The election is over . . . and life (and school) goes on.
Take a few minutes to read Al Mohler's piece The Morning After - What Does it All Mean? This would be a great discussion starter in classrooms and/or around the dinner table.
Mohler's writes:
The Morning After — What Does it All Mean?
Evangelicals tend to swing between extremes when it comes to politics and elections. We are too easily elated and too readily depressed.
Christians are supposed to be the people who know the dangers of investing either too much, or too little, confidence in the political system. The election is over. Now is the time for Christians to pray for those who were elected and for the government they will serve.
Click here to read the full post on Al Mohler's blog.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Enlightened and Encouraged
Dan Berens
Christian Schools International
Originally posted on Nurturing Faith
We are living in instant times. We are fixated on the newest and latest. Sometimes we forget how we have gotten to where we are. Since CSI just celebrated 90 years, I thought it might be a good time to consider some of the rich history that is ours to see what can be gained from the past for living in today’s times.
A book that I recently read was 22 Landmark Years, Christian Schools International, 1943 – 1965written by John VanderArk, who served as Director of CSI from 1953-1977. The comments below are reflections and quotes from that source, published by Baker Books.
VanderArk begins his preface with a quote: “Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well (that) the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning…”. Would you be shocked if I told you that this was a September 26, 1642 letter explaining the reason for establishing Harvard College? He goes on to say that “the purposes of life and learning are essentially theological issues, and one’s theology is important. Consequently people who take their faith seriously wish to entrust the education of children to those of a similar faith.”
While there were schools started by various denominations, VanderArk states that many of them closed as civil education gained ascendancy and can’t truly be considered the forerunners of today’s Protestant Christian schools. He points out that the rise of secular education that focused students on national citizenship to the exclusion of the consciousness of the kingdom of God was a primary cause for the establishment of Christian schools. While many in the late nineteenth century were enamored by Enlightenment thinking that promoted the concept that “knowledge is power” and that man is the measure of all things, the Netherlands immigrants who began many of the schools in CSI thought otherwise. While they taught their children to appreciate their heritage and to embrace citizenship in their new country (whether Canada or the U.S.A) their focus for their children was on preparation to live and worship God above all in this world and the world to come.
We are linked to those who have gone before us and their story can both enlighten and encourage us. Their struggles are our struggles, just in different clothes. We seek to show students that all of life belongs to God, that no part of it can be understood apart its Creator. It is our turn to share the story. As VanderArk warns: “The distance between a goodly heritage and its extinction is but one short generation.” Let us be faithful!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Young minds full of promise ~ Teachers assume role as models
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Originally published in The Walton Tribune
By Pam Krumpach
Watching the leaves change provokes the dreamer in me. It reminds me of the swift passage of time and how, with each passing day, my students grow and change, developing into the men and women of quality and dignity that God intends for each to become.
In scripture, Jeremiah tells us God has a plan for each of these young people and these plans give all of us hope and a future.
Isn’t that what life is about? Think about it. What a gift life is, freely given with plans designed by the Creator and full of hope. What a privilege it is to be surrounded by the promise of optimism which springs from our students as they discover their own futures. It makes even more poignant the events of this past week.
Our family here at Covenant Christian Academy suffered the loss of an amazing man and a wonderful friend. He left a huge impact on everyone who knew him because of his loyalty and compassion. He was a role model for students — a man not afraid to visibly demonstrate his faith through words and actions. And even though he was not a teacher nor an administrator, he was an educator. As I think of this man, I am reminded of the priority of Christian education and our role as parents and educators in the lives of our children.
While the three Rs retain an important role in education, Christian education offers so much more. Christian education takes place in a community setting. Parents, teachers, administrators, staff and even the young people themselves bear the responsibility and privilege of creating an atmosphere in which each child can freely partake in the opportunities of learning and developing as students and as caring members of the “family.” Students have that chance to grow surrounded by love and support.
The Christian school setting provides a fertile ground for that change. Keep in mind that societal pressures have encouraged the disintegration of traditional families, and children now spend far more time in a school atmosphere where teachers assume a primary role as models for their students. David L. Roth said recently, “Christian school teachers must serve as role models. [Therefore] it is important that a teacher model the Christ-centered and Bible-centered mission of the Christian school.”
As members of our Christian family at Covenant Christian Academy, we are particularly mindful of how important that Christian family is and how we need to support, love, uphold and lead our young people, certainly through instruction, but more importantly through deed.
So as we find ourselves grieved, disappointed, angry, hurt or any of the other responses we have to the many stresses in our changing lives, we need only be reminded that even in the midst of the storm, Jesus lived what He taught, that there is a future which God has destined for each us and that no matter what, there is hope. We must strive to live our lives as Christ did. After all, He is our ultimate role model.
In scripture, Jeremiah tells us God has a plan for each of these young people and these plans give all of us hope and a future.
Isn’t that what life is about? Think about it. What a gift life is, freely given with plans designed by the Creator and full of hope. What a privilege it is to be surrounded by the promise of optimism which springs from our students as they discover their own futures. It makes even more poignant the events of this past week.
Our family here at Covenant Christian Academy suffered the loss of an amazing man and a wonderful friend. He left a huge impact on everyone who knew him because of his loyalty and compassion. He was a role model for students — a man not afraid to visibly demonstrate his faith through words and actions. And even though he was not a teacher nor an administrator, he was an educator. As I think of this man, I am reminded of the priority of Christian education and our role as parents and educators in the lives of our children.
While the three Rs retain an important role in education, Christian education offers so much more. Christian education takes place in a community setting. Parents, teachers, administrators, staff and even the young people themselves bear the responsibility and privilege of creating an atmosphere in which each child can freely partake in the opportunities of learning and developing as students and as caring members of the “family.” Students have that chance to grow surrounded by love and support.
The Christian school setting provides a fertile ground for that change. Keep in mind that societal pressures have encouraged the disintegration of traditional families, and children now spend far more time in a school atmosphere where teachers assume a primary role as models for their students. David L. Roth said recently, “Christian school teachers must serve as role models. [Therefore] it is important that a teacher model the Christ-centered and Bible-centered mission of the Christian school.”
As members of our Christian family at Covenant Christian Academy, we are particularly mindful of how important that Christian family is and how we need to support, love, uphold and lead our young people, certainly through instruction, but more importantly through deed.
So as we find ourselves grieved, disappointed, angry, hurt or any of the other responses we have to the many stresses in our changing lives, we need only be reminded that even in the midst of the storm, Jesus lived what He taught, that there is a future which God has destined for each us and that no matter what, there is hope. We must strive to live our lives as Christ did. After all, He is our ultimate role model.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Wisdom of Solomon ~ Applied to Facebook and other Social Media
We live in a digital world . . . that's reality! Our students are comfortable with and use many of the social media sites . . . and so do many of us. This article applies principles from the book of Proverbs to our "Facebook" lives. Please take a few minutes to read it . . .print it out . . . and keep it in a handy place!
The challenge ~ examine ourselves FIRST and make the necessary adjustments to our lives and our on-line behavior and then teach (and lead) our students to apply this wisdom to their lives . . . online or offline . . . that God would be honored in all we say, do . . . and type!
Solomon on Social Media
Tim Challies
There are many who doubt or downplay the relevance of the Old Testament to our times. Those people have probably never taken the time to read the book of Proverbs. I read from Proverbs almost every day and I am continually amazed at just how relevant this book is. It seems that wisdom is timeless. The lessons David taught Solomon speak to myself and my children as much as they did to the men and women of ancient Israel. The wisdom of God given to Solomon continues to ring loud and clear in my heart.
If Solomon were alive today and we were to ask him how we are to relate to one another in this digital world, if we were to ask him how we can honor God in our use of all these social media available to us today, here is how he might respond.
The challenge ~ examine ourselves FIRST and make the necessary adjustments to our lives and our on-line behavior and then teach (and lead) our students to apply this wisdom to their lives . . . online or offline . . . that God would be honored in all we say, do . . . and type!
Solomon on Social Media
Tim Challies
There are many who doubt or downplay the relevance of the Old Testament to our times. Those people have probably never taken the time to read the book of Proverbs. I read from Proverbs almost every day and I am continually amazed at just how relevant this book is. It seems that wisdom is timeless. The lessons David taught Solomon speak to myself and my children as much as they did to the men and women of ancient Israel. The wisdom of God given to Solomon continues to ring loud and clear in my heart.
If Solomon were alive today and we were to ask him how we are to relate to one another in this digital world, if we were to ask him how we can honor God in our use of all these social media available to us today, here is how he might respond.
- Count to ten before posting, sharing, sending, submitting.
- Leave the fool to his folly.
- Expose folly.
- Know when to walk away.
- Be careful what you read.
- Avoid the gossiper.
- Be humble.
- Mind your own business.
- Don’t be a troublemaker.
- Examine why you write.
- Be careful what you teach.
- Walk with the Lord.
Let us know what you think . . . we'd love to hear from you!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Are you listening?
Nancy R. DeHaan
MACSA Executive Director
MACSA Executive Director
As teachers we spend the majority of our day talking . . . and hope that our students spend the majority of their day listening ~ to US! The question is ~ are WE good listeners?
Here is an interesting review of three books designed to help adults become better listeners. They are written in the context of how to listen to a sermon and benefit from the ministry of the Word ~ making them applicable to ALL of us . . . teachers, administrators, parents . . . Christians!
The three books are:
As Christians we sit through a lot of sermons. The preaching ministry is one of God’s greatest means of grace to us, the means by which he teaches us truth, by which he calls us to pursue truth and to live out of it. And yet many of us are passive listeners, people who expect great preaching skill from the pastor but demand no listening skill from ourselves.
Lately I have come across a few resources dedicated to helping Christians be better listeners, to help them emphasize active listening. Here are three of them, each with a few words of description and an overview of the contents. If you have never read a book on how to listen to a sermon, I’d encourage you to do that. Take full advantage of the privilege you have of sitting under the ministry of the Word!
Click HERE to read the reviews.
- Helping Johnny Listen by Thadeus Bergmeier
- Expository Listening: A Handbook for Hearing and Doing God’s Word by Ken Ramey
- Listen Up by Christopher Ash
As Christians we sit through a lot of sermons. The preaching ministry is one of God’s greatest means of grace to us, the means by which he teaches us truth, by which he calls us to pursue truth and to live out of it. And yet many of us are passive listeners, people who expect great preaching skill from the pastor but demand no listening skill from ourselves.
Lately I have come across a few resources dedicated to helping Christians be better listeners, to help them emphasize active listening. Here are three of them, each with a few words of description and an overview of the contents. If you have never read a book on how to listen to a sermon, I’d encourage you to do that. Take full advantage of the privilege you have of sitting under the ministry of the Word!
Click HERE to read the reviews.
Looking forward to your comments!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Why Attend the MACSA Convention?
Barbara Williams, MACSA President
(Lehigh Christian Academy ~ Allentown, PA)
Perhaps in this economic climate your school is struggling due to decreased enrollment or loss of other financial resources. You might be thinking, “We just won’t attend the convention this year. It is one place we can save some dollars.”
I would like to suggest that this may be the very year you should attend. What is the value of the MACSA convention? Of course, there are the workshops where the faculty can be taught best practices in education and how to effectively teach each student. There is also the encouragement we receive when we gather as a large group of Christian educators and worship our God. We can tangibly see that we are not in this very important task alone. There are others standing with us. Finally, but certainly not least, is the fellowship individual faculties can have. The convention is an opportunity for them to get to know one another on a deeper level, be students together, and have fun together (maybe even shop together).
So…if you are still considering attendance at the convention in November, I would ask that you think about the value of learning together, worshiping God together, and having fun together.
I hope to see you all in November.
(Lehigh Christian Academy ~ Allentown, PA)
Perhaps in this economic climate your school is struggling due to decreased enrollment or loss of other financial resources. You might be thinking, “We just won’t attend the convention this year. It is one place we can save some dollars.”
I would like to suggest that this may be the very year you should attend. What is the value of the MACSA convention? Of course, there are the workshops where the faculty can be taught best practices in education and how to effectively teach each student. There is also the encouragement we receive when we gather as a large group of Christian educators and worship our God. We can tangibly see that we are not in this very important task alone. There are others standing with us. Finally, but certainly not least, is the fellowship individual faculties can have. The convention is an opportunity for them to get to know one another on a deeper level, be students together, and have fun together (maybe even shop together).
So…if you are still considering attendance at the convention in November, I would ask that you think about the value of learning together, worshiping God together, and having fun together.
I hope to see you all in November.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Together on the Path of Wisdom and Knowledge
MACSA Convention November 10-12, 2010 Lancaster Host, Lancaster, PA "Together on the Path of Wisdom and Knowledge" Keynote Speaker Dr. William Brown (Cedarville University) |
September greetings from MACSA! By now, the school year is underway (hopefully without any major glitches) and you have gotten back into the "routine" of the school year. You should have already received a postal mailing with the information regarding the upcoming MACSA convention. The packet contained the preview booklet as well as the necessary forms to register your school for the convention. The committee is looking forward to the convention and believes that you and your staff will be blessed by your participation this year. Convention information has also been put online at the MACSA website. The preview booklet (with any changes to date "merged" in) as well as most of the forms are on the web. Please encourage your teachers to view/print the preview booklet as they prepare to attend the convention. Any changes to the workshop list and/or schedule will be posted on the website and, if time allows, emailed to the schools. Thank you in advance for your understanding as we deal with schedule changes. Please note that there are several "mini-courses" this year that can be taken for CEU or Graduate Credit. This includes a set of six sessions on Advancement which replaces the MACSA Development Conference. This course will be taught by Dr. Steve Dill (Philadelphia Biblical University). Please encourage board members and others involved in your advancement/development department to attend any/all of these sessions. Click here to visit the MACSA 2010 Convention Web page ~ and then follow the individual links for the forms and information that you are seeking. Please contact Nancy DeHaan (ndehaan@macsaonline.org) if information is missing or if there are any broken links. We are looking forward to seeing you at the convention. Please call or email the MACSA office with any questions. See you in November! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
