Our Mission
We will teach Truth and cultivate character through an engaging Christ-centered education.
Our Focus Verse
FROM COLOSSIANS 1:10-12
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of the kingdom of light.
Our Vision
To develop servant leaders equipped with the robust character, logic and resilience needed to impact the world for Christ.
3 Foundational Components
We believe children need 3 foundational components from their education:
Character Formation
To cultivate “Oaks of righteousness” per Isaiah 61:3 by acquainting students daily with their creator thereby helping them to discover who God created them to be
Exemplary Academics
To create an environment that fosters a love of learning while holding students to high academic standards
Grace To Grow
To allow safe places to share ideas, listen, discuss respectfully, make mistakes, and grow
6 Core Distinctions
We believe there are 6 core distinctions that make our school unique:
God Centered
We understand our broken, sinful human condition and deeply believe that only God can change human hearts and give us purpose
Classical & Experiential
We are data-informed and classically-designed, training children to think critically and apply what they learn to real life through experiential opportunities
World Engagement
We will assist children in navigating the world, its opportunities, ideas, and struggles. We are committed to having kids engage in their neighborhoods, communities, and the world
High Accountability
We believe radical accountability coupled with radical grace for teachers, parents, and students leads to a thriving environment that cultivates growth.
Staff Stewardship
We believe that staff will serve children best out of the overflow of God’s work in their own lives. Therefore, we will commit to pray for, listen to, mentor, and grow our staff spiritually and vocationally
Accessible for All
Through donor events and a partner sponsorship program, we finance our mission through benevolent giving and through a fair-share, income-based tuition model
How It Began...
The desire for a new school in the Brainerd Lakes Area was born in the heart of a mom who looked out over the landscape of our current culture and became concerned about how truly prepared her children were for life. She wondered about their resiliency, God-confidence, and their understanding of God’s unique giftings and calling for each of them.
The first seed in the planting began with a call to a respected friend. The request was simple - “Who do you know that might be interested in opening a new Christian school?” One year and many connections later, the Lord brought together a widely varied and skilled group of talented individuals. Each followed their own God-guided path to join a Steering Committee that eventually became the founding board tasked with building the initial foundations of the school. In April, 2022, the Founding Board hired the school’s first Head of School who worked tirelessly to hire teachers and prepare the rented classrooms of Heritage Church in Baxter, MN for the inaugural opening. The doors of Stâre Academy officially opened in September 2022 with 45 pre-K through 8th grade students.
Over the course of the next few years, the school has steadily grown to over 120 students and increased in influence throughout the community. In the fall of 2025, the name of the school was officially changed to Grove Christian Academy. Though the name changed, the mission, vision, and steadfast commitment to teach Truth and cultivate character have not changed. We have built our model on the belief that our students will flourish and transform when we raise the bar, not lower it. Therefore, our school is grounded in a vision of education that forms the whole person to become graduates who lead think critically and lead faithfully.