Dear Parents and Friends of CCS,
May this issue of Parent News find you experiencing the grace and goodness of God!
In this week’s post I’d like to focus on the first two of the 10 Distinctives of Gospel Centered Education that I introduced last week.
These Distinctives lie at the heart of our CCS@50! Vision, and are unique to how we carry out our mission here at CCS.
Before I get to them, however, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite verses, one that has been very formative in my thinking and the overall development of Community Christian School over the years:
“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 4:5,6 ESV
You may know that the Greek words at the bottom of our school crest are translated Jesus is Lord. This declaration is only possible because of Christ's work in us, and we are grateful that He condescends to use us in this work.
Contextually, it’s important to understand that claiming Jesus as Lord was very dangerous in Roman times, since it was common for the Caesar’s to demand they be called “Lord”.
Therefore the Christian’s proclamation that Jesus is Lord was deeply counter-cultural, and pushed back powerfully against many of the “sacred cows” of the day, ones held dear by both the Roman occupiers and the religious elite.
And so it is today. You may talk about God openly, and even mention Jesus (in some quarters).
But when you start talking about submission to Jesus, allowing him to overmaster you in every area and every decision of your life, accepting Him and His will and His wisdom as your highest desire and joy, believing the Bible is actually God’s revelation to us and is utterly necessary to live well “coram deo” i.e. before the face of God…well, let’s just say it will not go unnoticed, even in some churches.
And it’s this joyful submission that forms the backdrop and foundation stones for everything at CCS.
With that in mind, I share these distinctives not to boast that we are necessarily superior to other schools, or that we do all of these things perfectly, but simply to suggest that not all educational programs come from the same perspective. This is the pathway that God has laid out for us, and we rejoice in it and celebrate its uniqueness.
Please note that these do not represent everything we do or hold to be important, but are listed either because they are not, to our knowledge, practiced at other schools, or are practiced in a singular and unique way here at CCS.
Distinctive 1 The Three Pillars of CCS: A Biblical Theological Foundation, a Vital Shalom Community, and a Dynamic Resurrection Culture.
Walked out in the context of the Three Core Programs (Biblical Worldview Academics, Servant Leadership and Deep Spiritual Formation) these Three Pillars form a powerful perspective that defines how we teach, learn, live and work together.
Every organization, whether it be a business, a nonprofit, a family or a ministry, needs guiding principles, frameworks, core values and beliefs to keep it on track. These work together to help us understand who we want to be, why we want to be that, and how we will pursue those goals. It also serves as a reminder that we need Jesus every step of the way!
Distinctive 2 The Leadership Program, where the outdoors becomes a laboratory for learning small team leadership skills through executing real-world mission, and the inner life is nurtured.
The wilderness is a common Biblical metaphor, and in many cases it is presented as a crucible where character and a resilient life with God is forged.
Coupled with the proven emotional and psychological benefits of immersing oneself in a natural habitat, this process brings incredible nurture to the young soul (historically including the mind, will and emotions), and hopefully ingrains in them the call to live a life of service wherever God leads them.
Next week we’ll take a look at the next two Distinctives, a deep reliance on the power of intercessory prayer and the application of the word of God to everything we do.
In the end, it is our prayer that sharing the vision that God is currently downloading will be another step toward furthering His agenda for gospel-centered teaching and learning at CCS.
May He receive all of the glory as we move step by step toward becoming a truly extraordinary school.
For CCS and the Kingdom,
Tom