Monday, December 15, 2014

Amazing Peace




I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play;
In music sweet their tones repeat,
“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor does He sleep,
For Christ is here; His Spirit near
Brings peace on earth, good will to men.”

      -Henry W. Longfellow
   

The journey to the manger in the school Christmas program can be anything but peaceful. Do soloists know their parts? Where are those props? How do you set up those risers again? Do we have enough programs? It’s not hard to end up in a spot where singing “peace on earth” feels like a living contradiction to what we feel. Perhaps that is because of the tyranny of the urgent that can consume us. Or, perhaps because we watch the “nations raging together” (Psalm 2:1) and our doubtful hearts worry that dark skies and dark hearts are winning the day.

Christmas events, like those of this week at LCES, remind us that our faith is characterized not only by the “Amazing Grace” we sing of often, but also “Amazing Peace.” Though they may be fleeting, the moments in our lives where we experienced that peace are worth pausing for. Quiet snow falling, a sleeping infant, a musical moment of awe and reflection, or the hum of the road in a darkened car returning from a family outing - these all are a foretaste of the “perfect peace” that will one day characterize every day, every place, for every one of God’s children.  We experienced one of those moments as a school family this morning with Jeremy Zeyl sharing “O Holy Night” to a gym full of students who felt that tangible peace for a moment. Perhaps, peace is something you feel more than you understand.


May God grant us moments of that “peace that transcends understanding” as we tell the most amazing story: God took on flesh and became one of us. Now that is a source of amazing peace!                                                           

SJ

Monday, December 8, 2014

Words in a hallway

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Overheard in the primary side of the school, following a nutrition break:


“What happened on the playground this recess was not very nice and wasn’t fair.” - student

“That’s not walking in the way of love, is it?” – another student, directed at the teacher

“Yeah, God says that we’re supposed to walk in love!” yet another student.




Such words from some of our youngest students tell us that our school theme “Walk in the Way of Love” from Ephesians 5:2 has made an impression on them. Praise God! For 14 weeks already this year students have been attending Monday morning chapels, heard teachers share God’s word with them, and learned to live in community as they experienced moments of harmony and conflict.

We certainly experience both of them in the pulse of daily life here at our school, although we are very grateful that moments of peace, joy, and contentment far outnumber times of conflict. Conflict does not bring us joy, yet the Christian school knows that some of the most formative and direction-setting moments can often come from handling conflict well. The manner in which we work through conflict speaks much about what matters most to our school.

Years ago, on a highway billboard in giant letters, I read “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”

So what characterizes conflict managed well, by peaceful means? Here are some ideas:

 There is always a best and worst time to deal with conflict. Generally, a period of pause and reflection before sweating out the resolution of conflict together is best.

 Avoiding conflict comes at its own cost.

 The ultimate goal of conflict resolution is unity, not victory.

 The pathway towards resolution begins with small groups, not big ones.

 Resolving conflict may require vulnerability and humility, but should not require embarrassment or eroding the value of another person.

 True conflict resolution ends not with tolerance, but forgiveness.

 While God delights in unity which brings Him glory, his opponent delights in anything that can frustrate and hinder the process.

May God bless our efforts to live in faithfulness together. SJ

Monday, December 1, 2014

What’s new about Christmas?

A Christmas tree has been carefully setup in the hallway, songs from our Christmas program are on our children’s lips, and the twinkle of festive lights warms the atmosphere in the The Learning Spot.  The first moments of advent are exciting at a Christian school – but is that because it is familiar and comfortable like a warm cozy blanket, or is it a rush of hope and help like a strong beam of a lighthouse cutting through the fog of a fallen and often dark world? How do we approach advent each year as something that is new and meaningful? A writer I follow, Chris Schoon, shared this over the weekend and I thought it too good to hold on to myself. Allow me to share:

 “….faces and hands pressed against the frosty window, our kids keep watch for that first glimpse of red brake lights lighting up, while Grandma’s burgundy Honda slows, making the turn into our driveway. Any moment they will abandon their post in a flurry of singular delight: “Grandma is here! Grandma is here!” The ensuing mad scamper of children dashing through living room and dining room, then kitchen and back hall will leave couch cushions crumpled, once neatly folded blankets askew, and our pets in a confused scurry, unsure of whether they should hide under the table, join the joyful delight, or courageously defend our door. 

In a way, our kids’ anticipation, rooted in the memory of Grandma’s previous visits, fills the Advent season as we both remember Jesus Christ’s birth and anticipate his second coming. These rhythms of remembering and anticipating provide the primary cadence for this season. Advent is neither a nostalgic longing for a past that has been lost nor a naïve fixation on a utopia that remains always out of reach. Rather, by looking back at what God has already done and looking ahead at what God has promised yet to do, Advent roots us deeper in the assurance that God is with us – even here, even now.”  (http://muddiedprayers.com)

Our participation in all things Christmas at LCES is so much more than lights, carols, and chocolate. We celebrate the gift of a first-born son, given to redeem this world that our students study. We praise God for the gift of a Saviour whose grace allows them find their place on earth to use their gifts and talents. As part of advent we delight in the promise that he will come again and that he makes "all things new."(Revelation 21:5)  Now that is something new worth celebrating!  (SJ)

Monday, November 24, 2014

What does a well have to do with learning?

A new source of water is nearing completion in Uganda that has a connection to LCES. Students last year at our school organized means to raise funds to give a gift of gratitude and service to others in the world. A new way of living will become reality for this village in Uganda with the addition of a 100 foot well giving safe, life-giving water in ways unaffected by drought. In a country where 1 in 3 do not have access to good drinking water, this new addition will increase health and build up a community as God intended it to be enjoyed by His children.



Why does a Christian school give?

First, helping students to give in a manner like this is one of the ways we teach our children to have a spirit of thankfulness for all God has given them.  Indeed, “…out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) A mindset of gratitude that can’t help but turn into giving is a vital lesson to be learned. Giving is an act of letting heart shape action.

Second, we wish to have students give to these annual student service projects to help our young learners realize the highest directive in learning – to love one another. Our school year theme from Ephesians 5 implores us to “Live a Life of Love” and we help students ground that into practice when they realize that learning is for serving.

Finally, we give to connect our students with a world that is full of people who do not share an existence that is our everyday reality. LCES students are experiencing the life that many children in the world dream of. The vast majority of same-age children in the world do not live as LCES students do and we would be remiss if we did not find tangible ways for our students to be drawn into the Christ’s command to “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17) God’s kingdom is advanced when even our youngest learners have their eyes opened to seek out the means to think of others before self.   SJ


(For well details, see www.thewaterproject.org/track  and enter well # 40391)

Monday, November 17, 2014

What's the true story? A parent's perspective.

Today’s piece comes from a current parent. I trust you will be blessed by the reflective portrayal of the importance of what we do at LCES.  SJ

Standing at a check-out at the supermarket, one can't help but read the headlines of recent magazine publications: “Dress for Success”, “8 Money-Saving Tips” and more. It makes one wonder: “What is success?” and “Why is saving money the cover line of a magazine with contents enticing you to spend, spend, spend?”

We are bombarded by mass media telling us how to dress, how to look, and how to spend our money. The media, with all its avenues of influence, invites us into a story - complete with pictures- of what the good life looks like. Christian parents must be diligent and deliberate in their work to oppose a fallen world’s messages about what the story is really all about. We must help our children understand that they do not have to surrender to the premise that success is defined by the size of their house, body, and paycheque. Christians are part of a different and continuing story.

I am thankful that LCES is a space that has been created and sustained by three generations of faithful supporters to tell this story: the story of a good and loving God who created the world, loves His world, died to save it, and is restraining sin's destruction through the work of His followers. LCES continues to be a space where children are nurtured not only to hear God's story, but also to see themselves as participants in the story – identifying what has gone wrong in God's good world, seeking to restore it to God's original intent and telling others about Jesus, the world's redeemer, who makes all things possible.

At our school, the simple and repetitive practice of opening each day in devotions in a way that affirms that our World belongs to God: He is where we start our day, and everything and everyone is important enough to lift before God in prayer.  A Christian school also knows that every piece of the curriculum is only a part of a bigger picture of God's complete world. The skills learned in mathematics is not only essential because numbers matter if we are to function in society and get a good job, but because it is a good gift from God given to equip us to enjoy, respond and continue to create goodness in the world. Our theme this year is “Walk in the Way of Love” which is brightly displayed in the school's front entrance. What a wonderful counter-cultural message to be greeted with! Have you ever seen this headline on a magazine at a check-out stand? 


Anita Plat-Kuiken

Monday, November 10, 2014

The pain in remembering...

The cold November winds and rain that can become the backdrop for Remembrance Day proceedings are a fitting setting. Gratitude for service and the high price paid for freedom for all are certainly foremost in our minds as we wear our poppies and bow our heads tomorrow. However, the tears, the barren tree branches, and a brisk wind remind us of the raw reality of what we are also recalling; wars and fighting remain, guns have not been silenced, and we lament that conflict abounds nearby and far away from our home and native land. We fell the groaning of creation awaiting the fullness of Christ's return as stand vigil in silence. 

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:15


That peace seems very elusive as we move through these acts of Remembrance. The list of military sacrifice grows each year with more names added, human suffering continues in the hands of tyrants, and so many wait for the kind of justice and peace that Christ commanded. Is there hope?

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…”  Colossians 3:16


Yes! That peace of Christ comes to us as we pattern our lives after his teaching and model for faithful living. I’m so thankful that the “message of Christ” is part of our student’s everyday life here at LCES in the devotional and learning parts of every day.  The coming  kingdom of God with justice and peace for all is what we work for every day in each lesson and conversation, each challenge and success. May our students grow in wisdom that propagates peace and returns our world back to way God originally created it – beautiful, perfect, and filled with peace. SJ



P.S. Grades 6-8 will be attending the downtown proceedings at the cenotaph tomorrow. Grades 1 -5 will led by our grade three class at a special Remembrance day assembly running from 10:45-11:15am. Parents and friends of the school are most welcome to join us.



Monday, November 3, 2014

Thank-you for our problems...

The start to our day at LCES this morning was less than ideal. News of someone’s choice to leave their graffiti “tag” on our playground, building, and bus was the first thing to respond to. No heat in parts of the building was the second. Trying to remember how to change all the clocks after the time change was next. And so the list continued, with items that one might respond to with “Really? I’d sooner be doing something else.”

It doesn’t take much to become centered only on ourselves and our own problems. Sometimes our own situation becomes “re-framed” when we place it next to plight of another person, organization, or group.  The content of Monday morning chapel was that helpful interrupter for me this morning.

Staff and students heard that this is a month set aside to recognize the reality of those Christians who are persecuted for their faith throughout the globe.  Significantly restricted opportunities, families broken apart, physical harm, imprisonment, and in some cases death is the result of expressing Christian belief in much of the globe.

Our heat will get fixed and we can take care of the graffiti. Our clocks will show the right time.

For a school that is entirely committed to expressing its Christian faith in devotional practice, academic study, and faithful living we certainly experience an abundance of freedom from many of the roadblocks and harm that others experience.  We are grateful that God gives us the freedom to operate a school such as ours and in so doing we can boldly give expression to our faith as live and learn each day.

But that response to the persecuted church is incomplete. We are called to pray for the persecuted church, remember their plight (Hebrews 13:3), and work for justice everywhere. I read this weekend that  “every local practice of justice plants the seeds for justice to flow wider and higher in the entire world.” 

May our students “grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ “ (2 Peter 3:18) each day at LCES so that they can plant such kingdom seeds throughout their lives.  SJ

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Hope in Fearful Times

As parents cope with the recent news stories and alerts that may cause fear and worry in their children, we understand that children need their parents first and foremost to circumvent their fears or worries and assure them God remains in full control of our world, even when sin dashes our hope into despair. 

In addition, children need other caring adults in their lives who also see them as children of God as they bravely make their way through a sometimes scary world. The Christian school provides those other caring adults. In a world that may seem chaotic, our children need the security of a place where parent and teacher values are aligned. Our children need a place of sanctuary where any adults in the child’s space are guided by the same spiritual values that shape the parents’ interactions with their children. Our children need a place where they can reach out to an adult and know that the Christ who is continuously shaping that adult is the same Christ who is at work molding the child. The Christian school provides that place. 

The journey on which our children find themselves is difficult at times. Never underestimate the power of the Christian parent and the Christian school coming together to help our children calm fears and provide encouragement. Remember that when we are dealing with the tough stuff, God will never let our children go. 

"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

Praise God for that sure assurance.   SJ

Monday, October 27, 2014

Spreading the Word

A common reaction from people who have driven by our school for years and finally enter the building for one reason or another is, “Wow! I had no idea this place was here and this is what you do every day. Why haven’t I heard about you long ago?” While there is a certain part of that response that is exciting because of their very positive spontaneous response, I can’t help feeling that an opportunity was missed  at high cost. Our community needs to know about us and the great things that go on here every day.

Our promotions group at the school is busy considering the ways that we best position ourselves to speak to and connect with young families who might consider educating their children here at LCES. Consensus from other schools on the subject is clear; these young families make their choices in ways different than former generations. While the Promotions Committee tries to figure that all out, here are few no-cost things you can do to spread the news about our school:

1)   Pray for those families who are busy contemplating the best choice for their children, which may include LCES as an option of one among many.  I am nearly always in correspondence with at least one family who wants to learn more about us.  Pray that conversations and tours are effective in sharing our school’s story.

2)   Frequently “like” what we post on our facebook page. While you may enjoy simply taking in the content, there is more you can do. The small step of clicking “like” creates ripples in the social media pond that has our name and positive school culture reaching many.

3)   It takes less than 5 minutes for you to do a review of our school on facebook  and/or google. We know for certain that young families first explore us on-line and we want great positive content and first-hand comments there that motivate first phone or e-mail contact.

4)  Think of (and perhaps even practice) what you can say about our school in two minutes or less. “So where do you send your kids to school?” is a fantastic opportunity to potentially connect us with families since the question suggests curiosity and an open door.  Word of mouth contact remains highly effective since it is grounded in a relationship.

Thanks for considering! We pray for an excellent week of living and learning by faith at LCES!  SJ

Monday, October 20, 2014

Teachers Enter the Story



Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
    let them proclaim your power.
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
    
and your wonderful miracles.  Psalm 145:4-5

Hearing or telling stories is something everyone can relate to. Campfire stories, fish-got-away stories, family “remember the time when…” stories, and stories well written by fiction authors amuse, comfort, challenge, or inspire us. Why do we share stories? Perhaps it is to multiply joy and divide sorrow. Or maybe the sharing of stories helps us to define what matters most to us, what resonates with us, and gives others a picture of what we want in life. Stories matter greatly to us because we know we are part of God’s great story of love and redemption of this world and these small stories fit into that larger story.

It is with this backdrop of a chosen theme of “Entering the Story” that our LCES staff will journey off to Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ont. this week for the annual Christian educator’s convention. We will gather from schools across the province to form a body of more than 1000 educators interested in being challenged, inspired, equipped, and renewed in our craft of Christian teaching. Staff will hear two keynote speakers and attend a variety of workshops. It is a rich blessing for us to attend this event and we certainly covet your prayers for safety, learning, and fellowship as teachers become students in a tangible way for two days.


Let’s continue sharing the stories of faith with our children. To God be the glory! SJ

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Why test? (Standardized Testing)

Next week (October 20-22) your child(ren) in grades 3-8 will be working through the Canadian Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) for a part of each day. The CTBS is a collection of standardized tests in several subject areas. The two main reasons for using a standardized achievement test are to gather information that can be used to improve instruction school-wide and to provide one more form of valuable information about their input alongside a report card to make responsible decisions about the education of their children. 

It is important to us that you know that these tests do not measure all the worthwhile objectives of our school – the diversity of school goals, of instructional methods, and of curriculum materials make it impossible for any test to attempt to do that. However, there are a number of generally held educational objectives toward which all students are expected to progress toward as they proceed through grades K-8. 

The test provides basic information about student achievement. The test scores are compared to the scores of other students. This comparison can be very useful to schools and parents in determining the quality of the school program and instruction, and the corresponding level of student achievement. 

This year, under the recommendation of the Education Committee, we decided to only participate in the CTBS portion that relates to math. Two years ago, we made a full Grade 1 -8 switch to JUMP Math. We are interested in seeing how this specific area of the curriculum is improving student learning at LCES. We recognize the age of the CTBS tests as a whole and while other subject areas don’t completely align with our curriculum, we see the merit in participating in the math testing for this year. 

Teachers will spend time with students explaining how the tests work, what to expect and why we are using them at LCES. When the test scores are returned to the school, we will notify you as parents. Please pray for our students as they take these tests. Pray for patience, clear thinking, peace and understanding as we look to ensure we are preparing our students well for their future. JW

Monday, October 6, 2014

Success will come and go, but integrity is forever...

When I was about twelve years old a significant life-lesson took place. Shortly after an event much like last Saturday’s Fall-Fest, I received a phone call. A voice on the other end tried repeatedly to relay a message to me through a heavy accent. Eventually, I realized that they were telling me that they had found my wallet on the sidewalk in front of their house. I had not yet realized it went missing on my bumpy bike ride home from the Christian school bazaar.

I biked back to their home to retrieve it. I encountered a busy immigrant family that clearly didn’t have a lot of financial resources. They probably could have really used the newspaper route profits that were so poorly safe guarded on my part. I was old enough to realize that they had made a choice here, and I thanked them for choosing as they did. Without skipping a beat, the father said “There was no choice to make. Success will come and go, but integrity is forever.” Whether those were his own words or reference to someone else’s wisdom, I don’t know. They stuck like glue in my young mind.

As an adult and a parent, this memory prompts me to think about many things about responsibility and children. However, as an educator, this memory reminds me that there is immense benefit for a child when all people in their life are purposeful and deliberate about developing habits, mindsets, and perspectives that cultivate character and faith. All of them are made more powerful together than they would be on their own. You never know where and when the next golden learning opportunity will arise. When it comes, seize it!

From bus drivers to teachers, and from EA’s to volunteer coaches, I am grateful for the adults that surround our children at LCES and speak truth into their lives. SJ 

P.S If you had the chance to be in the building last Saturday, you will have noted a great day in progress. Pleasant fall aromas, happy voices, delicious food aplenty, and lots of entertaining things to see and do drew a steady crowd to our annual Fall Fest. We thank our very dedicated group of volunteer leadership and our many parent volunteers that made the day a great success!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Imagining the Kingdom

Earlier this month I had the fantastic privilege of attending the 7th Annual Christian Schools Canada Leadership Conference, this year in Victoria, BC working under the title “Imagining the Kingdom.” There were more than 200 delegates there from 5 provinces as well as several international guests. One might summarize the content of the conference with these two questions:

What is the spiritual and cultural context that Christian schools work in today as they look to shape young people to respond to their creator?

Christian schools work with students who are so much more than minds on sticks, ready to be filled with the right stuff. Student’s lives are full of habits and rituals that are acquired at the earliest of ages. Those habits and rituals are formed by what they are drawn to love, to  desire, and to derive comfort and meaning from. Love is not turned off in people who fall into sin, instead we love the wrong things in the wrong way. That means that the competitors of Christian schools are not other education systems, but practices and habits that work in conflict against what should be our first love – Christ and the coming kingdom. Christian schools ought to be places that capture a student’s loves and longings in such a way that they feel the irresistible pull of the gospel toward being agents of the coming Kingdom.

What should Christian schools consider if they wish to remain relevant for the next generation?

-Figure what has to change, and what must never change.-  Rick Warren

It takes steps of faith and a willingness to risk and be open to the Spirit’s prompting. It takes clarity of vision which comes from knowing the times and the best course of action to take. It takes patience and perseverance in the biggest and smallest of matters that keep the school in unending pursuit of its vision and mission. It thrives with a functioning, faithful community that works in prayer, grace, and energy to advance its plans and priorities in humble gratitude. It takes people whose work together is so much more than it ever could be on their own. It takes deliberate and timely periods of spiritual, emotional, and physical refreshment.

May we be always in pursuit of the Kingdom at LCES.  SJ

Monday, September 22, 2014

Measuring Success

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. Mark 10:51

I had the experience recently of answering a question for an enquiring parent who asked me about the means by which we evaluate our students and their success.  I shared the pattern of assessments teachers use in their classrooms, described the concept of our recently adopted Learning Skills Rubric distributed three times annually, and our locally developed report cards which chronicle learning, social and personal development, and personal study skills.

They were impressed, but the question still came back re-phrased as “For my son, when do you know you have been successful as a Christian school?” Realizing that we were talking about a different, more life-long kind of measure of success, I directed them to our graduate profile that our board approved last year. It names characteristics of a graduate as they relate to God, others and self. You can find it on our webstite here: www.londonchristian.ca/graduate-profile.php

The first two of nine descriptions of our goals for graduates read as follows:

1. Begins to develop a deeper commitment to love and serve Jesus Christ. We want our students to follow Jesus Christ in all situations, conversations, and experiences. We want to work with Christian homes and Christian churches to present a consistent message that God is the ruler over all the earth.

2. Discovers and experiences the joys and wonders of God’s world. We want our students to study the creation in a way that gives them excitement for the way in which God has created our world.

Jesus asked Bartimaeus in the above text what he wanted him to do for him. He asked for sight, which Jesus immediately granted him by acknowledging the faith with which he asked. In faith, our prayerful petition is that God will work in the hearts and minds of our students, gifts from God that they are, in such a way that they become a faithful presence wherever they are planted, and are unending in their desire to advance God’s kingdom. Now that is success!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Small Space Thankfulness

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:23

I love these fall mornings. The freshness of the cool air and rising sun on all the vegetation covered in dew is amazing. I think I must have been required to memorize this  text as a child in school at some point because it pops in my head often as I make the trip.

As much as possible, I try to take advantage of the option of biking to school when the weather allows as it has many times this month already. It is good for my health, it costs less, and it is good for the environment. I’ve also realized that it is good for me in another way. The fifteen minute bike ride to and from school forces me to be observant about my surroundings, and notice change. Much different than driving my vehicle, I notice the smell of freshly mown grass, lilac bushes, even people’s cooking from time to time. I see birds and squirrels fluttering about and notice an elderly gentleman’s efforts to revive a tree that nearly died last winter.

Our weekly chapel this morning challenged students to extend our theme of “Walk in the Way of Love” to a way of looking with purpose at the smallest of places with appreciation and thankfulness for God’s blessing. Food on a plate, a favorite painting on a wall, or even the sunlight streaming in your window  are evidence of God’s good creation created for our delight and pleasure. We may have our attention drawn to things that are more epic or exotic, however we do well to recognize these gifts which are much more common around us as we go about our daily rhythm of life.

The “small spaces” things that I am grateful this morning are the sounds of happy, content  JK & SK students outside my door, the sway of a majestic tree in the breeze outside my window, and a picture hanging on my wall which reminds me of the group who gave it me. 

We pray our students will develop  a spirit of thankfulness for the everyday things that make life beautiful. What do you notice today?                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                SJ

Monday, September 8, 2014

A singing creation

A student shared with me that they had learned about the creation story last week. I asked if they had heard it before, to which they responded, “Yes, but it was different this year. I never knew that no one had to create God before creation could start. He was already there.” I smiled and was grateful for another step of understanding on the journey of faith for one of our students. Our days are full of these “significant moments” at LCES and we are encouraged by their spontaneity and their long-term significance.

“The earth is filled with his glory, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. It's rising up all around
It's the anthem of the Lord's renown..”

The sound of young voices singing drew me in from the hallway to hear one of the choir classes underway in our music room last week. A group of students were enthusiastically singing these words. Both the book of Isaiah and the Psalms remind us frequently that the world is full of God’s glory. While our students often think of God at work in creation originally, as described in the account of creation, I notice they are less inclined to notice and seek out evidence of God at work today. Praise God for our passionate LCES staff who are busy working to challenge our students to see things differently!

 That is what we do in Christian education; we attune young hearts and minds to with conviction profess that every square centimeter of this world belongs to God, and that all of it declares God’s glory. We aim to open wide the eyes and ears of our students to see God at work in our world today and to cultivate a servant-heart that directs gifts and talents to be used in joyful service.
It’s one of the many things that makes LCES a great place to be in everyday!


P.S. We look forward to seeing you all at the Back-to-School BBQ this Thursday evening at 5:30pm. If you see someone you don’t know, either a brand new or returning family, feel free to introduce yourself and welcome them warmly!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Welcome to LCES!

While in Canadian Tire recently I noted that customers waiting to check out could be enticed to purchase air fresheners in a strategically placed display. Among the pine, tropical passion, cinnamon spice, and others was “new car smell.” Obviously there are enough people who want that smell to be part of their car-driving experience to make it an option on the shelf. Why? Perhaps because at the start of a car’s life, with its paint, upholstery, tires, and glass in pristine and dust-free condition, we might think there is no limit to what we might explore and no embarrassing dings, scratches and dirt that tell the story of our less than perfect past.

A new school year feels much the same. The happy sounds of students moving about LCES filled the halls again today as they met up with old friends and made new ones. Fresh bulletin boards, new shoes and lunch bags, sharpened pencils, and new clothes were on proud display. After more than two months of very quiet hallways, the building is vibrant and its pristine waxed floors and squeaky clean desks make our hearts soar at the limitless opportunities and potential for what this year may bring.

To be clear, fresh new beginnings for staff, parents, and students are important since they offer us a chance to see more optimistically the God-created potential of what may happen for us and our students. However, much like the fading new car smell and first scratched bumper, it doesn’t take too long before we realize that our best aspirations are still restrained by our weaknesses. These frustration moments turn into growth moments when we realize that God uses us, dents and all, for his kingdom. So when the luster of this year may start to fade some, recall that God’s love never does.


Our theme for the year, Walk in the Way of Love, will soon be boldly displayed in our school’s atrium. The text from Ephesians 5:1-2a gives our staff and students a clear and direct mandate to love others in a way that reflects the way that God loves us. Christian love thinks first of others, then of self. We pray our staff and students may be blessed as they make the year-long journey of living out that truth. We are “dearly loved.”  Praise God!