When Times are Difficult . . .

The Christian School Journal
Barrett Mosbacker, Editor
February 20, 2011


Leading a school can be a tough business! I joke with my parents that my job is easy;  I only deal with people’s children, money, and religion!

People can be complainers, inconsiderate, gossips, stubborn, resistant to change, and just downright mean and ornery. Such people can make our jobs and lives miserable.

Before you and I start feeling sorry for ourselves, consider Said Musa’s situation. After reading of his plight I believe we will gain a little perspective on our troubles.

Click here to read the rest of the post on The Christian School Journal

Teachers as Soldiers

By:  Mark Strohm
Colossians 2 Ministries

2 Timothy 2:2-3 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

I have always appreciated teachers.  Having taught and then served as a Principal of schools I know the value of a great teacher.  But now as a grandfather whose 4 children all attended and graduated from Christian elementary and high schools I look back with great appreciation and fondness at the privilege it has been to watch my children grow and mature under godly, gifted teachers.

When I was in college for several summers I worked alongside three World War II veterans.  Each had remarkable war stories to tell.  Books about soldiers have amazed and inspired us as we read the difficult circumstances that soldiers have endured and overcome in battles.  I can’t help but feel it is significant that Scripture mentions teachers and soldiers together. 

While our Christian School teachers are not fighting with guns and bullets, they are fighting against a pervasive, dogmatic, ungodly world view that seems to have taken over media and educational systems alike.  Teachers must skillfully use “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:17.

Soldiers fight against tyranny and aggression but Christian School teachers fight against those who want to keep our children from the knowledge of God.  “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5.

While soldiers are out to destroy or take captive the enemy, Christian School teachers are out to serve God above all and desire to love the enemy. “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will,” 2 Timothy 2:25 – 26.

Soldiers seek to keep their citizens from being taken captive by the enemy but Christian School teachers fight to keep students from being captive to the philosophies and forces of the world.  “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ,” Colossians 2:8.

Despite the strength and enormity of the enemy, Christian School teachers are making a difference every day.  While physical death is not around every corner, spiritual darkness and separation from God are the natural consequence for a lost and dying world.  The heroic efforts Christian School teachers are giving each and every day is no less inspirational than the stories I heard as a young college student.  Soldiers fight for life and freedom which merely last a lifetime, Christian School teachers fight for the soul which will last for all eternity! 

Thank you Christian School Teachers!

The Hole in Our Holiness

Rev. Kevin DeYoung
University Reformed Church (East Lansing, MI)
Click here to read the full post on The Gospel Coalition blog


A few thoughts from the blog:


God’s mission in the world is to save a people and sanctify his people. Christ died “that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:15). We were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). Christ “loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her…so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27). Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).


The pursuit of holiness does not occupy the place in our hearts that it should. 


But where are the Christians known for their zeal for holiness? Where is the corresponding passion for honoring Christ with Christlike obedience? We need more Christian leaders on our campuses, in our cities, in our seminaries who will say with Paul, “Look carefully then how you walk”? (Eph. 5:15).


But I believe God would have us be much more careful with our eyes, our ears, and our mouth. It’s not pietism, legalism, or fundamentalism to take holiness seriously. It’s the way of all those who have been called to a holy calling by a holy God.


Click here to read the full post on The Gospel Coalition Blog

Musty Old Books . . . Saved a Generation

Let’s articulate before it’s too late!

Nurturing Faith, Christian Schools International

Click here for the original blog post.

They found some musty old books, dusted them off, read them, and saved a generation! In the story of Joash, we find the Spirit of the Lord leading him as a young person to read and re-institute the law of the Lord – see 2 Kings 23:2. We are told that the reading of the law led to a spiritual revival among the people and God’s blessing on the land. Even though oral tradition was foremost (writing was more the exception than the rule in those days), we see how God used the written word to preserve and instruct his people.

It is interesting that today in our age of every kind of communication, we still need to make sure that we get written down what it is we are doing in order to integrate teaching and learning. We have moved from oral to print in Christian schools in our attempts to articulate what we know about a Biblically infused curriculum. This has been an important part of our history as Christian schools – I clearly remember saving all those coins for Christian School’s International Foundation Day textbook drives in the 60’s. We now have reached the point where we must move increasingly from print to digital/electronic means for cost containment and for ease of sharing.

My concern is that we articulate in writing what it is we are doing – as I mentioned last month it takes veteran teachers who possess passion and astuteness in order to communicate in engaging ways with students about the unity of all truth through Christ.

I challenge you, veteran teacher, to share those ideas for integrating faith and learning that you have gained through reading, reflection, and practice and write them down to share with the next generation. Step up to the plate – it is part of your legacy!

I challenge you, young teacher, to observe, ask questions, press your veteran colleagues to not only orally share, but to record in the context of units of study, how they integrate faith and learning, how they bring biblical truth to bear on their subject matter, and what works most effectively with students. Do not be ashamed of what you don’t know, but have the humility to ask and learn.

I challenge you, administrator, to make sure your teachers not only write down what they are doing in integrating faith and learning, but to make sure that it is of good quality. Give your teachers time to work together to discuss how the mission and philosophy of your school actually turns into reality in the teaching and assessing of your students. Don’t let the vibrancy and distinctiveness of your school be watered down on your watch! Remember that Christian teaching and learning is the core business of your school, even though there are so many other daily distractions. Be a Joash for your school!

What does "TURKEY" mean?

Dr. Barrett Mosbacker
Publisher The Christian School Journal
Superintendent, Briarwood Christian School (Birmingham, AL)

The following is an email that I recently sent to our staff and parents.  I am sharing this devotional on The Christian School Journal because you may want to submit your own acrostic, but I will not give you pizza!     You may also want to consider something similar for your school.

Click here to read the full post.

Dear Staff and Parents,

Last week I had the privilege of attending our fourth grade Thanksgiving program, The Purpose of Thanksgiving.  It was a beautiful program and the children were wonderful.  We have some great talent heading to the South Campus!

As I watched and listened, I was again reminded that we are to walk through this life with its peaks and its valleys with a grateful heart.  One of the songs the children sang was Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"

The Challenge—You Must Hurry!

This beautiful song got me to thinking about Thanksgiving and how our culture demeans the holiday when referring to it as “Turkey Day.”  I do not like the phrase “Turkey Day” because it distorts the purpose and meaning of Thanksgiving.  “Turkey Day” turns our attention away from God and toward our appetites.

Seeking to refocus our hearts and minds on thankfulness, I have created a simple acrostic from the word Turkey:

Thankful

Under all circumstances

Remembering God’s goodness and

Keeping his praise on our lips as we

Enjoy Him and his blessings every

Year

I bet our students can do much better than the Superintendent!  Here is a challenge!

Take a few minutes in your classes to have your students (individually or as a class effort—see below) create an acrostic for the word Turkey that communicates something about thankfulness from a biblical perspective.  Here is a website that you can use on your SMART Boards: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/poetry/acrostic/turkey/index.shtml. 

This challenge has both spiritual and academic merit!

The Rules:

Click here to read the rules ~ and consider challenging your students this Thanksgiving!

MACSA Convention ~ IMPORTANT Information ~ CEUs

Don't forget to register for your 2010 CEUs via the 24/7 Ed website.  

Please use the following URL:  http://acsi.my247ed.com.

The URL in the 2010 MACSA Convention Program booklet was incorrect.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  If you have additional questions or are having trouble accessing the site, please contact us (ndehaan@macsaonline.org) and we'll do our best to help you!

Remember, if you "log your hours" within the first 30 days ~ there is NO CHARGE.  After that, the cost will be $10 payable via credit card on the My24/7Ed website.

Workshop notes (if submitted by the presenter) and audio to the keynote sessions will posted by the end of November.  Thank you for your patience.

Long Story Short ~ Ten Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God

Written for use in family worship, this book could also serve as a valuable resource to teachers in Christian school classrooms.  Check it out . . . and let us know what you think!

Long Story Short ~ Ten Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God

Click here to order from Westminster Bookstore

(Publisher's Description) ~ Christian parents know the importance of passing the gospel story on to their children, yet we live in a busy world filled with distractions. Schedules collide, there is homework and yard work and dishes and laundry, the car’s oil should be changed, there are phone calls to make...and before you know it, everyone is getting to bed late again.

The Bible can seem like a long story for an active family to read, but when you break it down into short sections, as Marty Machowski does, family devotions are easy to do. Long Story Short will help busy parents share with their children how every story in the Old Testament points forward to God’s story of salvation through Jesus Christ. You won’t find a more important focus for a family devotional than a daily highlighting of the gospel of grace. Clever stories and good moral lessons may entertain and even help children, but the gospel will transform children. The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to transform the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read.

Ten minutes a day, five days a week is enough time to pass on the most valuable treasure the world has ever known. Long Story Short is a family devotional program designed to explain God’s plan of salvation through the Old Testament and is suitable for children from preschool through high school.