Dan Beerens opened the door for me to Christian education.
Homer Allen, headmaster at New Covenant School in Arlington, MA, met Dan at a conference and told him about the “real work for real people” students were doing at Covenant—projects in which students learned content and skills as well as developed the character of Christ through the work that they did, not just in Bible classes and chapel. Dan told me that the kind of school Homer described was what he had dreamed about, but never actually saw in action.
The critical nature of the classroom
Homer introduced me to Dan, and my life, personally and professionally, was refreshed and renewed through our connection. Dan was a Fellow at CACE, which offered support for school leaders in strategic planning, business operations, and marketing and enrollment, among other services. Dan understood how important those needs were, but that no matter how proficient the school was managed, he emphasized that a good school grows out of what happens in classrooms every day among teachers and students.
Through Dan’s influence I joined the team at CACE to help think about improving Christian schools from within, at the ground level of classroom practice. Dan and I worked together in a few schools CACE was supporting and began connecting with other Christian educators asking how every dimension of school life could be permeated with the love of God.
Dan is a master of bringing together the right people and asking the right questions. It was inspiring watching him lead workshops with Christian school teachers and leaders. He helped them reflect on all the ways their curriculum and teaching practices did, or did not, align with their mission; Dan was a master of helping them discover their own discrepancies rather than pointing them out himself. Moreover, rather than lecturing about an engaging practice such as essential questions, he modeled their use. In his unique way, he provoked schools to change without making them feel guilty for what they were already doing.
It was even more fascinating watching Dan “work the room” in conversations between sessions, on walks around the school grounds, over cocktails and dinner, and, of course, at the ice cream parlor. Dan was always making or deepening relationships with people, looking for ways he could support the good work they were doing. As a hotel roommate, I enjoyed his elaborate sleeping aids, his morning ritual of listening to classical music as we planned our day, and most urgently, his suggestion of where we would get our coffee.
The value of convening
In 2015 Dan connected a bunch of us in Chicago and again at Monte Vista (2017), where we decided to host a conference the next year at the Rock School in Gainesville, FL, a conference we called “Christian Deeper Learning.” Dan was the key to bringing together a wide range of teachers and school leaders from the US and abroad to share our learnings about the intentional integration of godly principles in every dimension of school life. The network he helped build and the conferences we held brought hope and vision to hundreds of educators thirsty to develop practices that honored who we and our students were—people made in the image of God.
Dan relentlessly avoided any “one way” approach to Christian education. He never promoted one organization over the another, but always looked for the good work being done in a variety of schools and networks. His greatest joy was in bringing educators together to learn from each other. He was equally humble about claiming responsibility for the achievements of any school or organization of which he was involved. He constantly reminded us of the ideas and historical legacies of people who preceded us. With his comprehensive knowledge of church and Christian school history, Dan helped all of us see where we fit in the larger picture.
Just as he was a model for me in my professional work, he continues to be an inspiration in his “redirected” life. He writes regular reflections, works on boards, organizes litter campaigns (“For the Beauty of the Earth”), sings in the Holland Chorale, and spends quality (and quantity) time with his family.
Dan Beerens continues to be the hands and feet of Jesus. His legacy has been established in Christian schools and beyond.
