Hatred, violence, poverty, ecological disaster, famine, economic uncertainty,
moral degeneration -- the list of global evils is well-known and frightening. People everywhere are concerned and troubled.
We believe God has given Black Forest Academy a unique, significant role to play in the Christian response to the world's
needs. That role is to equip future leaders with the only answer that transcends nations and cultures. We define it as,
International Christian Education.
The Vision
There are many international schools in Europe that serve the needs of
expatriates. Like them, BFA serves an international community. Our students come from over 25 countries. Unlike the other
schools, almost all our students are children of evangelical missionaries who serve with over 40 mission organizations. This
international dimension has resulted in a unique, God-given ministry at BFA. Our homes, our curriculum, our facilities, our
values, our policies, our handbook, our entire lives are affected by Christ's command to consider the needs of the world
from the perspective of personal responsibility. Christians are true internationalists because only the Gospel transcends
race, nations, and cultures and has an answer relevant to the needs of all. We are committed to training future generations
who will go into the world with the conviction that they can change it and have an impact on society for the glory of God.
The Purpose
BFA was founded as the Janz Team house school in 1956. Since the early 1970s, the
ministry evolved to offer two important services to European missions. On the one hand, it serves missions by providing a
Christian, English language education for the children of missionaries and for other international students. On the other
hand, BFA operates as a front-line missionary endeavor in its own right. We serve as a model to our students and European
Christian educators of International Christian Education in operation. BFA promotes and assists the cause of evangelism and
church growth through a diverse group of Christian education ministries.
Educational Philosophy
The focus of BFA is Christian education and the training of young people into a
Christian world view in which values, beliefs and attitudes are rooted in biblical teaching. Therefore, believing that God
exists, and that He has revealed Himself and His truth to us through His word and His world, we hold that our entire
educational program is a process used by the Holy Spirit to bring our students into fellowship with God through Christ Jesus.
Such an educational program develops a biblical perspective of life in them and trains our students in godly living, so that
they can fulfill God's purpose for their lives personally and vocationally.
Finances
The salaries of BFA faculty and staff are normally financed by contributions from
churches, family and friends channeled through the mission organizations. Supporters of our staff are truly participating in
the missionary endeavor by allowing us to keep tuition and fees affordable for missionary families, because salaries are
normally the major portion of a school budget.
Campus Development
Improvements to the school facilities are financed through a capital assessment
fee and contributions solicited from friends of BFA in North America. Among the projects completed with these funds in the
past were three science labs, a computer lab, a large resource centre for BFA's 17,000 volumes and numerous multimedia
resources, an assembly room for chapel and church services, a printing shop and graphic arts room, an outdoor multi-purpose
sports court and improvements to the student residences. A major capital fund drive called Project Nehemiah has just been
completed. Project Nehemiah raised $1 million in cash and volunteer labour helped finance construction of a multipurpose hall
next to the high school building.
Vital Alternative To . . .
1. Missionaries leaving the mission field - which many do in order to educate
their high school-aged children in their home country.
2. The international school of Europe, which have
curricula founded in secular humanism.
3. The national schools of Europe, where instruction is also based on
secularism. They also fail to prepare students linguistically or culturally for post-secondary education in an
English-speaking world.
Prime Location for a School
BFA is located in the Black Forest of South-western Germany, considered a
vacationland by German nationals. Our decentralized campus, with school building and student residences in several villages
provides the advantages of small-town life. Big-city shopping and services are available in nearby Freiburg, Basel and
Lörrach. Many museums, historic sites and cultural attractions are within an hour's drive in Germany, France and
Switzerland. It's just a 30-minute drive to an international airport and railway stations.
Additional Services:
BFCF - Black Forest Christian Fellowship . . . an English language church
meeting in the facilities of BFA. It offers worship, fellowship, teaching and discipling to students, staff and area
residents.
IFCI - International Family and Church Growth Institute . . . provides training in biblical
counselling for missionaries and pastors, as well as counselling services and pastoral care for missionaries in Europe. IFCI
exists to promote church growth through godly families.
Public Ministries . . . coordinates evangelistic
outreaches, practical ministries (work teams) and summer ministries at BFA. Public Ministries uses BFA's identity as a
professional institution to create opportunities for evangelism, and it exposes ways to serve and promote missions in Europe.
For further information, see the Black Forest Academy website:
