literature

A love for reading is fostered across all grades. Instruction combines phonemic awareness and sight word recognition in early grades to build a strong foundation. Students engage with literature that both appeals to their interests and challenges them with timeless ideas. Our teachers help students discern moral and spiritual themes in literature, empathize with characters, and apply biblical truths to their reading and personal lives (Philippians 4:8; Hebrews 5:14).

An OCS student excitedly opens his book

Technology in the Classroom

Technology at OCS is used as a tool—not a replacement for teaching or collaboration. Students use technology to access information, express creativity, and demonstrate learning, but we place a higher value on face-to-face interaction, critical dialogue, and the mentorship of master teachers (Proverbs 27:17).

OCS Students work on a school project with their laptops

Fine Arts and Cultural Enrichment

OCS offers a wide range of fine arts programs—art, drama, debate, foreign language, humanities, and music—believing these are gifts from God to be cultivated and celebrated (Exodus 35:35). Students glorify God by developing and showcasing their talents through performance, worship, and service. Cultural enrichment also includes travel and mission trips that foster empathy, global awareness, and a deeper love for others (Galatians 3:28).

OCS Students put on a musical performance

Physical Education and Athletics

Our physical education program develops strength, health, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Athletic programs promote discipline and character as well as team spirit. PE classes instill lifelong habits of wellness and stewardship of the body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

OCS Students embrace each other for a photo during a school event

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (NIV) “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV) “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV) “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV) “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

1 Timothy 3:15 (NIV) “…the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”

Romans 12:4–5 (NIV) “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Genesis 1:27 (NIV) “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Psalm 139:13–14 (NIV) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'”

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Titus 2:7–8 (NIV) “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned…”

John 13:13–15 (NIV) “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet… I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Philippians 3:12–14 (NIV) “…Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…”

Colossians 3:16 (NIV) “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Colossians 2:6–7 (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him…”

Galatians 5:13 (NIV) “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

James 1:22 (NIV) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV) “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace…”

Galatians 6:1 (NIV) “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently…”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Romans 8:1 (NIV) “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Proverbs 4:7 (NIV) “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV) “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.”

James 3:1 (ESV) “Not many of you should become teachers… for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

Proverbs 1:5 (NIV) “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance…”

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Hebrews 5:14 (NIV) “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Exodus 35:35 (NIV) “He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work… all of them skilled workers and designers.”

Galatians 3:28 (NIV) “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NIV) “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

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Over Five Decades of Christian Education

Oklahoma Christian School (OCS) has been providing Christian education for more than five decades. From its humble beginning as an elementary school with 17 students and 5 teachers, OCS has developed into a flourishing community of over 1200 students.

The school was founded in 1970 as the Christian Center School under the arm of the Christian Conquest Center Church in Oklahoma City. Five years later, it became an independent institution and took the name Oklahoma Christian Schools, Inc. The school saw its first graduating class of 13 students in 1976, and for the next ten years rented facilities from Edmond churches in order to house its steadily growing enrollment. In 1987, OCS moved to the Metro Church (now Life.Church) campus and became neighbors with the church.  For the first time, the entire Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade student body was unified in one location.

OCS completed its first building project in 1995 in the form of a middle school and gymnasium facility. In 2002, OCS was able to purchase land and the two buildings, which had previously been leased from the church. Campus growth became a reality as the school began developing its Master Plan. For the next several years, OCS enhanced the school property by expanding athletic fields, remodeling the playground, and constructing an outdoor amphitheater.

In 2007, the school began construction of the custom-designed Centennial Student Center which was strategically positioned to overlook the athletic fields and provide a practice gymnasium, cafeteria, band room, additional locker rooms, and weight room. Upstairs, the 5th and 6th grade students occupy the seven spacious classrooms. In 2012, the new High School building was completed.

OCS is an independent school accredited by the ACSI and fully recognized by the State Department of Education. Over the past 50 years, OCS has grown and expanded its wide range of classes and its opportunities for students. The school believes that these resources it enjoys are a gift, and that it is OCS’s responsibility to cultivate and steward those resources as it seeks to “partner with families in educating the whole person to glorify God.”

Welcome to OCS

Welcome to Oklahoma Christian School. Our mission is to partner with families in educating the whole person to glorify God. This mission is our driving passion and the focal point of everything we do. We consider every aspect of our curricular and co-curricular programs as an opportunity to shape the whole person.

We are in a wonderful chapter in the history of OCS.  This year, our enrollment is approximately 1,190 students, the largest in OCS history. The OCS campus has undergone a transformation in recent years. The campus has expanded, new buildings have been constructed, and athletic facilities have been enhanced. Our campus transformation continues this year with the renovation and expansion of the middle school building, which will be complete this school year.

Our academic programs also continue to develop. We now offer 13 Advanced Placement courses in addition to our six concurrent college courses. This year one OCS student was named a National Merit Finalist.

OCS has a history of success in athletics, with our boys track and boys golf both winning state championships last year. While we enjoy winning, we are most interested in using athletics as a platform to build our students’ character. Our coaches understand our mission and recognize that encouraging Christ-like character in our students is our highest priority.

Another thing I’m excited about is our teaching staff. Teachers are the heart of a school and one of the key ingredients in shaping a young person. At OCS, we have assembled a team of wonderful people who are deeply committed to the intellectual and spiritual development of our students. Our teachers are professional educators, subject matter experts, and they go the extra mile to prepare our students for a college education and a productive adult life.

We consider it a great privilege to shape the next generation.

Sincerely,

Al King, Ph.D.
Headmaster

Missions

Mission trips give high school students a chance to learn from and serve alongside others in cross-cultural settings. These trips are designed to support local missionaries, churches, and ministry organizations already doing the work.

Students are trained in evangelism before each trip and return with a deeper understanding of God’s work in the world and their role in it. Places served include Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Vancouver, and Ghana.

Missions at OCS are not about checking a box. They are about forming students who serve faithfully and grow in dependence on God.

Biblical Integration

Spiritual formation at OCS reaches beyond Bible class. Teachers intentionally integrate Scripture, prayer, and biblical themes into their subject areas, helping students see how God’s truth connects to all of life. This biblical integration moves beyond just biblical information being integrated into the classroom, but teachers integrate biblical concepts and qualities into classroom practices as well. 

To guide this work, OCS has developed a set of “Big Picture Worldview Questions” that help students apply a biblical lens to what they’re learning and ask thoughtful, discerning questions across disciplines.

Faculty receive regular biblical worldview training led by the Headmaster or Director of Spiritual Formation. These sessions ensure that faith integration remains clear and consistent across every classroom.

Curriculum

From PreK through 12th grade, students engage in Bible classes designed to deepen knowledge and strengthen faith. In the elementary grades, students connect biblical stories and themes to everyday life. In middle school, students move through courses like Old Testament Survey, The Life of Christ, and Introduction to Apologetics.

High school students explore Scripture at an even deeper level by beginning their 9th-grade Bible course with a unit covering hermeneutics (Bible interpretation), and then through courses such as New Testament Survey, Church History, Missiology, Biblical Worldview, Apologetics, and a concurrent credit Theology class. Every course is crafted to match students’ spiritual maturity and challenge them to know God more deeply and live out what they believe.

These rhythms of discipleship are supported by a robust Bible curriculum that grows with students at every stage.

Discipleship

Discipleship at OCS happens in many forms but always with the same goal: to help students grow in their faith and walk more closely with Christ. In addition to Bible classes and chapel, students can take part in faculty- or student-led Bible studies, and small-group mentoring.

High school students lead middle schoolers in weekly Discipleship Groups. These relationships help students across grade levels grow in connection, truth, and servant leadership. Middle school boys can attend Manday Monday, a weekly Bible study, while girls gather for Thrive. High school students also participate in lunch Bible studies, with groups organized by grade and gender. In elementary school, the 4th and 5th grade students are led through a Bible study curriculum focusing on leadership and influence. 

Some students meet with faculty or staff for one-on-one mentoring, creating space for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. Discipleship across the school is coordinated by the Director of Spiritual Formation, who supports students, families, and staff in shaping spiritual rhythms that are both personal and communal.