When I think about the future of Christian schools, I am conflicted. I look at the American political and theological landscape and wonder where we will be ten years from now. Over the past decade we have seen more than 25% of all Christian schools in the United States close their doors and shutter their windows, never to open again. … Read More
Praying to See God
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8) Purity is something we don’t talk about much because we think it’s impossible, which of course makes it less possible. What does Jesus mean by “pure in heart”? Here’s my guess. First thing we need to remember is that when Jesus talks about “heart” he seems to view … Read More
When Satisfaction Doesn’t Mean Happy Parents
We often hear talk about satisfied customers when we are considering customer service. Customer service is a relatively new concept to Christian schools so it may be helpful to consider what other businesses look at when they work on customer service and satisfaction. Though many of the techniques and motives that schools use are different from other businesses, the main goal … Read More
Leading Innovation: The Process, Part 2
As we have seen, having and communicating an innovative vision are essential. The next step to leading innovation is implementing the vision. This stage is often the most challenging because it immediately and clearly affects the status quo. In general, my innovation experience has boiled down to the following five stages: research, pilot, execute, evaluate, and back to the beginning. … Read More
Praying to Enjoy God’s Mercy
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7) Here we see Jesus saying for the first time what he says throughout his teachings: if you want to be forgiven, you should forgive others. The Jewish idea of mercy/forgiveness was to get right inside the other person and see issues from their point of view. Our word ‘sympathy’ … Read More
Praying to be Starving to do Right
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6) I have worked in some ethically challenging environments, and this is a lesson from Jesus I learned too late. A simple way to define “righteousness” is: doing the right thing. I’ve read that the Greek words for “hunger” and “thirst” used here have a lot … Read More
Leading Innovation, Part 1
Most of us aspire to be innovative leaders. The push for 21st century learning, coupled with the technological revolution, has advanced the awareness of innovation and has propelled innovation to the fore as a leadership ideal. In the coming months, we will highlight a variety of different innovations affecting Christian education. Before we explore individual innovations, we will consider the … Read More
Praying for Self Control
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5) When I learn about this verse from all my favorite commentators, it seems Jesus’ original mean was not just lost in translation — it was deported! The word meek in this verse portrays the idea of weakness– “meek” usually goes along with “mild” in our minds. But the real … Read More
Praying for Comfort
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4) You’ve come to the right place for a comment on this Beatitude. Again Jesus hits us with contrast: to be blessed when you mourn. Mourning in my opinion feels like the opposite of blessing. What’s Jesus driving at? First, I think Jesus is saying ‘blessed is everybody’ because everybody … Read More
Praying for the Proper Spirit
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:1-3) One thing that makes life interesting is contrast. Jesus loved contrast — maybe because he invented it. These … Read More