About Valor
Raising skilled builders and brave soldiers for the kingdom of God—K-12 in the Stillwater area of Minnesota.
Educate & Enculturate Students in Christ
Education is sacred. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Our mission isn't about merely intellectual information; it's about character formation.
All education begins with a set of assumptions based on faith. Our education begins with the Christian worldview. Our purpose is to pursue truth as revealed in the Bible and through God's creation. The study of the Bible is central. It is the ultimate standard for all truth. In Christ, all things—including all academic disciplines—hold together (Colossians 1:17).
Concentrated Schedule
Core teaching happens Tuesday through Thursday. Monday and Friday are flexible—families choose how to use these days for practice, preparation, or enrichment.
Partnering with Parents
The three-day model keeps parents central. God calls parents to raise their children in the discipline of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), and Valor exists to partner with them.
With the Classical Tradition
Modern education is parochial. Students rarely read primary texts outside the modern period. We aim to revive and pass on the heritage of Western Civilization left to us by the ancients and curated by our forefathers in the faith.
Not every ancient writing is good, so we teach students to discern good and evil with the Bible as the light to their path (Psalm 119:105). Students must be trained to memorize correctly, read closely, think critically, write clearly, and speak compellingly. That is why we use the liberal arts of the classical tradition.
The Trivium — Tools of Language
Learning the basic parts of each subject; cultivating the skill of speaking rightly.
Understanding how the parts relate; cultivating right reasoning and argumentation.
Communicating thinking effectively; cultivating persuasion through clear writing and compelling speech.
The Quadrivium — Arts of Number
Thinking in number—how numbers operate on one another.
Number in space—area, volume, circumference.
Number in time—rhythm, tempo, harmony.
Number in space and time—planetary orbits, the cosmos.
To Glorify God in All of Life
Our aim is for students to fulfill the purpose for which God made them: to glorify God in all of life (1 Corinthians 10:31). We especially want them to glorify God by their valor—demonstrating courage in the face of great danger, the result of firm conviction and steady faith.
Vision for Graduates
Serve God
Whatever they do, our graduates work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing they are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23–24).
Seek Wisdom
Our graduates pursue wisdom as a hidden treasure, inclining their hearts to understanding and crying out for insight (Proverbs 2:1–5).
Stand Firm
Alert and courageous, our graduates stand firm in the faith, acting like men and women of valor, strong in the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:13).
Our Doctrinal Distinctives
These three doctrines distinguish Valor from many other Christian educational institutions. We love them and they shape our education and enculturation.
1. God's Meticulous Sovereignty
God controls everything. There are no accidents. History is the record of God's intentional actions. His sovereignty inspires us to worship, trust, and obey him.
2. God's Good Design
We love God's design for men, women, and children in the home, church, and society—including the authority of a husband, the authority of parents, and the very good differences between men and women that point to the gospel.
3. God's Definition of Justice
Justice is based on biblical righteousness (Psalm 89:14). We reject modern social justice and critical theories. According to Scripture, justice is giving a person what they deserve.
Statement of Faith
The basic beliefs of Valor Classical Academy are those foundational to historic Christianity, summarized in the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Chalcedonian Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. These statements clarify what is true and guard the church from error (Titus 1:9).
Current and prospective families should know that this is the doctrine of Valor. Students and families do not have to completely agree, but they agree not to undermine this doctrine among the Valor community.
What Faculty Affirm
All faculty and staff must joyfully affirm one of the following confessions in good faith:
- The Westminster Confession of Faith
- The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith
- The Treasuring Christ Together Affirmation of Faith
Additionally, all must affirm the Danvers Statement on Biblical Complementarity (1987) and the Nashville Statement on Biblical Sexuality (2017).
Room for Disagreement
These documents do not completely agree. There is room for charitable disagreement on matters such as mode of baptism, observance of the Sabbath, and end-times views.