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Gloria DeoConstitution
Article I Name
Article II Mission
Section 1: Mission and purpose
Article III Statements
Section 2: Faith
Section 3: Christian Education
Section 4: Classical Education
Section 5: Cooperative Education
Section 6: Family
Article IV Membership
Section 1: Specifications
Section 2: Renewing
Section 3: Revocation
Article V Leadership
Section 1: Membership
Section 2: Duties of the Planning Team
Section 3: The Nominating Committee
Section 4: Meetings
Article VI Decision Making
Section 1: Suffrage
Section 2: Quorum; Majority; Consensus
Section 3: Decision Making
Article VII Finances
Section 1: Expenses
Section 2: Personal debts
Article VIII Amendments
Section 1: Proposals
Section 2: Approval
Article IX Dissolution
Section 1: By majority vote
Section 2: Assets
Gloria DeoConstitution
Article IName
The name of the organization shall be Gloria Deo, a Christian Classical Cooperative.
Article II Mission
The mission of Gloria Deo is to glorify God by prayerfully educating, equipping and edifying families who are instructing their children at home with a Christian world view, utilizing a classical philosophy of education.
Amendment to Article II: We are replacing “Christian” above with “Protestant Evangelical”.
Article III Statements
Section 1: Faith
1.1 The Scriptures:
We believe that the 66 books of the Bible, as originally written are holy, verbally inspired by God and the product of Spirit-filled men, and therefore are truth without a mixture of error. We believe it is the complete and final revelation of the will of God to man and that it is the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions are to be tried. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. Therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any passage of Scripture, it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.
1.2 The True God:
We believe that there is only one true God, an infinite, infallible, immutable, intelligent Spirit, independent of the creature; maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unit of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. He works all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory. He is most loving, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. In all, He is most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and He will by no means clear the unrepentant.
1.3 The Lord Jesus Christ:
We believe in the absolute deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He was divine as no other man can be, being God in every respect, existing from all eternity, co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God; that He took upon Himself man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof and yet without sin.
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner and that He was born of a virgin and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son.
We believe that Jesus Christ rose bodily the third day according to the Scriptures; that He ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father; that He alone is our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God.
1.4 The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in Creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment and that He bears witness to the truth. We also believe that He is the agent of the new birth, that He baptizes, indwells, seals, endues, teaches, sanctifies, helps and bestows spiritual gifts upon each believer for godly living and service.
1.5 Satan:
We believe that Satan, an angel created by God, was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the Chief power behind the present apostasy. He is destined, however, to final defeat at the hand of God's own Son and to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire, a place prepared for him and his angels.
1.6 Creation:
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is the historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process.
1.7 The fall of man:
We believe that man in the person of Adam was created in the image of God, in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by birth but also by choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
1.7 The sacrifice for sin:
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the finished work of the Son of God who freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, and by His death made a full, substitutionary, and final sacrifice for our sins. We believe that His sacrifice was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree.
1.8 Justification:
We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer to be righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. Justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of God's righteousness. God bestows this righteousness on the basis of our faith, not on the basis of our works.
1.9 Faith and salvation: the new birth:
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation and that this faith will produce evidence in the life of the convert by a supernatural rebirth.
1.10 The righteous and the wicked:
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. We believe that only those who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of God are truly righteous in His sight; while all that continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death. We believe in the everlasting blessedness of the saved in the presence of God and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the Lake of Fire.
Section 2: Christian Education
2.1 All education is religious (belief based) in nature. Every discipline of knowledge will ultimately have its final reference point and approach to understanding based in either a theistic or a secular-humanistic world view.
2.2 The Christian educator recognizes that all truth comes from God.
Therefore all of learning must begin with the Scriptures and submit its conclusions to God’s Word. Understanding this, we can agree with the assumption that “all truth is God’s truth” and appreciate and learn from subject matter that is not intentionally Christian.
2.4 Gloria Deo is decidedly and purposefully Christian.
2.5 It is recognized that the membership may come from a variety of Christian denominations and traditions.
2.6 Being a multi-denominational Christian community we seek to maintain a spirit of unity and openness on matters of faith and conscience. While the cooperative maintains what could be described as an evangelical theological center, the cooperative is not a church and should not replace or supercede the theology and/or traditions of members.
2.7 Gloria Deo encourages members to teach their children according to the dictates of their church tradition and their personal convictions.
2.8 Christian love and mutuality require deference to the various Christian perspectives represented in the Cooperative. Members must be considerate of the traditions and personal convictions of others.
2.9 Members will not disparage the theological positions of others nor impose personal convictions on the Cooperative or its members.
2.10 Personal matters of morality (dress, music, etc.), denominational doctrine (Armenianism/Calvinism, charismatic gifts, Bible translations, etc.), and educational philosophy (literature bans, etc.) are legitimate matters for educational inquiry, but they shall not be matters of dogma for the cooperative.
2.11 Gloria Deo purposes to edify through prayer support and shared time in God’s Word, by developing character and meaningful Christian relationships, and by use of accountability.
Section 3: Classical Education
3.1 A classical education provides an excellent model by providing tools for learning, a rigorous natural pedagogy (the trivium), a systemized approach to subject matter, an emphasis on Western civilization and core classical disciplines, a focus on language, and classically relevant subjects.
3.2 The Cooperative will make classes which facilitate classical education as a priority.
Section 4: Cooperative Education
4.1 The Cooperative is not a loose collection of home school families meeting purely for mutual support and socialization opportunities, but neither is our Cooperative a rigid public or Christian school alternative. Members want to educate children at home but also appreciate the benefits of “group” education. It is recognized that this is a fine and delicate balance.
4.2 The Cooperative is for families who will be committed, attending weekly Co-op class days and Co-op meetings regularly.
4.3 One or both parents must be willing to serve in a teaching position and other areas of responsibility including leadership.
4.4 The Cooperative classes do not replace, but supplement and enrich the home curricula. The entire school week at home should not revolve around Co-op day.Amendment to III. 4.4a: Whereas the cooperative classes do not replace but supplement the home curricula, it is recognized that members may approve classes that provide curricula recommendations to be completed in the home school. These classes may necessitate completion of recommended work for successful mastery. However, this does not alter the parental responsibility for the student's learning and education.
Amendment to III.4.4b: Whereas the cooperative seeks to harmonize III. 4.4 and 4.8, it is understood that members have desired and felt a need for classes corresponding to essential requirements in their home school, especially in the upper grades. Class choices have and will include those which are demanding and rigorous, which is in keeping with the classical model. Consequently, work at home may revolve around a class or classes.
4.5 The Cooperative will first seek to provide academic courses and enrichment activities that are difficult to do at home. Other courses will be offered as time and scheduling permit.
4.6 All courses are to be considered optional according to the need of the majority and availability of a teacher. No courses should be considered as mandatory or expected.
Amendment to III.4.6: The cooperative is not obligated to provide any specific class. Specific courses are determined by the availability of teachers, GDC philosophy of education, and the needs of the cooperative. Enrollment in core classes is required. Enrollment in electives is optional.
4.7 Experts from the community who share the Co-op’s vision and can teach within the stated objectives may also contribute to the Cooperative. Nonmembers must have approval by consensus in order to teach or participate in the organization of the Cooperative.
4.8 The Cooperative will attempt to abide by the mission and principles of the Constitution while remaining flexible to meet the needs and desires of the members.
4.9 The Gloria Deo Cooperativepurposes to equip its members by offering teacher development and training, by interaction with assessments and feedback, and by the exchange of ideas.
4.10 God has given parents the ultimate accountability over the education of their children, and holds them responsible for every aspect of their training.
4.11 Parents are responsible for reporting to their school district; this includes preparing and sending in appropriate paperwork to the superintendent.
4.12 While the Cooperative is providing educational opportunities, it is the responsibility of the parents to be sure that their child’s education is complete.
Section 5: Family
5.1 We believe that the family is the basic governmental, social, and spiritual unit created by God. In it, the child learns self-government, social relationships, and develops a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.
5.2 We understand “family” to be a male and female, legally married and in covenant relationship, with one or more children. We likewise extend this recognition to include: single parent, childless, adopted child, foster child, step child, and “empty nest” situations.
Article IV Membership
Section 1: Specifications
1.1 Members must agree to abide by Gloria Deo’sConstitution and Handbook and support Gloria Deo’s Mission.
1.2 While the Gloria Deo is not sectarian, members must articulate a living faith in Christ, evince a personal testimony of Christian commitment, be committed to the authority of the Divinely inspired Scriptures, and faithfully participate in a local church.
1.3 Families will be selected according to the dictates of the application process and contingent on consensus approval of the current Gloria Deo members.
1.4 Membership and participation are free from discrimination based on race, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, or disability.
Section 2: Renewing
2.1 Renewal must be decided by January 18 each year.
2.2 Renewing applicants must indicate their continued support of Gloria Deo’s Mission and their agreement to abide by the Constitution and Handbook each year.
Section 3: Revocation
3.1 Confessional, ethical or participatory non-compliance with any part of the defining documents of the Gloria Deo Cooperative will result in consideration for revocation of right of membership and/or participation.
3.2 Revocation of right of membership or participation is a disciplinary action, and as such would most appropriately be preceded by one-on-one and small group interaction to avoid the necessity of such action.
Article V Planning Team
Section 1: Membership
1.1 The Planning Team shall consist of an odd number of members greater than two.
1.2 Planning Team members shall normally be elected by secret, hand-written ballot at the year-end group meeting and shall assume duties immediately.
1.3 The term shall be one year beginning at the end of the school year.
1.4 Planning Team members may serve unlimited consecutive terms.
1.5 In order to maintain continuity, when possible, two-thirds of the officers need to be
incumbent.
1.6 Vacancies occurring during the year shall be filled by a unanimous vote of the
remaining Planning Team members in order to maintain a spirit of unity among the Team members.
1.7 Nominations will be recommended by the membership to a Nominating
Committee.
Section 2: Duties of the Planning Team
2.1 The function of the Planning Team is not to mandate Gloria Deo policy, but to promote dialogue, monitor policy, implement procedures, and provide general oversight of Gloria Deo.
2.2 Planning Team members should function as a team of equals in order to maintain a system of “checks and balances.” Through mutual consent the team may choose distinct roles and responsibilities.
2.3 Any of the Planning Team may make proposals.
2.4 Appointing members to positions and committees will be done by consent of all the Planning Team members.
Section 3: The Nominating Committee
3.1 The Nominating Committee will be formed at the beginning of the Fourth Quarter by volunteers from the general membership.
3.2 At least one member of the Nominating Committee shall be a Planning Team member whose term is not expiring.
3.3 The Nominating Committee will recommend not more than two candidates per opening.
Section 4: Meetings
4.1 Meetings will be scheduled by agreement of the Planning Team - meeting each
month during the school year and other meetings as needed.
4.2 Advisors may be invited to the Planning Team meetings by unanimous
agreement of the Team members.
Article VI Decision Making
Section 1: Suffrage
1.1 The voting member of Gloria Deo is defined as the primary teaching parent of each member family.
1.2 There shall be one vote per family.
Section 2: Quorum; Majority; Consensus
2.1 A quorum is necessary for all major Gloria Deo decisions. Quorum will be defined as requiring 3/4 of the voting membership to be present at a Cooperative meeting.
2.2 Majority will be defined as 3/4 of the voting members present at a meeting.
2.3 To the extent possible, Gloria Deo will make decisions by consensus.
2.4 Consensus does not mean that all members agree. Consensus means all members seek agreement but that all members are willing, on occasion, to defer their minority opinion to the will of the majority if agreement cannot be reached.
2.5 When all sincere attempts to reach consensus have been exhausted, a 3/4 vote will be required for major decisions by those present at a Cooperative meeting.
Section 3: Decision Making
3.1 Decision-making within the Planning Team should strive for consensus but a majority of two-thirds is required for decisions in which consensus is not obtained.
3.2 Policy and procedure of Gloria Deo and the recommendations of the Planning Team are subject to the will of the members.
3.3 Anyone may request that voting by the general membership be done by secret ballot and counted by two members (tellers) appointed by the Planning Team.
3.4 Policies which are made by consensus should remain for a year before being revisited, unless a Planning Team member has a specific reason for them to be reconsidered within a short time after the meeting.