Is Stewardship Optional? The Biblical Case for Tuition-Free Schools
- Dalena Wallace
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Imagine a world where sending your children to a private Christian school doesn’t require a second mortgage. Imagine a community where the burden of tuition is lifted, not by government handouts, but by the Body of Christ operating exactly as it was designed to.
It sounds like a dream, or perhaps a scam. But in Wichita, Kansas, it is a reality.
In the latest episode of WISE and Otherwise, we tackled a topic that makes some people uncomfortable and others incredibly hopeful: Stewardship. Specifically, we looked at the unique model of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, where many schools are tuition-free for active parishioners.
The "Wichita Miracle"
As Emmi shared in the episode, her family moved from Minnesota to Kansas specifically for this model. They heard about "free" Catholic schools and, like many, were skeptical. But what they found was a community deeply committed to the Stewardship Way of Life.
This isn’t about a "free ride." It’s about a covenant. In exchange for a tuition-free education, families commit to an active stewardship of their Time, Talent, and Treasure.
It’s More Than Just Writing a Check
When we hear the word "stewardship" in church, we usually clutch our wallets. We think of capital campaigns and building funds. But a true biblical model of stewardship, the kind that can make education accessible to all, goes far beyond finances.
As we discussed, the definition of stewardship is "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care."
If we want to remove the barrier of tuition, we need to activate the Talents of the congregation.
Time: Volunteering for lunch duty, cleaning the church, or helping with faith formation classes.
Talent: Are you a marketer? A web designer? A handyman? Using these professional skills for the school reduces overhead costs significantly.
Treasure: Yes, tithing is part of it. But it’s about funding the mission of education as a form of discipleship.
As Emmi noted, "The burden is not just all on the teachers or administration." When the parents carry the load, the cost of the load goes down.
The Parable of the Talents: A Warning?
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. The master entrusts his property to his servants. Two of them invest and multiply what they were given. One buries it out of fear.
The master’s response to the servant who buried his talent is jarring: "You wicked and slothful servant!"
This passage forces us to ask a convicting question: Is stewardship optional?
In many of our churches, we treat active engagement as an "extra credit" assignment. We think, "I tithed, so I’m done." But if we look at the scripture, the expectation is multiplication. We are called to take what God has given us—our specific skills, our time, our resources—and invest them into the Kingdom.
Education is Discipleship
Why does this matter for schools? Because education is discipleship. It is the Great Commission in action—training the next generation in the way they should go.
If Protestant churches can grasp this vision—that supporting a school is missions work—we can transform our communities. We can lead the nation from right here in the Heartland.
The Challenge
We are challenging pastors, parents, and church leaders to stop viewing Christian education as a luxury product for the wealthy, and start viewing it as a communal responsibility.
If we pool our gifts, if we stop burying our talents and start investing them in our schools, we can break the financial chains that keep families out of Christian education.
Listen to the full conversation on the WISE and Otherwise podcast to hear more about how we can reclaim education through biblical stewardship.
Want to see this model in action? Watch the HERO documentary at heartlandhero.org/herofilm to meet the pastors and leaders who are already blazing this trail.
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