I attended the public school. My entire childhood. And yet my father and mother homeschooled me. Such an understanding of the biblical mandate to train children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord should be a uniting truth among Christians who disagree over formal methods. Christian nurture is not about any specific formal or structured method, whether at home or at school.

Coming home, my mind swirled with a thousand and one questions. Questions about politics and Christianity. Evolution and science. God’s will. Prayer in school.

I spent that night—as I had many a night for years—with my family. Focusing my thoughts like a laser-beam, I asked my parents one or two choice questions. We discussed them. We opened the Bible and examined it. Talked about it. And resolved the questions.

Friday night was not talk-about-life night, because it was board-game night. Although my dad did not care for games, in love he consented on most Friday’s to engage in a little fun. And we had no TV to entertain us.

When possible, as a family, we would walk with our lovable Doberman (they are actually faithful family dogs). I dressed conservatively. I never dated. I never listened to rock ‘n roll.

My sister did once. Some song longing for peace: “People are people, so why should it be that you and I get along so awfully.” Reading the lyrics out loud, she laughed: “People don’t get along because they are sinners!” I snickered.

With my father the local ecclesiastical black-sheep, I quickly learned some critical thinking. We attended Sunday worship: morning, evening and mid-week. I listened to radio preachers. Together we listened to Dobson at night.

We talked. And we conversed. Or more precisely, my father fulfilled Deuteronomy 6 by taking impromptu opportunities to discuss life and God.

Our low-cost entertainment was action flicks. We saw them at the local dollar theater. We never once used the concession stand. It cost way too much. I never knew it then, but I was poor. Not dirt poor, just poor. And that poverty meant we could not attend the new local Christian school. Or any private school for that matter.

Instead, I attended the public school. My entire childhood. And yet my father and mother homeschooled me.

Such an understanding of the biblical mandate to train children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord should be a uniting truth among Christians who disagree over formal methods. Christian nurture is not about any specific formal or structured method, whether at home or at school. But it is about the everyday need for parents to live and teach God’s Word.

History demonstrates that Christians used many methods, from homeschooling to tutoring to local schooling. But the constants were, among other things, parental involvement, a loving attitude and especially a gospel-centered faith. A faith that transforms a house into a home. This integrates the family from a mere physical closeness to spiritual unity. This type of nurture will have our future children telling their children, “My father homeschooled me–and I will homeschool you.”

Shawn C. Mathis is Pastor of Providence Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Denver, Colo.