Historical Overview

In 1986, as a ministry of the Howell Church of the Nazarene, a Kindergarten-6th grade Christian school was established in Livingston County. Howell Nazarene Christian School (HNCS) opened its doors with a small number of students but quickly grew. The original mission of the school was to train children to be followers of Christ in every phase of life. HNCS was first accredited in 1995. In 1996, HNCS added an early childhood program and then in 1998 a building expansion allowed grades seven and eight to be added.  

To reflect the many different churches represented by the growing student body, the school was renamed Livingston Christian Schools (LCS) in 2003. This name change reflected the broadening range of churches and denominations represented by school families as the school had become distinctly multi-denominational. School governance also changed at this time, from a committee of the Howell Nazarene Church to an independent school board, having been released as a direct ministry of the church.  

In 2005, LCS received accreditation from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) for kindergarten through eighth grade. It also expanded its class offerings, beginning a high school with a small number of students in ninth grade. 

To accommodate future growth, in the fall of 2006, Livingston Christian Schools purchased the former location of St. Mary’s Catholic school in Pinckney, Michigan. This campus was ten miles south of the original location in downtown Howell, and offered classes from early childhood through grade ten. 

In 2009, a senior class of four students was the first to graduate from LCS! Continued program expansions included preschool programming for three year olds, instrumental music programs, and LCS joined the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). Through collaborative efforts with parents, board, and staff, LCS updated the school’s mission statement to: Building Disciples through Biblically Based Education. In 2012, LCS was granted dual re-accreditation from ACSI/AdvancEd.

In 2014, the Brighton Nazarene Church (BNC), aka “The Naz,” invited LCS to relocate to its new building addition. LCS arranged to sell the Pinckney location to a local charter school. During the late spring and early summer of 2015, however, legal technicalities stemming from the relationship between the church (BNC) and Genoa Township, in which the church is located, delayed LCS from occupying the building for the 2015-16 school year.  Therefore, during the summer of 2015, the LCS board worked to secure a temporary home and in mid-August of 2015 entered into a lease with Whitmore Lake Public Schools (WLPS), a community just south of Brighton.  

In 2018, LCS was free to move to its current location within the NAZ where it continues to grow! The school currently offers educational programs for Preschool (3’s) through 12th grade, including dual enrollment classes in the high school.