Who's in charge? May 6th, 2013

At staff devotions today we took a closer look at who is in charge.  Immediate our minds are drawn to the tasks that need to be carried out and who is responsible to get it done.  Teachers have a distinct leadership role in the classroom and throughout the school.  As well, the principal also carries leadership responsibility at school and in the broader school community.  Just because the responsibility is levied to the staff, it does not change the fact that ultimately the Lord is in charge.   He is there, and he is here.  He goes with us and before us working out his good and perfect will.  We may have responsibilities or tasks to carry out but we do so in the knowledge that before we even cross paths with students or parents each day that the Lord is there and has been active in our hearts, our minds and in His creation.  To quote Charles Swindoll, “But our invisible God …is continually, constantly, and confidently at work.”  We live in this assurance and try to faithfully carry out the work he has set out for us to do.  We respond to this at DCCS by living out our calling, working in the knowledge that the Lord is in charge and working in us and through us to accomplish is purpose and so our mission and vision can faithfully reflect His will for our lives.    

Reflecting on Christian Education Week April 29, 2013

Celebration of Christian Education can be a tricky business.  We are so thankful for recent events and we do want to share the joy with our community but we do not want to appear to boast or brag in anything except Christ.  So let’s start there.  In Christ all things are held together, including this community.  We celebrated the fact that Christian Education is a radical venture last week with the students and the visiting Grandparents and Grand-friends.  James Smith in an article titled “The Case for Christian Education” suggests what is radical about Christian education is the premise that any and every education is rooted in a worldview, in a grand story.  Our story has Christ firmly rooted in the center and is seen in all aspects of our curriculum.  We celebrate the ongoing Christian education movement and we boast about what God is doing in our lives and in Christian schools.

The students participated in Christian Education Week activities to raise funds for the Canadian Christian Education Foundation.  The students were able to raise support for the “Give a little, Get a lot” campaign that enables the organization to develop Christian educational materials for teachers and students, sponsor educational activities and raise awareness for Christian Education across Canada.  We praise the Lord for our children and their support for kingdom causes. 

We are so very thankful for our supportive community.  I had the great honour and privilege of hosting our grandparents and grand-friends last Wednesday.  During our time together we discussed the real needs in our community and the opportunity to partner with the school to assist some of our families in raising the next generation in the faith.  I believe it takes a community’s full support to ensure our schools are thriving and accessible to Christian families in our community.  We praise God for our Grandparents and friends who showed their support for Christian education.  They are committed to praying for the school and they also supported the Tuition Assistance fund with donations over $16 000.  We praise the Lord and make our boast in what he is doing through our supporting community.

God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good. 

A Call To Prayer April 22nd, 2013

At the recent membership meeting a school member stood up near the completion of the meeting and called our community to prayer.  He gave a stirring, spirit filled response to a call placed on his heart for us to bring our petitions to the Lord.   I think it important to commit, once again, to prayer for our school.  We should pray for our students, your children, that the Holy Spirit may work powerfully in their lives and that they may respond to the knocking on the door of their hearts.  We should continually pray for the teachers as well and for God to work in their hearts and lives as well.  As we continue on please pray for enrollment, for our future families and pray that our school may be an impact on our community.

I would like to earnestly ask you to pray deep, heart felt prayers for the school and the all-round health of our school and students.  This should continue to be priority at this school.  Each week the staff upholds a few families and their children in prayer as we start the week devoting time to the Lord. Our Lord is Lord of all things and he, out of his love and grace for us, wants to be in constant contact with us.   He wants to hear from us and the desires of our hearts.  He wants our desires to become more and more in line with the Kingdom.

 Please continue to pray for the Spirit’s leading in our school, on the Board, through the staff and students and our broader community.  

Power Outage April 15, 2013

With the recent power outage some families were left scrambling to make arrangements to deal with the lack of power they were experiencing.  It was a bit of a paradox, the power we rely on was temporarily severed due to the power and forces of nature.  Trees came crashing down, houses and vehicles were damaged, and power lines and poles were left mangled and tangled in the aftermath.  In these situations we have opportunities to show our love and care for neighbours in need.  Our children watch how we react to the needs of others nearby and far away.  This was one of those moments that we could put on the clothes of Christ and mix in a bundle of compassion, a heap of kindness, a measure of humility, gentleness and a generous amount of patience. 

Here is one example from this past weekend.  Friday evening, after hydro workers had worked steadily at restoring power, a hydro truck became stuck in the soft ground. This worker had been out for more than 24 hours straight.  A few individuals saw what was going on and went over to see if they could be of any assistance.  The three worked at digging out tires, placing planks and even using a pickup truck and a rope to try to pull the rig loose but it was to no avail.  The call was about to be made to a towing company when in the distance, not too far off, was someone driving a tractor down the road dragging a chain that was dancing and clanging on the pavement.  This guy had seen the troubles when he had passed by the obviously immobile truck.  When he got home he immediately jumped in the tractor to come and help out.  This instance demonstrates how compassion and kindness can be played out in our everyday lives.  I am thankful for Christians who jump in tractors to help out others and expect nothing in return.  I pray that my children will hear and see these events and take opportunities to live them out as well.  We pray that our students will show these characteristics on the bus, on the playground, in the classrooms and in their communities.  May the Spirit continue to work in all of our lives to convict us to act on these moments and opportunities.

 

Longing and Anticipation April 8, 2013

We are all waiting for spring to announce it is here to stay. The cold months of winter stretch on and the chill in the air just does not seem to go away. Winter continues to come back well after most of us would like to have seen it gone. We long for sunshine, showers and the budding of flowers. We want to see that cycle of new life renewed. I have talked to numerous parents and students that express that they are just completely done with winter. I will admit that I am one of them. As I looked out the window to see the sunshine and the promise of rain to renew the dormant campus I could not help but recall what I wrote last week about patience. I want spring on my terms and my time when, clearly, that is not the plan. I long for and anticipate the arrival of “full time spring” and need to exercise patience in God’s timing. Even though I desire to see new life and the renewal that comes at spring time, and those are good things, I still need exercise patience. It is this time of year that also reminds me of how I long for and anticipate the healing of our broken world. As God’s people we long for the coming of God’s Kingdom. And I hear the echo again and again to have patience in God’s timing. We do not and cannot see into the future but we can put our trust in the one who can. He not only can see the future plans but they are also in His control. We continue to pray for spring and the coming of His kingdom as we live in His providence.     

Just a Little Patience Tuesday April 2, 2013

It seems some people are born with a more accommodating disposition while, for others of us, the amount of patience we have been blessed with is developed through our life experiences.   I am sure in our each of our lives we have all desired to have more patience as we encounter trials and shifting expectations.  We can get frustrated with the other’s timing or even God’s and through these times we develop different degrees of patience and accommodation.  The Bible also states that wisdom yields patience and I am not surprised that they are connected.  A deep and long view of situations can aid us in how we react as well as the amount of emotion we tie to particular circumstances.    

There are a number of examples of patience in the Bible, the most obvious one is Job.  In fact, a popular phrase has been coined to demonstrate this, “She must have the patience of Job.”  As wonderful of an example as Job is I think it pales in comparison to that of God’s long-suffering and patience with us and His people.    Numerous passages in the New Testament speak of His patience for us and it is demonstrated by Him through Christ.  The fact that it is one characteristics listed in Colossians 3:12 indicates that Christ is the ultimate example of living out the virtue of patience.  It is an attribute that we want to see lived out in the lives of our children in the hallway, on the bus, on the playground, and in our community.  We pray for the Spirit to move powerfully in the lives of the members of this community so we can clothe ourselves with Christ.  May you be impacted by the Spirit this week and throughout the remainder of this year. ~Mr. Bouwers

Living the Resurrection

As we look at the busy calendar it is easy to rush from one event to the other without taking time to really think on the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This coming weekend we remember and celebrate the resurrection. Recently I have been reminded by a colleague to also live the resurrection, not only during Holy week but every other day of the year as well. I had this brought to my attention once again as the busyness of the week was already creeping in. We may have heard sermons on this topic or we may have read an article or two about what this looks like in our lives but I would like to also see what that means for our students and our teachers in our community school. We live in the reality that Jesus’ death and resurrection are authentic and genuine. Living in this space allows us to say, even in very tough circumstances, that God is good. This is part of providing a Christ-centered education. We live in that reality and worldview and we are able to openly confess that each day.

Also, knowing all that was accomplished in Christ’s life, death and resurrection brings us to recognize that we do indeed need to respond with turning our lives over to what is good, holy, and just. We turn our lives over to God so He can use us to be a faithful presence. We follow the example of Christ and clothe ourselves with His characteristics so we are free to give of ourselves humbly and honestly. As students and teachers we respond to this by looking to serve God in all that we do.

Living in the resurrection, we come to see God in all things and we are able to walk and talk with God continually. As we live, learn and serve at DCCS we can spread the joy that comes from knowing and loving Him. When we develop the gifts of God’s children we desire for them to live the resurrection in a life of service to the King. We do not just work for a kingdom to come but we work in that kingdom already. ~ Mr. Bouwers

Chains & Anchors

Yesterday I was reminded, once again, about the need to ensure faith formation in our young children.  The recent events brought to mind an illustration I heard a long time ago about the heritage of faith we hope to see developed in our families.  It likened this heritage to a large boat anchor chain.  This is not just any chain, it is a heavy duty chain used to anchor battleships or large tankers.  The chain is only as strong as the weakest link.  The heritage of faith we desire to establish in our families is also like a heavy duty chain.  We want to do all that we can to strengthen our own faith and that of our children to minimize the possibility of encountering weak links.  I was challenged at that time to not be the weak link in the heritage of faith in our family and I want to encourage my children in the same way.  We know also that it is not all of our efforts that keep things strong and healthy.  We must also rely on the Lord, His strength and faithfulness to buoy us in times of inevitable struggle and weakness.  The events that brought this to mind came as I was reading a wonderful article the other day about Christian education.  It was an excellent reminder to me about why I choose to send my children to Christian school.  On the heels of that article came a comment during the opening devotions of a recent meeting.  It was stressed that we want to ensure that the truth is heard by our children and that it will give them anchor points to build upon in the future.  I am excited that my children will continue to have their faith strengthened and will be given strong anchor points when they are eventually called to discern the spirits of the age.  I pray they are anchored in the truth so they are not tossed to and fro by the wind of doctrine, human deceit and cunning.  Pray for our school and our children to grow up strong in faith. ~ Mr. Bouwers

Searching for Titles at the Oscars February 25, 2013

Last night millions of people watched as individuals were celebrated and honoured at the Oscars. The top award was sought after by so many but ended up being handed out to just a few. They will hold that title long after it is forgotten by so many. Although it truly is an honour for these actors, they are broken down or identified by these titles. It makes the individuals objects. If we and our student just seek the titles or labels of power, prestige or popularity there is a danger that we lose our testimony in the process. If we just seek the title of the joker or the vice president but we fall short in living our lives in way that is pleasing to God then we will gain nothing. Our story should be informed by love and lived in a grateful response to what God has already accomplished. Living for titles is a hollow pursuit but living to share the testimony of what God has done and continues to do in our lives will have a longer lasting impact then an Oscar would give.

Spreading the Joy, Sharing the Brokenness March 4th, 2013

Today, March 4th 2013, we had a group of missionaries come and speak to the children this morning.  This group, Youth With A Mission (YWAM), is an organization we are linked to through former graduate Brittany Vos who organized the “Sponsor a Stuffie” program at the school in late December.  Brittany Vos travelled to Uganda to show the love of Christ to the orphans there. Some of our students, teachers and parents partnered with her to help bless the children in that part of the world.

This morning the YWAM Madison team shared the video of the children receiving the gifts and the joy it brought to the children.  They also shared with the students their passion to do something special for the children they come in contact with.  Through these special interactions they hope to share the Good News, the Gospel story. 

They did this through sharing stories of their experiences.  These experiences included: songs, food they have eaten, items made in the area, the sanitation hurdles, the languages they learned, the sadness they encountered, scripture passages, as well as how they were able to share the Good News.  They pointed out the brokenness in these situations and how God was using them to spread joy. 

At the end of the assembly the team asked for the younger ones to be dismissed and shared with the older students, the students in grade seven and eight, about the brokenness that exists in Human Trafficking.  This was a heavy message for the students but it was also coupled with how they try to bring hope and spread joy in those situations as well. 

 The heart breaking stories of brokenness in our world did impact our students.   They were encouraged to pray for these situations and the work of missionaries throughout the world.  It fits in so well to the Bible curriculum where we learn the story of God, His people, and redemption through Christ Jesus.  We hope to prepare our students for lives of Christian service and we were reminded of God’s call on our lives to reflect His light into all the dark corners of this world.  As the students develop their gifts in response to what God has done in their lives, they are called not only to know and grow in that love but to share that love with others.