About Mariners Christian School
We Are MCS
Nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School, Mariners Christian School is a coeducational independent Christian school of over 700 students located in Costa Mesa, California. Established in 1987, the school’s mission is “building a firm foundation through Christ-centered education” in the heart and mind of each child. Each student’s development is nurtured in an academically rigorous and Christ-centered environment.
Students benefit from a disciplined academic environment that is challenging, exciting, and diverse, one that encourages a life-long love for learning. Students also benefit from a comprehensive educational program that presents a distinctly Christian worldview in every subject area.
Teachers at Mariners Christian School are passionate about discovering the uniqueness and giftedness of each child. Faculty and staff members are highly skilled and motivated, striving to develop in children the ability to think, reason, study, create, and communicate. Teachers are Bible-believing Christians who are committed to influencing students toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Parents at MCS have myriad opportunities to become involved in their child’s educational process, such as volunteering in the classroom, attending Parents in Prayer, or serving on a fundraising committee. Teachers, parents, and administrators partner closely together to ensure that each student achieves his or her greatest God-given potential. Mariners Christian School was awarded the Blue Ribbon status in 2007 and again in 2020.
Core Values of MCS
Love for Christ
Discipling students to love God’s Word, grow in personal relationships with Jesus, understand how to defend their faith, and inspire them to be Difference Makers for His Kingdom.
Exemplary Academics
Developing lifelong learners through rigorous academic standards focused on mastery of content, Biblical worldview integration, and cultivation of necessary skills and habits to continually grow as scholars.
Whole Child Focus
Meeting the academic, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of the whole child by unlocking giftings, strengths, talents, potential, and passions so that all continually grow in who God has created them to be.
Connected Community
Building relationships and belonging within a unified community that models Jesus’ command to love God and love others.
Culture of Innovation
Nurturing curiosity, imagination, and passion through research-based design thinking that provides avenues for discovery, creativity, invention, and problem solving.
Mariners Christian School is a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School
The Blue Ribbon designation is the highest honor given by the Department of Education and is used to recognize schools that have demonstrated exemplary achievement and overall academic excellence. MCS qualified for this honor initially in 2007 and again in 2020. The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of MCS students, educators, and families in creating a safe and welcoming school where our students can master challenging and engaging content.
ACCREDITATION
CESA
Mariners Christian School maintains a CESA accreditation, which holds Christian schools to superlative academic standards.
ACCREDITATION
WASC
Mariners Christian School maintains a WASC accreditation, which validates schools engaging in rigorous learning opportunities for all students.
Our Facility
Mariners Christian School’s 6.3 acre campus houses a 93,000-square-foot facility with over 50 state-of-the-art classrooms featuring:
- Fully-equipped elementary and middle school MakerSpace classrooms
- 3 state of the art Middle School science labs
- Technology Center with elementary and middle school computer labs plus 3 mobile i-Book laptop systems
- Foreign language in both elementary and middle school
- Athletic Center with turf fields, blacktop courts, locker rooms, and gymnasium equipped for basketball and volleyball
- The Mariners Institute of the Arts, home of the Argyros Center for Worship and the Performing arts, including separate classrooms for music, band, fine arts, and tech arts
- Expansive playground areas with new playground equipment and covered lunch tables
Est. 1987
Our History
For nearly 40 years, the school’s mission has been and still is “building a firm foundation through Christ-centered education” in the heart and mind of each child.
1987
MCS is founded with the mission to build a firm foundation through Christ-centered education for children in Orange County.
2007
MCS qualified for the honor of the coveted National Blue Ribbon School award initially in 2007 and again in 2020.
2020
Something like**The Bright Future Campaign reached phase 2 in remodeling our building.
Today
With over 700 students, MCS remains the largest and only covenant Christian school left in Orange County.
Statement of Faith
Mariners Christian School has been a committed, covenant Christian school since its founding in 1987. As a decidedly Christian school, it is required that at least one parent from each family profess a belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, agrees to our Statement of Faith, regularly attends and participates in church, and is able to provide a recommendation from that church. Our mission to “build a firm foundation through Christ-centered Education”, the core value of Love for Jesus, and strong partnership between the school and family is best achieved through this spiritual alignment and shared beliefs.
MCS' Beliefs
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three co-equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14
We believe Jesus Christ rose physically from the dead and ascended into heaven to demonstrate His power over sin and death. John 20:25-27; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 1:4
We believe that human beings were created in the image of God to be like Him in character and to be in relationship with Him. Human beings are born with a sinful nature and, apart from Jesus Christ, are eternally separated from God. As a result, each one has sinned by defying God and has fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15-17; 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3
We believe that human beings were created to exist forever. They will either exist eternally separated from God in hell or eternally united with Him in heaven. John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15:50-58; I Thessalonians 4:15-18; Revelation 20:12-15
We believe that God the Son became human in the person of Jesus Christ, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14; Colossians 1:15, 19
We believe that Jesus Christ will return again to earth to establish His kingdom and reign forever in righteousness and peace. Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11; Revelation 21:1-8
We believe that salvation from our sinful condition is a free gift of God. It is not something we earn or deserve because of good works. It must be received personally by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. John 1:12; 3:16; 10:27-30; Romans 3:28; 8:31-38; Ephesians 2:8-9
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, who attempts to defeat Christians through deception. Believers overcome Satan’s schemes by applying biblical truth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Job 1:6-12; John 8:44; Ephesians 6:10-18; I Peter 5:8-9
We believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and offered himself as the only perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people. All who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His death. Romans 3:24- 26; 5:6-10; II Corinthians 5:14-15, 21; I Peter 3:18
We believe that the Bible, consisting of all sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the written Word of God, our final authority on all matters to which it speaks, without error in the original manuscripts. Psalm 19:7-11; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21
We believe that the Holy Spirit lives in every believer from the moment of salvation. He provides all Christians with power for living and is in the ongoing process of transforming believers into the likeness of Jesus Christ. John 14:16-17; Romans 6:1-14; 8:9-17; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:6
We believe the Church consists of all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. Believers need to maintain a regular commitment to attend a local church fellowship. Believers are to grow in spiritual maturity, love each other as Christ loved us, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through words and compassionate actions. Matthew 16:16-18; 22:37-38; 28:19-20; John 13:34- 35; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:25
Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
The United States Supreme Court has provided churches and other religious organizations with constitutional protection for these beliefs:
Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned. The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths, and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered. The same is true of those who oppose same-sex marriage for other reasons. In turn, those who believe allowing same sex marriage is proper or indeed essential, whether as a matter of religious conviction or secular belief, may engage those who disagree with their view in an open and searching debate.
Obergefell v. Hodges, U.S. 644 (2015).
Mariners Christian School is operated on a non-discriminatory basis, and no child shall be excluded from admission on the basis of race, color, or national origin. We do reserve the right to screen applicants on the basis of religious preference. At least one parent of each student must be a professing and active born again Christian.
MCS' Beliefs
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. We believe this to be God’s intentional design, His handiwork, for humanity. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Genesis 1:26-27
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10
We believe marriage is ordained and instituted by God and, according to Scripture, is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. Genesis 2:18-25
We believe that in order to preserve the intent of Scripture and provide a biblical role model to all members of the Mariners Christian School community, it is expected that all persons, in any role capacity, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22
We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that relationships outside of heterogeneous marriage are inconsistent with the sacredness of marriage and the teachings in Scripture. 1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4
Strategic Plan
In Spring of 2025, we launched our next Five-Year Strategic Plan: Firm Foundation. This plan outlines Mariners Christian School’s next steps to continue securing a flourishing future for the school and every student within our walls.
