Our History

In 1959 First Baptist Church of Westwood Lake established Westwood Christian School as its Christian academic educational ministry under the direction of Pastor Marvin M. Gochenour. Our vison was then and continues to be to reach the students we minister to with the gospel of Jesus Christ, to mold them with Christian values, and to provide them with an excellent academic education.

1976
First Graduating Senior Class
1992
Two additional buildings expanded the campus
1999
Preschool and High School buildings were added
2004
107 Avenue and Ranch locations are combined as one campus
2010
107 Avenue and Ranch locations are combined as one campus
2019
Increased campus size to 40 acres through the purchase of the 118th and 56th street corner parcel

Today, we provide our students with a beautiful 35-acre campus complete with academic buildings, athletic fields, swimming pools, and horse facilities.

The success of Westwood Christian School is attributed to faithful dependence upon God’s direction and His continued blessings, as well as strong administrative leadership, a faithful, dedicated, and qualified Christian faculty and staff, a highly developed curriculum, and the cooperation of dedicated parents who value the need for a Christian education. Together, these contribute to providing students with an ongoing environment where they can learn and grow.

Our Mission

As a ministry of First Baptist Church of Westwood Lake, the mission of Westwood Christian School is to lead students to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to provide an excellent Biblical and academic education that will serve the student in subsequent educational levels. We want our students to be prepared as they serve the Lord and seek His guidance regarding further education and ministry.

Our Core Values

We determine to teach and to promote these core values to all our students, parents, and staff by demonstrating Christ-like characteristics in everyday circumstances and by reflecting the Christ we serve in our testimony.

Compassion (Colossians 3:12)
Honesty (Proverbs 12:17)
Respect (Titus 2:2)
Integrity (Titus 2:7)
Success (1 Samuel 18:14)
Trust (Proverbs 3:5)

Our Leadership Team

Dr. Marc Mortensen
Dr. Marc MortensenSenior Pastor
Dr. Marc MortensenSenior Pastor
Dr. Mortensen came to First Baptist Church of Westwood Lake in 1975 as the Youth Pastor and a Bible teacher for Westwood Christian. He was the administrator for the school from 1976 to 1989. In March of 2004, he became the second Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Westwood Lake.
Mr. Bill Thomson
Mr. Bill ThomsonHead Administrator
Mr. Bill ThomsonHead Administrator
Mr. Thomson oversees all operations of the school for grades K2-12. His responsibilities include teacher supervision, maintaining security and safety throughout the school campus, emphasizing a Biblical worldview in every aspect of the school program, fostering a “family-Christian” atmosphere, and vision-casting for current and future success.
Mrs. Christie Ross
Mrs. Christie RossPrimary School Principal
Mrs. Christie RossPrimary School Principal
Mrs. Ross's role as elementary principal is to look for ways to improve the students, parents, and teachers experiences at school. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing programs and curriculum within the preschool and elementary. She provides support to the teachers through professional development, ensuring that every child receives the best possible education.
Pastor Sean Fullerton
Pastor Sean FullertonPastor of Student Ministries
Pastor Sean FullertonPastor of Student Ministries
Pastor Fullerton is responsible for meeting with students about issues with discipline; he teaches high school Bible and other electives, and assists in whatever else needs to be accomplished. He describes himself as an "all around good guy."
Mr. Benjamin Powell
Mr. Benjamin PowellSecondary School Principal
Mr. Benjamin PowellSecondary School Principal
Mr. Powell assists Mr. Thomson with various administrative tasks necessary to run the Middle and High School. He also assists with the scheduling of teachers and classes annually. He acts as a bridge between secondary staff and the administrator, promoting academic integrity. Finally, he fills in for the administrator when he is away representing the school, as well as coordinating summer school.
Dr. Laurie Oksanen
Dr. Laurie OksanenGuidance Counselor
Dr. Laurie OksanenGuidance Counselor
Dr. Oksanen works with students to help them discover where they will find the greatest academic success, both at Westwood and in their future studies. She organizes parent/teacher conferences, maintains and implements Student Educational Plans, coordinates Stanford and college preparatory testing, assists with course scheduling, and serves as the English Department Head.

Our Statement of Faith

We believe in the verbal inspiration of the sixty-six books of the Bible, that they are without error, and that they are the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice. We further believe that the Scriptures reveal God, the fall of man, the way of salvation, and God’s plan and purpose of the ages.

We believe there is one and only one true and living God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-eternal and co-equal from all eternity, each with distinct personalities but with one nature.

We believe in the deity and virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He came to the world, was born of a virgin, suffered, died, was buried, rose again bodily and ascended to the right hand of the Father.

We believe in the person and work of the Holy Spirit: conviction of sin, regeneration of sinners, and the indwelling of the believer.

We believe that salvation is by grace plus nothing and minus nothing. The conditions of salvation are repentance and faith. We further believe that a soul is saved when Christ is received as personal Savior and Lord, and that the Holy Spirit imparts eternal life.

We believe that the believer is eternally secure, and that it is the plan of God for each believer to walk after the Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

We believe in baptism by immersion of the believer in water, symbolizing Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and the believers’ identification with Him. We do not believe that baptism saves but it is an outward expression of an inward change. There are only two ordinances of the Church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The elements of the Lord’s Supper merely symbolize the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. We reject the doctrine of transubstantiation.

We believe that a New Testament Church is a local group of baptized believers, united for His purpose, knowledge, and the spread of the Word of God, including worldwide missions. We believe the local church is completely independent and is autonomous with no other person, group or body having any authority, jurisdiction or control whatsoever over it.

We believe in the visible, personal and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of the righteous dead at His coming. We further believe in the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.

Associations