Over the past year now, this idea of what it means to be a Christian school in a post-Christian culture has been on my heart and mind incessantly. I am excited to hear Barna Group president David Kinnaman speak during this symposium. I heard him speak last year to a group of us gathered for a Van Lunen Fellowship reunion. … Read More
Life Calling
During my years in college and graduate school, I pursued an interesting approach to career exploration—I studied them all. I studied history, pre-law, pre-med, Greek, journalism, religion, public health, dentistry, education, geology. What compelled me to pursue so many different fields? Confusion coupled with a determined search for meaning. At the heart of my actions and decisions, there was a … Read More
A New Perspective on Stewardship
My 5 year old grandson has a vivid imagination. Throughout a normal day he imagines that he and those around him are chefs, pirates, zookeepers, policemen, and a variety of other occupations. It is a fun game which requires no change in behavior, at least from his perspective! Reflecting on this causes me to consider the plight of many adolescents … Read More
Five Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
We all make mistakes. They are unavoidable but not always easy to explain—especially when others have made the same mistakes in the past and share their learning experiences. David Urban and Paul Neal, of Charter Oak Research share the following five marketing mistakes in their blog and webinar: Believing we are misunderstood Not giving others what they want Doing what’s … Read More
Real Work for a Real Audience
Lauren was walking away from the copy machine with a stack of copies from the Spanish workbook. She looked like she had just been abandoned by her deepest hope. It was her first year of teaching, first year Spanish to sixth graders. She had tried to involve them in active projects, but everything she thought would be engaging yielded little … Read More
Escape the Fundraising Treadmill
A treadmill is a great way to go for a five-mile walk without actually leaving the gym. But who would want to live on a treadmill? Too often we feel like we are running on a treadmill with our fundraising efforts. When one event is finished, it’s time to catch our breath and start the next one. Yet sometimes it … Read More
This Happens in Christian Schools Too
One of the advantages of leading a Christian school while also contributing to Christian schooling through The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) is the frequency of my encounters with the extraordinary opportunities students experience through distinctive, Christ-centered education. In addition to being known for their comprehensive, Biblical integration, many Christian schools are becoming broadly recognized for the high quality … Read More
Five Marketing Mistakes
We all make mistakes. They’re unavoidable but not always easy to explain—especially when others have made the same mistakes in the past and share their learning experiences. Maybe that is why lists of “top 5” or “top 7” mistakes to avoid are everywhere—the lists always seem to odd numbered, right? Well, here are 5 marketing mistakes to avoid. Believing we … Read More
Reconciling Faith and Science
Christian teachers are called to be reconcilers. As ambassadors of Christ, they are given this ministry of reconciliation: pointing students to living in harmony with God, neighbor, creation, and self. In II Corinthians 5:16-21, the apostle Paul encourages the Corinthians that, being given this message of reconciliation, they are then called to share the sweetness of wholeness through Christ and … Read More
The Great “Stop-and-Drop-Shop” Fallacy
The other day, I was down at one of our local Christian schools collecting two of my grandchildren, to look after them at the end of the school day, whilst Sue, their mother, was busy running an after-school activity for parents. Actually, my grandson Brendon saw me in the school some time before the final bell when he was visiting … Read More