Singing, Skating, and Giving at our Christian School

A unique weeks starts this morning as we return for the final days of 2017 at LCES. Here are some highlights:

Wednesday “Worship Christ, the Newborn King.” All students from JK-8 will lead us in word and song to celebrate Jesus’s birth. Join us at Royalview and bring a friend, neighbor, or potential future family.

Friday “Christmas Carol Chapel” True North Records artist and LCES parent, Jeremy Zeyl, will start the day leading us in a joyous morning of words and song. You won’t want to miss this unique morning of a community singing together and hearing the Christmas story.

Friday afternoon Skating – To end the week and year on a community note, we will continue the tradition of skating at Argyle arena just around the corner from the school. Grades 4-8 will start skating at 1:30pm and JK-3 will begin at 1:50pm. Students to and from by bus.

A note regarding Wednesday evening:

At the LCES Board table this fall we have seen tremendous evidence that the Lord has richly provided for our school. It has come in the form of answers to difficult situations, people with passion and care for the mission of our school, and financial resources to keep our organization viable. God is very good! The gap of last year’s projected shortfall was answered by measures that had us end on the level. We have continued to joyful receive Bright Future’s gifts this fall and watch our debt shrink, our bursary capacity grow, and are excited about investing in our facility and learning tools. These are all gift from above for which we gave all praise and thanks to God.

At the Board table we have prayed for the Christian school our children are supporting with their student service project, a place I have written about twice this fall. LaGosette Christian School has nearly twice as many students as our school but operates with an annual budget that is around 10% of ours. Wonderful things are happening there as the school aims to be a faithful presence to children and families eager for hope and love. As chance to be a blessing as we have been richly blessed, there will be an opportunity for us as a community to join alongside our students to support LaGosette Christian School. At the Christmas concert there will be a free will offering received at the door on your way out. If you would like a tax receipt, you can give directly to the school through their website.

May the hope of Advent, the joy of Christ, and the promise of God’s love be with you and yours as you travel, worship, and celebrate during the break.

SJ

Practiced Peace and our Christian School

The exciting news of “peace on earth” heralded by the angels often feels like it didn’t take. Internationally, domestically, provincially, and even on the school playground, one doesn’t have to look for very long to find evidence that we don’t live in perfect peace.

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

On a giant billboard I once 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:

1.  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.
2.  Avoiding conflict comes at its own cost.
3.  The ultimate goal of conflict resolution is unity, not victory.
4.  The pathway towards resolution usually begins with small groups, not big ones.
5.  Resolving conflict may require vulnerability and humility, but should not require embarrassment or eroding the value of another person.
6.  True conflict resolution ends not with tolerance, but forgiveness.
7.  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 respond to conflict with wisdom and faithfulness.

SJ

Advent At Our Christian School & Students As “Brokers of Hope”

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

The church sanctuary was deliberately darkened. Two nervous 12 year old children strained to reach the microphone and read the words of Isaiah and remind the congregation of what is coming. Light and hope to chase away darkness, or so said the prepared script on cardboard cutouts in sweaty palms. One of them struck a match against a box and attempted to light the stubborn candle, seemingly determined not to start. The nearly full matchbox was held too long too close to the match trying to light the candle. Suddenly a flame burst forth with a white flash as the entire box of matches started on fire, finally lighting the candle of hope. Everyone’s heart skipped a beat, and all gasped. I think I will always connect this story with the start of advent.

Christ’s birth was at time of intense darkness, and God’s seemingly silent treatment of the world and people he had made. His arrival, in a way, is properly represented by the flash of light in the above story. It got the full attention of people as it pierced the darkness, and then settled to a lone candle with its warm, hopeful glow. I can recall silence after things settled as the congregation all watched the single flame. Perhaps they were all too stunned to know what to do next!

The advent wreath of Christmas Day, with its five candles brilliantly glowing on a triumphant morning, begins with a single candle piercing the darkness. Students, teachers, and parents all crave hope. We cling to the notion that our heart’s desires will be realized. We console ourselves with the hope that some situations will not last forever. We cope with some situations simply because others have given us hope even though we don’t see or feel hope yet ourselves. These are the kind of people we wish our students to be as they go forth into their God-given place in this world desperate for hope. “Brokers of Hope” is how I’ve heard Christian Education condensed to a phrase.

We frame our understanding of the world and our place in it with the hope that comes from a long- expected Jesus. What a joy it is to know our students are being led in such deliberate, hope-filled paths on the road of faith. Praise the Lord for Christian education!

SJ