About Us
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Mission Statement
Sword and Trowel Academy exists to form virtuous men and women prepared to impact their world for God's glory by equipping them with a Christ-centered world view, a clear understanding of biblical truth and Western culture, and the wisdom to identify and pursue God’s call upon his or her life.
Vision
STA’s philosophy begins with the biblical truth that God created the world for His own glory, and in Christ all things hold together.
(Colossians 1:17)
We acknowledge God as the source of all knowledge, and to rightly understand our world, we must anchor ourselves to God’s unchangeable truth, and pursue wisdom outwardly as he reveals his creation to us. [Pro. 1:7, 9:10] Ultimately, all knowledge is a revelation of God’s glory, and a quality education must reflect that truth.
Why a Classical approach?
Modern approaches to education have jettisoned foundational moral truth from education.
Many schools are very good at presenting facts, yet do not acknowledge the source of truth from where those facts are derived [Col. 2:6-10]. Having been denied the context of God’s design and purpose, the modern education system produces students that are very knowledgeable in individual subjects, yet do not have the wisdom to apply those facts properly to the problems of our time.
Knowledge without wisdom can lead students to drastically wrong conclusions in the fields of science, culture, governance, and theology.
Modern secular education seeks to preserve a culture built upon biblical moral truth, while kicking away the foundational supports. The classical approach integrates all educational subjects under one goal, forming the virtuous man and woman.
The values of Christian parents and the values of the modern education system are at odds.
Captured institutions devoid of morality cannot be reformed from within. We must create alternatives that provide educational options that reinforce the biblical values parents wish to preserve and promote. Just as new wine cannot be poured into old wineskins, new institutions are necessary to recapture the parent-directed education of our children for the glory of God. If you agree, you are in the right place.
Take up your Sword and Trowel and join us!
In Christ,
Chris Olderog
Executive Director
We educate with realistic-OPTIMISM...
“Fairy tales do not tell children dragons exist. Children already know dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
- G.K. Chesterton
What is Sword and Trowel Academy?
A classical Christian homeschool co-op
Sword and Trowel Academy (STA) is a classical homeschool co-op providing students with Christ-centered instruction focused on the formation of a biblical worldview.
Our goal is the formation of virtuous men and women. Our approach does not simply impart knowledge, but rather equips students to apply their worldview toward action in the world as they identify and pursue their God-given call upon their lives.
As homeschoolers, parents are responsible for the home instruction of core subjects such as reading, mathematics, and language on their own, allowing parents to tailor the pace and difficulty to their individual children [Deut. 6:4-9].
Accordingly, STA seeks to supplement, not supplant, the parents’ primary role in the education of their child.
STA focuses on culture and worldview by providing a venue and shared curriculum for discussing ideas, sharpening arguments, and integrating academic knowledge with timeless biblical wisdom.
Because of its focus on the formation of a biblical worldview, STA students and parents must adhere to a covenantal statement of faith* that affirms their foundational belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments contained in the Holy Bible [2Tim. 3:14-17].
* Statement of faith at bottom of page
Our Classical Co-Op Model
Classical Education is best defined using the Trivium, or in Latin, the “three roads” of learning.
It consists of three stages based on how children cognitively develop– Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.
Grammar Stage
PreK–6th Grade • Foundation & Memory
Despite the name, the Grammar stage is far more than nouns and adverbs. This beginning stage sets the foundation for all learning. Cognitively, students are sponge-like, absorbing the world around them. Using songs, rhymes, recitations and repetition, we build a rich vocabulary of facts across seven subjects of scripture, science, math, English, timeline, history, and Latin. These topics are introduced in class time from a tutor and practiced at home with parents throughout the week. Our weekly classes also include student presentations, classical literature, a science experiment, a lesson in classical art or music, and an engaging review game to keep memory work fresh.
Advanced Grammar Stage
4th–6th Grade • Deepening Study
Students participate in all activities listed above as well as an afternoon class that includes deeper study in English grammar, discussion around classical novels, stimulating math games, and a lesson from Institutes for Excellence in Writing. All lessons are presented in class with a tutor and assignments are carried out at home throughout the week. While a math game is included in our time together, Sword and Trowel does not provide a comprehensive math curriculum. This class prepares students for the upcoming logic stage in junior high.
Logic Stage
7th–8th Grade • Critical Reasoning
When students approach junior high, they naturally begin asking the “why” behind the facts that have stored in their head and hearts from the grammar stage. They recognize cause and effect and wrestle with reasoning. Beginning to argue, we channel this energy into formal logic through a biblical worldview, critical thinking and understanding the relationship between different fields of study including theology, science, classical literature, history of our western civilization, formal logic and exposition. Class time is rich with instruction and robust discussion over these topics. Students prepare for class time by reading and completing assignments at home during the week. As with the grammar stage, all areas of study are included at Sword and Trowel except for mathematics.
Rhetoric Stage
9th-12th Grade • Persuasion & Faith
The art of expression. Students learn to take the knowledge they have learned and argued and begin to speak and write with elegance, clarity, and persuasion, defending their faith and ideas with wisdom as they prepare for adulthood and higher education. More details to come as Sword and Trowel expands to this stage in the 2027-2028 school year.
For parents considering enrollment
Statement of Faith
Our Core Philosophy
STA’s philosophy begins with the biblical truth that God created the world for His own glory, and in Christ all things hold together [Col. 1:17]. We acknowledge God as the source of all knowledge, and to rightly understand our world, we must anchor ourselves to God’s unchangeable truth, and pursue wisdom outwardly as he reveals his creation to us. [Pro. 1:7, 9:10] Ultimately, all knowledge is a revelation of God’s glory.
Biblical Basis
Sword and Trowel Academy (STA) believes that all authority comes from God, and thus is focused on the formation of a member’s biblical worldview. All members must affirm a covenantal statement of faith that affirms their foundational belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments contained in the Holy Bible.
Anchored to God’s unchangeable truth, we affirm the following foundational beliefs in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A. The Word of God
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God which is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (Deuteronomy 4:2; Psalm 19:7-11; John 15:11; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Tim 3:16-17)
B. The Trinity
There is only one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6), consisting of the three persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16, 28:19); and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. (Matthew 3:16, 28:19; John 17:5; Colossians 2:9; Jude 1:24-25)
C. Creation
God created all things out of nothing, for his own glory (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6,9; Hebrews 11:3). All persons were created perfectly by God, immutably male or female, and have inherent dignity as image bearers of God. (Genesis 1:27-28; Matthew 19:4-5; Genesis 2:24; Colossians 3:10). Therefore, we acknowledge that human life is precious and worthy of protection, marriage is between only one man and one woman, gender is immutable, and homosexual attraction is against God’s design. (Genesis 1:26-27; Leviticus 18:20-22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
D. Sin
All men are sinners who fall short of the glory of God, justly deserving his wrath, the punishment for sin being death. (Romans 3:10-11; 3:23 and 5:12, Psalm 53:1-3; Ephesians 2:1-2; Galatians 5:19-21; James 1:14-15).
E. Salvation
A repentant sinner’s only hope for salvation lie in the work of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore the penalty for our sin by obediently suffering death upon the cross (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 20:28; Hebrews 9:15). This saving work of grace is a gift from God, received by faith alone, apart from personal works, effectual only by the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:4-5, 2:8-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Galatians 4:4-6; Isaiah 53:10; 1 John 2:2)
F. Resurrection
Jesus Christ, on the third day after He was crucified, rose again from the dead in bodily form. (1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 17:31) He ascended into heaven, and intercedes for us as our judge and advocate. (Psalm 110:1, Acts 33-34, Hebrews 1:3) He will come again to redeem his kingdom of believers, resurrecting them bodily to eternal life in Glory. (Matthew 16:27)