Where He leads, I’ll Follow

I’m sure that most parents wonder what their children will be like when they grow up, and it’s likely that they are truly surprised to see the path that God leads them on.  God created each one of our children very different, and I am so thankful for each of their unique qualities.

From my perspective, Allison has had a great jr. and sr. high experience.  Not everything has necessarily gone exactly the way she has wanted it to go, but along the way I could see God directing her path and her future.  In juggling my position as a school superintendent with my responsibilities as a father, I have seen many students, like Allison, use the opportunities afforded them at Faith Christian School to further their walk with Christ, as well as develop key qualities to help them be effective in God’s world.

 Stewardship of Talents:  1 Corinthians 4:2

I believe many of Allison’s experiences at Faith Christian School have molded and developed her life path.  She has participated in volleyball and basketball where being a part of a team and juggling responsibilities have given her the work ethic and friendships to accomplish common goals and have encouraged Allison to set aside personal accomplishments for the good of the team.  Allison has also been involved with the Faith Ministry Team along with playing in the band and singing in the choir.  Seeing her use her talents and abilities to serve others has demonstrated to me her desire to put others first and seek out their interests instead of her own.  When we realize and understand that God has given us talents and that we are responsible to use them for His honor and glory, God is the one who ultimately receives the praise that He deserves.

Serving Others:   Philippians 2:5-8

Allison has also been a team leader for our school’s Eagle Fair.  Leading peers, making schedules, and communicating expectations have allowed her to develop key leadership qualities for her future vocational goals.  Allison has also been stretched academically at Faith.  She has had to learn to balance her time and work very hard for her grades.  I believe, through some of these trials, Allison has developed a compassionate heart for struggling students as well as a desire to see students succeed even while having high standards.  Jesus Christ modeled for us what it looks like to serve others.  He laid aside His crown; He looked for the needs of others; He picked up a towel and washed dirty feet; and He set out to ultimately do the will of His Father, until it was finished.

Participation:   Matthew 19: 13 – 14

Over the past 18 years, I have seen Allison develop a true love for children and for helping others.  One of my favorite opportunities that Allison and I have shared was our trip to Hope Christian School in Masaka, Uganda, Africa, last summer.  We spent 10 days in Africa serving in a variety of capacities, but our favorite aspect of the trip was serving specifically at Hope Christian School.  We helped build a playground for the students.  Allison and another student presented a Bible lesson for the students and simply looked for practical ways to minister to the children at Hope Christian School.  This mission trip impacted Allison enough to guide her and direct her to someday return to Africa as an elementary teacher and possibly as a missionary.  I believe that the students at Faith Christian School are given so many unique and exciting opportunities in which to participate.  I appreciate seeing students take advantage of the activities, classes, programs, and trips that they are able to be a part of.  Using these opportunities can truly direct their path into many effective avenues of future service.

As the superintendent at FCS, I am very proud of each of our seniors.  Many of these seniors will leave FCS very well prepared and with a wonderful Biblical worldview that will serve as a tremendous foundation for their future.  My pastor often says that “the proof is in the pudding” – meaning that people will view the success or lack of success of our school through the lives and testimonies of our graduates.  I want our seniors to be prepared to live effectively in God’s world, and I also want our students to walk across that stage and receive their diploma, all the while having a deeper and more meaningful relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Allison – I’m so proud of you!  You’re almost there.  I hope that your life will be an offering and sacrifice to the Lord where one day you will hear Him say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your rest”.

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Enduring Commitment Plus Some New Programs

Indiana’s new Choice Scholarship program and revised Scholarship Tax Credit program can help a certain number of qualifying families who transfer in from public schools.  The Scholarship Tax Credit program can even help students starting in kindergarten.  However, the need is still strong for families who are currently enrolled or who are not coming in from a public school.  If we believe in Christian education, and we believe it would benefit even more students that simply need a helping hand to obtain it or keep it, then we will work and give toward that end. For 15 years, FCS families, faculty, staff, and other committed supporters have done just that through various fundraising events.  One such event kicked off on April 10, and that is our Eagle Fit program in the elementary.

It’s All About “Students Helping Students!”

During Eagle Fit, kindergarteners through 6th graders (with guidance from their parents) will ask for tax-deductible donations from family members, family friends, fellow church members, neighbors, etc., so that they can help other students receive a quality Christian education at FCS.  It’s that simple.  This does take them outside of their “comfort zone” sometimes, but so many of our students and families welcome the opportunity.  Students actually benefit themselves by putting their own time, sweat, and prayers into helping others and helping their school instead of “letting someone else do it.”  The kids seem to get it–they know God has blessed them with the privilege of attending FCS, and they want others to have the same opportunity.  In fact, they are willing to work hard at it for four weeks straight in order to make that possible.  What a picture of grace!  Consider this for perspective–without Eagle Fit last year, a whole grade or class from our elementary would not be here this year.

Fun Competition

As a way to say thank you and to keep the energy going, students can receive class prizes or individual prizes for their efforts.  These are awarded for things like the highest percentage class participation, the highest amount raised, and classes meeting their goals.  Individual prizes are awarded based on reaching certain goal levels as well as for exceptional efforts, attitudes, and ideas.

The Eagle Fit event culminates in a morning run for the elementary and then the evening Eagle Fair and Eagle 5K Run on May 11.  We would love to see you there.  Please pray for us and encourage our elementary students as they try to raise $28,000 to help students through Eagle Fit!

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One of the driving factors, from my perspective, is what decision is going to serve and help our students the most?  Just because we may have a lot of available technology doesn’t mean that students are served best.  There are a lot of factors behind these types of decisions.

The Future of Technology at FCS

Our administrative staff and tech department recently sat down to discuss future ministry dreaming as it applies to technology at Faith Christian School.  Give every student an iPad?  Require students in high school to bring laptops to school?  Scan cards instead of lunch tickets?  No more textbooks?  These are all possible scenarios in the near future – but what is the best course?  There are also a lot of “behind the scene” decisions regarding infrastructure, security, administrative oversight and policy that are as important as the physical technology that we see students using.

After some discussion and planning, we came up with a few significant decisions and directions for our tech future at FCS:

This Year (Year 1)

• Continue to meet and plan and determine the best course of action.
• Visit several schools to see what they are doing and discuss some of their best practices.
• Determine what companies that we may involve, for example Apple or Amazon.
• Consider staff development and IT impact of future decisions
• Determine student needs and development needs to train our students for their future and set them up for future success.
• Determine future uses and direction of the existing 3 computer labs.

Next Year (Year 2)

• Seek to upgrade our current computer labs to virtual which provide us with dynamic computers the students can use that can be easily updated and modified as new programs are needed and added.  This provides a physical lab with keyboards and mice that the students can use for keyboarding and learning Microsoft products.
• Determine the appropriate infrastructure needs and staff development needs that are necessary to put us in excellent shape for future technology in the classroom.
• Consider purchasing a mobile iPad/Tablet lab.  This could look like having 30 iPads/Tablets on a mobile charging cart.  This would serve as our test units to figure out how to control them, and also allow teachers and students the chance to start using them and integrating them into the classroom.
• Continue to consider the best course of action and start “landing the plane” on what companies and products to involve in year 3.  Determine what steps and direction these companies are taking as it relates to education.
• Determine what classes, courses, etc. that would use e-books, etc. in place of paperback textbooks.
• Determine policies and procedures for technology use.
• Consider staff development opportunities to help strengthen our staff and faculty in the use of technology in the classroom.

Following Year (Year 3)

• Complete the plan by putting iPads/tablets in the student’s hands!
• Have an almost “future-proof” tactile computer lab for students and classes.
• Take steps to fully integrate technology in many daily aspects of our students’ day.
• Continue to develop our curriculum and determine student needs that are most pressing to allow our students to live effectively in God’s world.

Join us in Prayer

Technology can be both frustrating and helpful.  None of the above points are “set in stone”, and we still have a lot of ground to plow!  We are trying to determine how technology can allow our students to be put in the best position for their future.  We are excited at the potential opportunities that the Lord may give us in the upcoming years.  Would you consider praying for these important decisions as we seek to lay important foundations for FCS for the present as well as for the future!

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1. Planning for Future Excellence

Expectations

I am in my second semester of college, and it’s not quite what I expected it would be. Going into college all I was expecting was a harder (and crazier) form of high school. Really, it’s an entirely different domain. Despite its lack in similarity, I still learned many things in high school that have helped me to succeed and actually enjoy college now.

First off, Mrs. Borgman knew what she was talking about. Read your syllabus and always include a thesis statement that is debatable in your essays. Have you had Mrs. Hume? Have you learned about the metric system? Memorize it. Never say, “When am I going to use this?” in a math class … until you’re out of college. If you can get into Mr. Grass’s Finance class, do it. It turns out you have to know how to use money in your future (even though there seems to be a complete lack of it after you buy your text books). It also turns out you should know stuff about the government – not that they run the country or anything. It may seem like I’m joking, but seriously, write all of those things down.

Now that you have that written down, I would like to share some essential things I learned at Faith.  I would encourage you to get involved while you’re in high school. Do not be dependent on how good you are at sports or music, because believe me, no one cares if you won the Homecoming game your senior year. Still, find something you like and do it, because that is how you will meet people in college. Popularity is insignificant. In fact, it does not exist in college because everyone has his or her own thing. Hard work and perseverance are actually as important as your coaches told you they were, and I did not even mention teamwork.  That’s right, you still do group projects in college.

Relationships – the most important part

Working with other people and living with other people you barely know is all a part of the college experience.  Relationships are the absolute most important thing I learned about at Faith. First, form them with your professors and TA’s. At Faith, the teachers care about how well you do. The same is not true at college. You have to ask for help. One, the teachers like it, and two, you actually need to understand what they’re talking about if you want to pass their tests. Next, you need to form good friendships. Make sure that you aren’t settling for friends that make you feel uncomfortable or are living lifestyles that you know are not right (drinking underage would be one of those examples). Dating? How you form serious relationships is up to you. After all, you are out of the house and an official adult, right? Make wise choices, though, because people who are not making them will be surrounding you. Last and most importantly, have a strong relationship with the Father. Yes, the capitalized father, as in God. You are not going to have chapel once a week and Bible class every day, so know your stuff. Become a theologian and yearn for more knowledge about Christ and His character. Know what you believe and be able to defend it, or you will get swept away. Don’t leave your faith when you leave Faith.

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1. A week in the life of Faith Christian School

Scotland

We were greeted at the Glasgow airport by our tour guide for the trip, Sergio.  We had a great time over the next 8 days getting to know him.  He had a very interesting life story to share with the students, and it was fun to watch them build a relationship with him, and even to be able to share the Gospel with him.  The students enjoyed the opportunity to learn from all of Sergio’s knowledge — historic, artistic, and life.  God blessed us with a great tour guide, and I hope we were not only a blessing to Sergio, but representatives of Christ.

From the Glasgow airport we started the approximately 5 hour drive to a small city of Inverness.  Sergio tried to make it an exciting drive, but the majority of us were working on 36 hours of no sleep, so we did a lot of sitting and staring!  But what we were seeing was absolutely breathtaking!  It is hard to put into words the beauty of the Scottish Highlands!  God’s creativity never ceases to amazing me!

After a great night’s sleep, we were ready and raring to go!  We spent the next three days exploring Inverness and Edinburgh.  We went to the battlefield of Culloden (the last battlefield in Great Britain); Loch Ness to look for Nessie; Stirling Castle, the Royal Mile of Edinburgh (where we did lots of shopping); the Elephant House (where J.K. Rowling wrote the 1st Harry Potter); and many other exciting places.  It was incredibly fun to watch the students explore, ask questions, and take in the great history that is Scotland. We did lots of walking, but there is nothing quite like learning by being there!

England

When we got to London, it was a totally different feel than where we had come from.  In Scotland we were able to explore and learn without feeling like we were in the way.  In London, we always felt like we were in someone’s way!  In the three days we were in London, we were able to get a whirlwind look at both the historic and modern history of the great city.  While there, we took a bus/walking tour of the entire city, visited the Tower of London, saw Parliament and Westminster Abby in the daylight and at night, visited the London Art Museum, had a fish and chips dinner, became proficient at the London Tube, saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and visited the many parks that dot the city.  The students were even able to attend a West End performance of Wicked, which was a big hit!  London was exhausting, but it was great to get to end the tour in a big city.  The atmosphere was so electric that it kept us going!

Right before we headed home, we were able to visit Stonehenge and the city of Bath.  While in Bath, we were able to do some shopping, but the highlight for everyone was the Roman Bath.  It was so cool to be able to get to see and walk where the ancient Romans had walked!  It was also fun to get to see some of the things that Jane Austen writes about in her books when the characters visit Bath.

Headed Home

Leaving to come home was bittersweet.  We had built new relationships, both as a group and with our tour guide, and so it was sad to leave the “little family” we had become accustomed to.  Overall, we traveled through 6 airports, rode 5 different buses, stayed in 3 different hotels, and visited 5 different towns and cities.  All through those crazy travels we never had a delayed flight, lost luggage, broken down bus, impassable roads, or lost tour members!  God is sooo good!

Scotland/England Trip- J Term 2012

13 photos

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If you had a chance to be at our homecoming basketball games last Friday night you would have to admit it was an awesome experience- one that you would remember long afterward and want to come back for again soon. The gym was filled to capacity with standing room only. Visiting Fountain Central brought a good number of fans and a tough team ready to play.

Excitement

The Cheerblock members filled several extra sections of bleachers, standing, jumping and chanting with all sorts of antics all night long. Alumni were on the walking track above with a bird’s eye view of the game and a nice reception to enjoy. The Pep Band made the place reverberate, pumping up the athletes and fans. And the game was intense, down to the last minute of play. Through it all, what stood out was the good spirit of our fans and players and the fun they were having throughout the evening. Over and over again I heard visitors, fans, and administration of the opposing team comment on how they appreciated the setting, the competition, and most of all our kids!

True Beauty

The Homecoming ceremony and the testimonies from the girls and their moms gave a clear snapshot of true beauty as taught in God’s Word. This year, three young ladies from a wonderful group of seniors were selected by their peers to represent what a godly young person might be.  From those three, Maci Fox was chosen by the student body as Homecoming queen. It was a joy to see her servant’s spirit honored on this night.

God Honoring Game

The boys’ team worked hard throughout the evening under the skillful direction of Coach Callan and set the tone for the game with their diligent work ethic and disciplined play. In the end, they were rewarded with a victory on the scoreboard and a victory in the hearts of many who watched. At the close of the game, the athletes from both teams prayed and the student section joined together to thank the Lord for what He had given them.  I’m sure there were several more people than I who thought, “That’s the way an athletic
competition should be at a Christian School.”  And I am glad that’s the way it is at Faith.

Homecoming 2012

22 photos

Related posts:

1. Homecoming 2011
2. Too much at stake!

A Common Challenge

The issue of bullying is just one of those common challenges that educators face regardless of the school that you are a part of.

“To be specific, bullying involves ongoing aggressive behavior intended to cause harm or distress in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power, physical or otherwise.”* Some folks truly believe that bullying is a rite of passage, and that if we just ignore it, the people involved will get through it.  What a sad and unnecessary outlook!

Bullying can take a variety of forms:

• Verbal.  Insults, name-calling, racial or ethnic slurs.
• Physical.  Hitting, kicking, shoving or other direct bodily injury.
• Social.  Spreading gossip and rumors, exclusion or outright isolation.
• Electronic.  Cyberbullying on the Internet or through other electronic devices.

It seems that the targets of bullying are often “the small, the weak, the different, and those who tend to have difficulty making friends.”  In an effort to elevate ourselves, we say things and do things to make others look dumb, stupid, or different.  A total disregard for the person’s feelings and worth are thrown out the window as personal elevation takes center stage.

Addressing the Issue

I do believe that talking to our students and staff is a real key at addressing the issue of bullying.  I do believe that parents have the primary responsibility for training, instilling, and modeling values and character qualities in their children.  Bullying and disrespect go hand-in-hand.  Respect for others includes our words, actions, and attitudes that we communicate to others.  Schools need to partner with parents by providing a safe environment for EVERY student.  A premise to communicate to every student and staff member is the fact that any form of bullying is never acceptable.  Ongoing awareness of bullying, adequate supervision, and taking the appropriate steps to generate a positive social climate are key.

Bullying and disrespect are so anti-Jesus, it’s not even funny!  Listen to Paul’s words in Ephesians 4: 29-32,  ”Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear… Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  The fact that it is easy to be mean is true, but we don’t have to live there.  Christ died for our sins, and we can be changed to the image of Jesus!

What Does Jesus Say?

The issue of bullying does not avoid showing up in a Christian school; we do not have school in a vacuum.  It would be easy to ignore or believe that bullying doesn’t go on at FCS.  Having our heads in the sand doesn’t change the facts.  Identifying and addressing key issues is important!  Jesus said, “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”  As we understand and teach that bullying totally contradicts the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, we will help our students to be in a position to be a part of the solution of this ugly issue that is prevelent in our culture.

—
* Quote from:  “Complete Guide to Baby & Child Care”.  Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.  Copyright (c) 1999.

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Reading is Vital

Before learning about the answer to that question, consider that no one associated with raising or educating children questions the value of reading.  Most states, including Indiana, are continuing to increase reading skills standards for students in an effort to improve college and career readiness.

Some students seem to naturally read for pleasure any chance they get, while others struggle with motivation to read much at all.  Such difficulties can stem from different interests, lack of early exposure, or simply a slower pace of learning reading skills.  Motivation and effort increase, however, when students can be shown that reading satisfies valuable personal interests and needs.  All students need to keep growing in their reading and comprehension skills and in the value they ascribe to reading.

Reading is Fun!

Elementary teachers, led by Debbie Grass and Denise Fox, provided the context for building students’ excitement and appreciation for reading.  During the two-week “Reading Extravaganza–Reading South of the Border,” each classroom focused on learning more about selected authors and books.  The authors were quite varied, so the overall theme helped unify the classroom and home activities for students.  The theme and authors were also integrated into academic subjects for heightened interest.

We were extremely blessed that an American missionary to Mexico, Mrs. Jamie Hornbrook, gave daily presentations to all the elementary classes.  She engaged students in active learning while helping them appreciate differences seen in other people groups or cultures.  These presentations were certainly highlights of each day.  As one student stated, Reading Extravaganza was “one of the most exciting events of the year!”

Reading is a Ministry Tool

God chose to communicate with us through the written Word. What an amazing blessing to be able to read and learn from it!  Through reading and writing, people can share truth with one another to help each other know God better.  This point was made so clearly in Mrs. Hornbrook’s final presentation on the spread of the gospel.  People can also grow in understanding, friendship, and compassion toward other people groups and cultures by reading about them.  We can also learn much from them.

In addition to knowing Him, God created communication and language so we can also be productive stewards of resources and opportunities through employment and service to others.  At Faith, we want to equip students to live effectively in God’s world.  Reading is a critical and enjoyable life skill that helps make that possible.  We’re already looking forward to next year’s Extravaganza!

Reading Extravaganza 2012

39 photos

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1. Reading Gets a Boost at FCS
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Food and Conversation

This year, I “taught” a class that was entitled “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” – named after the very popular show on the Food Network.  Can you imagine taking an afternoon to go to several fantastic diners and restaurants and enjoying the local atmosphere along with a small group of high school students?  On the last Friday of the class, I told the boys that I thought about renaming the class “15 Pounds Later” due to the fact that I seemed to have enjoyed this class too much!

As I had the opportunity to survey the class, a unique and amazing theme surfaced among the students.  As much as they enjoyed the opportunity to go to diners and restaurants that they normally wouldn’t frequent, an aspect of the class that they enjoyed the most was the time spent together (even with their Principal) along with the daily Bible study that was part of the class syllabus.  I was reminded of the verse in Deuteronomy that commands us to teach God’s words to our children and “talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up”.  We discussed topics like temptations/lust, thought life, priorities, having direction in our lives, and the importance of being accountable to others.

Transforming Opportunities

J term, for me, was transformational.  It reminded me of the importance of being intentional with people and students.  It also helped me to understand the important role that adults can play in the lives of young people.

If anyone wants to grab a bite for lunch – let me know. I know of several great restaurants where we can solve all of life’s problems…

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I want to be just like…  A look at the heroes of my life

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  These are the words of Paul when he wrote to the church at Corinth.

God’s Word clearly shows believers that we must “make it our ambition, whether at home or absent to be pleasing to Him.”  But, do you ever find yourself asking, “What does that really look like?  What does it look like to ‘be pleasing to Him’?”  I suggest the following: Christians often learn how to do right by looking at the examples of other Christians.

When I look back at the six years I spent attending Faith Christian School, I can’t help but find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the example its teachers gave me.  Two of my teachers from those years have provided me with such a clear example of what it looks like to “be Christ.”

My two biggest heroes: Jack Heim and Marilou Sutherland

Jack Heim was my music teacher while I attended FCS.  He taught my band and choir classes.  He was the director of the Faith Ministry Team was my Bible class teacher.  He is the man that I received trombone lessons from in seventh grade.   Marilou taught my drama and speech classes.  She is the one who helped me know that it is incorrect to finish a sentence with a preposition.  She is the one who helped me love musicals.

However, the things that I remember most about Jack Heim and Marilou Sutherland are not necessarily the fun musical pieces, the exciting drama class activities, or even their ability as teachers.  I remember that Jack Heim was the man who wanted to know about my family.  He was the one who asked me what it looked like to make God a priority in my family.  He was the man who cheered for me and patted me on the back when I succeeded.  Marilou was the person from whom I could always count on getting a smile.  Marilou always had time to be updated on my life.  Neither gave up on me.

Jack Heim is the person that I remember when I hear phrases like “unconditional love” and “faithful dedication.”  Marilou is whom I recall when phrases like “patience” and “gentleness” are spoken.  I’m sure I rarely told either, but I watched them live and desire to be like Christ.  They helped me understand God.  Both were a picture of Christ’s love. Their lives both speak as reminders of the gospel.  God’s wrath was on us, but God made a way for us to escape this punishment.  God sent His son, Jesus.  Jesus lived a life of faithful dedication to God. God’s unconditional love was presented to us in the cross of Christ.  The cross is evidence of a Holy Father characterized by patience and gentleness.

In the presence of a hero

On Friday, December 16, I was passing out an English Test and going over directions with my fifth graders.  As I was speaking, my door opened.  There stood Mr. Grass and Jack Heim.  Jack now lives in North Carolina, but had come to visit Indiana for the weekend.  I had no idea he was in town.  What did I do?  I did the same thing every person should do when they see their hero: I was overcome with emotion and fought back tears of joy.  I was flooded with the reminders of all the ways this man had shown Christ’s love to me.

I praise God for the way He has chosen to show His love to me through the lives of his servants.  Paul was able to tell the church at Corinth to “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  I praise God for the way that Jack and Marilou have been this to me.

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1. What’s In A Name?
2. Parents and Teachers: Working Together!