February 24, 2014 - “On earth as it is in heaven: Sharing God’s gift of hope”

This morning at staff devotions we discussed God’s gift of hope.  In his book “Surprised by Hope”, N. T. Wright urges Christians to view our hope from God not only as a fulfillment of God’s promises in an age to come but to engage in God’s sovereign rule coming on earth as it is in heaven.  Our hope is not just in an escape from this world into another one but it is the coming of God’s kingdom today.  The Bible gives us confidence that hope is ours both now and forever and we pray for that the Holy Spirit will move in our staff, students and community into acts of love and hope that reveal God’s presence.  As we endeavour to prepare our students for lives of Christian service we want them to have a fresh understanding that God wants to see His kingdom come on this earth as it is in heaven.  We pray that as the Spirit knocks on the door of their hearts that they will respond to God’s call on their lives.  We pray that as they respond then their relationship with Christ and the hope found therein will spill over into our everyday reality and impact our world today.  It is our desire that we are a faithful presence in which hope can come alive in our community.

February 19th, 2014 Putting the Pieces Together

From time to time we encounter situations where community is broken in our midst.  We strive and long for an ethos of caring but there are times when that breaks down.  It is essential to realize that there are multiple relationships with many different dimensions that are involved when there is an interruption of community.  It is one thing to punish the wrongdoer and then expeditiously move on but that can leave the situation still broken and in need of repair.  To ensure a healthy community we have to intentionally work hard at the multiple relationships we are faced with each day.  Specifically, when a student is in the wrong, how do we restore the situation to ensure we are taking positive steps from that point?  When situations arise with our students, our teachers and I work together with everyone involved to ensure that we try put back together the broken pieces.  Being involved in these situations has made me come to realize this, if the adhesive we use is anything but love then we fail.  What is bond together with vengeance, justice, respect or sheer convenience will surely fall apart again.   We choose a path of discipline because we love and we desire right harmonious relationships in the classroom, on the playground, on the bus, in the hallways and every other square inch of our community.  Please pray for the staff, students and parents as we endeavour to promote a caring community of Christ through guidance and discipline. 

February 10th, 2014 I am....

I was moving some boxes in the basement and looking to purge some files that I know I had not touched since we moved to the area.  In going through the boxes I found some old photos and lesson plans along with so much more.  One piece that I came across was the “I am” proclamation that was presented by a youth SERVE team from our previous church.  The world will try to tell you who you are and who you should be and circumstances may seem to dictate that as well. This proclamation allows us to see who we are in Christ and what we are empowered and equipped to do through the Holy Spirit.  These statements are gathered from the Bible and it is my hope, as a parent, that my children will be able to say this and lay claim to the truths therein.  It comes from Pastor Zan Ingalls. I would love to share it with you.

 

I am the called of God.

I am a chosen generation.

I am a royal priesthood. 

I will not allow my situation to conquer me,

           But through the power of the Holy Spirit I conquer my situations. 

I am not overcome

           but I am an over comer.

I am not the victim

            but I am a victor.

I am empowered.

I am equipped.

I am anointed.

I am bold in Christ.

I am a child of God. 

I am everything,

                               Everything,

                                                       EVERYTHING God says I am.

 

February 3rd, 2014 Transforming Power and Change

I once read a short devotional that discussed the validity of the Christian faith.  In many of our lives and through our walks of faith we have come to various crossroads of our faith with lingering questions that may appear unresolved.  This short devotion did not get into proving various passages throughout the Bible as true or not true. Instead the author just pointed to the number of lives that have been transformed by the Holy Spirit.  The countless number of lives that have been turned around or set upon the right course is a testament to the redeeming power and love of our Heavenly Father.  Christianity does possess a dynamic and transforming power that affects our soul and prompts us to change.   As a Christian community and a Christian organization I think it also safe to say that growth and transformation are accompanied by change.  It is not change for change sake but rather change as evidence of the Spirit working in us and through us.  Change, of course, is not the only marker of growth but it is the most visible one.  As we continue to journey with you to provide a quality, Christ-centered education we ask you to keep us in your prayers.  We ask you to pray for growth for the students, the staff, and the school.  Thank you for joining us in asking for the transforming power of His Spirit as we seek to bear the fruit of His work in our lives and our school. We are thankful for the gift of His Spirit.   ~Mr. Bouwers

January 28th, 2014 No doubt

Well there can be no doubt that we are in the season of winter.   These very cold days, flurries, and biting winds are almost a daily reminder of this.  I don’t think we need to have panels to discuss whether or not winter exists.  There does not need to be a great debate between the leading winter experts and the sharpest minds in the non-existence of winter camp.  It is plain for us to see right now as winter is all around us.  One of our greatest pleasures is to teach our children from a point of view that God, our Creator and Sustainer, is in all and through all that is around us.  The existence of God is not something that needs to be debated as we believe that it is plain for us to see, right now, through all that is around us that we serve the Lord of Lords.  We do need to know how to defend our faith if questioned; there is no doubt about it. With this in mind it brings into question how we use our energy and defend our faith.   If we put all of our energy into defending with words what we believe then we may be then we may be squandering opportunities to spread the love of Christ.   To bear witness to his name we need to also be intentional about living what we believe.  It is the combination of the words of our mouth, the testimony of our lives, and the love of Christ to bind it all together in perfect unity that will proclaim His name. We do need to be apologetics of our faith and know how to stand firm on the Word and we need to be able to point to the fruits that manifest our faith.  It is a wonderful example of both/and rather than either/or. ~Mr. Bouwers