Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace

Many of you have been working your way through the four weeks of Advent by lighting candles in an Advent wreath.  The candles:  Hope, Love, Joy, Peace all speak into the experience of Christmas and the cosmic implications that Christ's birth has had on the story of God's restoration plan for creation.

These candle themes have such far-reaching effects if we take seriously the depth and breadth of Christ's reign and the impact of His coming.  As we move through advent, I've caught myself often considering each of these themes in the lives of the students at Covenant as they move through their educational journey.

If we are a school that is redeemed by the coming of Christ and operates from this assumption, it would hold that our students would experience this daily and weekly as well.  Following are just a few (of hundreds!!!) ways in which I've experienced the advent themes recently.... perhaps you can think of your own experiences as well!!

Hope:  a student, after diligent and hard work hopes that they understand enough to begin the next task, and that their work will come together as they have imagined.  a teacher sits in anticipation as a student struggles to read aloud a passage they have worked so hard to master.

Love:  a older student stops their game to attend to another who has fallen... dusts them off and sends them on to play.  a teacher exercises persistence and patience with a student who is angry and frustrated and wants to give up.

Joy:  a group of students chooses an optional recess inside to prepare for an upcoming activity they are excited to get started on.  a teacher, after much preparation, launches into a cross-grade activity to introduce students to something outside of their normal experience to product creative and high quality work.

Peace:  two students find a way to work together to solve a problem rather than fighting.  a teacher enjoys a moment of calm in their classroom following the restoration of a broken friendship.

A principal continues to marvel at how celebrating Christ's birth continues to seem new and marvelous each year again, and how so often hope, love, joy, peace work and weave their way through this place.  

We must be plugged in... "... for apart from me, you can do nothing..." John 15:5

Advent Season

And we wait.  I was sharing with some students this morning that by this time last year, we had had three snow storms already.  Winter seems to be taking its time to arrive, and there are mixed emotions about this.  We are certainly enjoying the warm temperatures outside, but there is a longing for what is coming.  We have seen evidence of the seasons changing over, but winter just doesn't seem to arrive.  

That sense of anticipation and waiting is an important concept to teach to our children in the Advent season.  Much of our culture convinces us that waiting is not worth it.  Not having something NOW is unfortunate, and that we deserve immediate gratification.  The chosen nation of Israel waited so long for their Messiah.  In faith, they remained.. and often they got it wrong.  Scripture makes a point, it seems, at the fact that the Messiah's coming did not depend on whether Israel got it right, but that they were continually called back to faithfulness to God.  They were being prepared for the coming of a King.

In this season of 'already - not yet', in which we know Christ has come and paid our debt of sin, and that He will return to bring heaven to earth, we also wait.  We too, often get it wrong in our waiting, but are continually called back to faithfulness to God as we wait...

We wait for winter and the fun and excitement the snow will bring.  We wait for Christmas and the celebration we will enjoy.  We wait for justice and peace in a world struck with conflict.  We wait for Christ's return and the redemption of the world.  In our advent this season, and in the longing for Christ's return, we too are being prepared for the coming of the King!!  

Together, with David (Psalm 72:8)  we cry "May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth."  and with John from Revelation: "Come, Lord Jesus!"  Rev 22:20  Until then, we wait and strive to live as children of light.

Report Card and Interview Week.

It's time. Report card and Parent Teacher conference week. As the comics and cartoons show, these words can strike fear and trembling in to all involved - parents, students, and teachers alike.  On one hand, this is a good thing - it's an indication that we are all emotionally involved in the success of our students. On the other hand, this fear can cause us to do things that run counter to the central goal:  the growth and development of our students.

The main goal of report cards (and all of the assessment and evaluation that led up to them) and parent teacher conferences is to enhance the learning and growth of the student. Period.  

I've shared here before some of the recent research on growth mindset, largely spurred on by Carol Dweck. http://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/ Her main hypothesis, if we could boil it all down to one statement would be, the human brain can grow and learn. The opposite, a fixed mindset, assumes that we are stuck with our current skills and talents, and these are predictors of how we will do in life.  I find the growth mindset to be a wonderful embodiment of taking seriously the potential God created when he formed the world and its first human inhabitants, and of the vision he had then as he walked with them in the garden, giving them work to do to discover, grow, develop, and have dominion.

In the parable of the talents, (Matthew 25:14-30) the master gives each of his servants a sizable amount of money to work with.  As the story progresses, we see that the expectation is that each is expected to work with what they have been given, according to their ability. Each is expected to grow.  

This report card is an early communication of how each of the students is doing in the work of meeting the expectations of their grade level. The feedback gives information as to what strengths are being exercised, and areas for growth.  Each unique student (with all kinds of minds!) shines, and each also has areas in which they can continue to 'grow' their talents...

I want to encourage you to do two things:  1) Praise your child for their effort where they are doing well, and 2) identify some growth goals with your child for discussion at the parent-teacher interviews. Where are there opportunities to develop and grow? What do they find difficult, and how might their strengths help them to move forward in those areas?

So, is the fear and anxiety necessary? In short, no. Is growth expected and is it important? Absolutely. It's not about where we are right now, it's about where we are progressing... Now that's something to get excited about!  I'm looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday or Thursday!!

The stones may rest

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world."
Psalm 19: 1-4

This autumn season has given many of us the occasion to walk around in this part of the world where we are blessed to experience the deciduous 'burst of colour'.  I found myself recalling the verses above as my family walked through the forest canopy along the Niagara Escarpment this weekend. Reds, greens, yellows, oranges.  The skies were 'speaking' loud and clear, although without a sound or a word.  We certainly see these words in our end of the world.

As creatures, created by God to give Him glory, we have been blessed with an actual voice - words and sounds to speak and make Him known.  On Fridays, we experience that together singing together as a school community.  Each of you find your voice on Sundays in your worship communities.  On some level, we can't help but express this voice.  

Jesus goes so far to say that this voice will never be silenced.  As He entered Jerusalem, the crowds were shouting "Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD!  Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!" (Luke 19: 38)  When told by the religious leaders to make them stop, Jesus replies that if they did, even the stones on the road would burst forth....

This Thursday and Friday mark our annual provincial Christian School educators' convention.  Each year, we gather as a crowd of 800+ educators and begin together in corporate worship.  That short time of praise has become a highlight for me - so many voices together (LOUDLY) proclaiming the Glory of God.

At Covenant, in our region, in our province...  the stones may rest for now.  We will continue to take our cue from the skies and nature all around, giving voice throughout the earth!

Election Day

Today is election day in Canada. We, as a nation, will head to the polls (hopefully more of us than the last time!), and make our wishes known as to who should lead us for the next few years.

It's an interesting time as various groups and individuals speak passionately about the issues they find important for a country, and as emotions can run high. Sometimes I find it a very discouraging time as these 'discussions' don't always catch us at our best.  

It got me wondering.... what if we were saddled with the responsibility of picking our real, true leader? Would we have chosen Christ? The Jewish people at the time of Christ had exactly this dilemma:  choose to honour the Roman empire, choose a messiah who would violently rescue them from oppression, or choose Christ, a self-claimed Messiah, son of God with wild and radical ideas on how to live.

I'm not sure I would have had the courage to 'take up my cross and follow' given the political climate of the day. I'm quite glad that I sit on this side of the resurrection actually, standing on the shoulders of so many before me able to unpack and realize the richness of that sacrifice.

As I head to the polls this afternoon, I will cast a ballot for my leader of choice as will many of you. Thankfully, we don't have to choose who our Messiah is. It's not a vote or a popularity contest, or even a fiscal comparison.  It's a life- and world-view. He is the LORD of all, and our LORD.  "For God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his son."  We have our leader. How now shall we live?  

Micah's message to Israel sums things up nicely:

"But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,

  what God is looking for in men and women.

It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,

   be compassionate and loyal in your love,

And don't take yourself too seriously—

  take God seriously."  Micah 6:8 (MSG)

Whatever your vote, pray that our best example lives on for our children as they watch this democratic process. Pray that the leadership of our country (whichever claims victory this evening) takes to heart this instruction.  

Teaching Gratitude

After a refreshing long weekend, I am now returning to school wondering how we can prolong the ideals we just celebrated.  It's interesting (and even more poignant south of the border) that we finish up celebrating Thanksgiving - the state of being content - and are coaxed quickly to want and desire more (yes, the Christmas shopping season will arrive any day, and the stores will make sure we know!!!)

How do we teach our kids to be thankful; to live in gratitude? As with anything else, we can choose to speak about it, preach about it, discuss it, and cheer it on. BUT, unless we practice it, our (their) lives will never change.

Ann, a favourite blogger of mine, shares her family's experience developing gratitude...  a daily practice that they do to be thankful. They made gratitude lists. These lists began with the obvious:  food, family, friends, God, church, school, a home, etc etc etc.  As the lists continued, however, they were forced to delve more deeply to discover all of the things they take for granted, and actually are thankful for.  Her little experiment had some surprising results, and her follow up research proved that the benefits would reach even further than a state of mind... (you can read more at http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/03/how-to-help-raise-grateful-kids/ )

As parents (and teachers), we can model it:

A number of years ago, I recall trying to get my kids out to the park. It was a typical day where leaving the house became a burden and I wasn't particularly gracious or gentle or forgiving, and certainly not grateful. After a few harsh commands and  finally getting out the door, we were off to the park. As I rounded the corner with our stroller (not looking), I almost knocked someone off of the sidewalk.  My immediate reaction was of apology. I backed up, and the 'almost crashed into person' and I stopped for a friendly conversation. My last words to the man were "I'm so glad you weren't hurt!"

Ten steps down the sidewalk, my toddler son turned in the stroller and asked me to stop. After getting my undivided attention, he said to me "Dad, you are a kind man."  My heart stopped for a moment.  Thankfully, by the grace of God, my kids are influenced by my positive behaviours and not just my not-so-nice ones.  That moment of kindness, thankfulness, and gratitude was noticed by an impressionable toddler, and God saw to it through his little voice that I would never forget that.

So, from now until Christmas.... how are we going to model gratitude for our kids? 

Being plugged into God is a necessary start to living as children of light in a world so desperate to escape darkness. How can we shine light as an alternative to wanting more 'stuff'? Maybe I'll start a gratitude list.  How about you and your family?

For God so loved the WORLD

It is interesting to write here about International Emphasis week having just seen "The Diary of Anne Frank" this weekend in Stratford.  The setting, of course, is an international conflict involving the violent project by the Nazi regime to invade Europe and to 'cleanse' those nations of races 'not fit'.  It's a terrible chapter of our recent history, and I'm thankful that the telling lives on in stories like Anne's. In it, we witness the courage of a family who, like so many others at their own peril, chose to welcome in the stranger, despite difference of race, of religion, and native language.  This act of 'WITH'-ness is inspiring for us even today.

  
During our International Emphasis week, we will investigate in a number of ways, how we walk 'WITH' others from various countries other than our own.  We often get caught up in our own very familiar world where most of our neighbours are like us.  The story of Pentecost is an interesting place to start.  When the Holy Spirit came into the room and lived in each of the disciples, they did not speak one language to all of the international visitors to the city.  "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages.." Acts 2:4

We began on Friday in chapel by watching a photo montage of people from all over the world.  Students were challenged to look at the images and remind themselves that God so loved the world.....  Christ died for all!

Students this week will be asked to listen to someone speak in a different language, and perhaps even learn a favourite song or Bible verse in a different language.    In a real way, we will experience some of the wonder of that Pentecost here at Covenant:  Acts 2:1b: "we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"

Plugging in to the Spirit's power, we can shine as children of light, here in Smithville, and exploring the world.

Power - Reflection or Distortion?

The selection of this year's theme as Plugging in to God's power was not coincidental.  It was chosen carefully to align with some of what our Christian support organizations are focussing on.  This past week, Mr. Kamphuis, Mrs. Desjardins and myself had the privilege of joining 60 other Christian School Administrators at a conference entitled "Power to Empower".  It was a rich time of sharing, building up, encouraging, and digging deep into God's word and the words of Christian writers on the topic of power.

We all have and use power - parents, teachers, even students exercise power in their day-to-day interactions.  Andy Crouch (author of "Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power") identifies that each of us in our use of power will either reflect or distort the image we bear of our Creator.  From Christianity Today Magazine: "[A new conversation about power] would acknowledge, indeed insist, that power is a gift—the gift of a Giver who is the supreme model of power used to bless and serve. Power is not given to benefit those who hold it. It is given for the flourishing of individuals, peoples, and the cosmos itself. Power's right use is especially important for the flourishing of the vulnerable, the members of the human family who most need others to use power well to survive and thrive: the young, the aged, the sick, and the dispossessed."

As we exercise the power each of us has been granted in our particular position in society, are we using our power and influence to help others (especially the weak and vulnerable) flourish?  In other words, is our power being used to empower? Power is not for personal gain.  Pray that our students may learn to rightly use their power to empower through our teaching, and through the models they see around them each day.

Building Community

In our planning of the year along with HOW and WHAT we teach at Covenant, each division has adopted a number of what we call 'Throughlines'.  Throughlines, simply put, are themes in our Christian walk that will shine through all of what we do and learn.  Essentially, once we know and accept the story of God's redemptive lordship over all of life, throughlines attempt to answer the question "How now shall we live?"

In our initial staff meetings, we chose which of 10-12 throughlines we would emphasize in each of our grade levels.  Once our discussions were through, it was evident that every single grade level wanted to emphasize 'Building Community' as a class.  At that point, it was obvious that this was to become a whole school focus.

As I write this, the grade 3/4 class is abuzz in the lobby helping the JK class with a project "God helps us to Grow" involving life sized cutouts of themselves.  Their skills and abilities at their age are being put to use helping others who cannot yet tackle such a big undertaking.  Along the way, great relationships are being formed and a shared pride over their beautiful work is a result!  

As a way to build community across the school, each of our classes has a buddy class to do similar things through the year.  It's just one small way of many that we are intentionally living out what God would have us do.

Routines, Habits, and Love???????

The beginning of week two in a school year marks that we have actually arrived, and that the school year is now definitely in motion.  This week in my home, there have been many different indications of this as the summer season winds down, and many other seasons wind up.  Sports, arts and music lessons, church programs, community programs all are gearing up and our calendars begin to fill with meetings, practices, and engagements.  It can leave one feeling overwhelmed at family commitments.  Good things can become a drain on us and on our families if we are not careful.

These next few weeks are critical to set good family habits, and to ensure that your kids adopt good routines for school work, home chores, church functions, and even sleep.  Providing a set time each day that works for your family, and for your child (everyone learns differently - including time of day) will develop a routine that they can count on and grow to appreciate as they will be able to accomplish the work that they need to do.  Even if they don't have homework, requiring that they spend some time reading or reviewing for 10-15 minutes will protect that time for when they do.

The following video outlines a few ways (geared for grade 3-5 parents) to navigate the homework 'battle' at home... http://goo.gl/IGTx9s

Interestingly, James K.A. Smith (a professor at Calvin College) writes about the

'Power of Habit and the Gift of Practices' in relation to our Christian walk in the book: "Imagining the Kingdom".  Practicing love in a deliberate way each day is an important part of our own discipleship.  God made us creatures of habit.  Through the year we will be looking for ways to exercise this habit of Christian Love... to plug in to God's power, and to live as children of light.  

Living as Children of Light

Welcome to 2015-16!! The new year is here!

Today, in our opening assembly, we learned how dark it can get. With all of the windows blocked, all the lights off, we were in complete darkness. Paul writes to the Ephesians that they were once darkness....(Ephesians 5:8) It was a bit unsettling for most of us, until we saw the light from a small personal workspace lamp. That lamp was enough light for all of us to see one another. That's the funny thing about darkness. You can't delete it. But the small light in the centre of the room was enough to scare the darkness into the far corners of the room.

Try as it might, though, that lamp was not able to light on it's own. It needed to plug in to a power source. If it chose to wander around, it would have become unplugged and not been able to shine. "If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Remaining connected and plugged in to God is important.... but what about shining that light?

We next saw what happened when we try to hoard that light and keep it to ourselves, and perhaps save it. Covering our light just dims the whole room and we plunge into darkness again. At Covenant, we want to shine in our own community, but we also want to look for ways to live as children of light in our town, our region, our province, country, and the world.

We'll be looking out for 'shining lights'. What has someone done to live as a child of light, plugged in to God? Share those together so that we can continue to encourage one another this year.

Our theme song for the year is "Children of Light" by Kristian Stanfill. You can listen/view the lyrics at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNZdzmslgbs 

2015-16, here we come!

August is ticking away, and a blissfully long summer is coming to an end.  The summer has not been a quiet one at the school with new windows, a few new floors, a great new playground, new paint, and the usual fury of cleaning, repairing, and 'spiffing up' in preparation for 2015-16.  We are in need a few volunteers to pull together the final items before September.  If you are able to help with any of these (see the list at the end of this letter), we'd appreciate the extra needed hands to complete our work!!

The school year's theme will be "Plugging in to God's Power".  Our potential can never be met by trying to apply our own power, but only by plugging in to God  as Power source can we become what He intends.  Our theme verses will be John 15:5.  "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." and Ephesians 5:8 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."

We all have our own ways of shining God's light; each of our created as unique 'minds'.

• How can we plug in?  In what ways do each of us connect to God and renew our strength? How do we encourage one another in this?

• What happens when we unplug and try to run on our own power and 'steam'?

• When we plug in as a community of learners, parents, supporters, what light do we emit?  What does a community of light do?  Are their blinders between our light and the community?

the end of a story....

Here we are at the last week of school!  I hear often around the school:  "Wow, how did that happen?"  While the day-to-day rhythm can sometimes feel like a long time, in hindsight it seems to be a whirlwind.  It seems like not that long ago that the kids piled off of the buses for their first day - fresh clothes and school supplies, excitement to be back, hesitance at what this school year would bring....

At our opening assembly, we wondered together what this year's story would be.  Throughout the year, we have reminded one another that we are a part of God's story.  No matter what, he is the author and Lord of our lives, and we can trust Him because He made us and we are His.  Together, we have accepted the work that He had planned for us.  That hasn't always been easy work, but it has been good work.  Please join us again this Friday for our closing chapel when we close off this year's story and again praise God for His faithfulness.

Along with thankfulness to God, we also must say thank you to the many, many people who make Covenant the place it is and allow us to do the many things we do!!  Parents, especially, take time to step up and help where needed in so many ways.  Thank you to the office volunteers, bus drivers, our custodian, Educational Assistants, librarian, coop students, classroom volunteers, event planners, TRIP volunteers, and those serving at community events.  Your direct involvement in the lives of the students, supporters, and visitors to the school is the hands and feet of Christ in our community.  To those of you on committees or working behind the scenes, we thank you as well!  Often without thanks, you continue to give in ways that we don't immediately see, but we do experience in a well run school!  We are blessed and strengthened by your giving!

As you head into the summer, continue to take hold of God's story and remain rooted in God's promises.  He has known us since before we were born, and continues to have good works for us to do!  We will see you again, Lord willing, on Tuesday, September the 8th!!

On the road..

It's the time of year where many of our classes head out on the road to either present what they have learned, or to experience what they've learned in a new way.  Trips present so many unique opportunities and in the lives of students are often the most memorable experiences of school.  Not only do they get up close and personal with the learning material, but they get to solidify and strengthen class friendships and bonds in a new way.  This kind of learning has given many educators over the years pause to think "Maybe we should do education differently..."  How can we harness these excellent learning experiences more frequently?

As we continually consider ways to better teach and learn, we find often that we are striving to recover relationships:  Relationship with God, one another, the world - a yearning for what we enjoyed before the Fall.....

As we walk along - experience deeply God's handiwork, struggle with how our world is broken, long for and share hope in redemption and grace... as we take hold of God's story, our relationships can be reclaimed  just as Christ claimed us as his own.

As we travel, learn, and experience, pray that our relationship with God, others, and the world may be rekindled and strengthened.

Drops in a Bucket

At Covenant, we are spending the day with a family that is visiting us from Guatemala.  The Doppenberg family moved to Guatemala 6 years ago from Beamsville to answer God's call to help there.   After a few short term trips to help out, they saw that the need in Guatemala was prevalent, but also opportunities for them to begin to help.

Their story was told to us through the lens of Dave Tebbutt, a local film-maker who created the documentary 'Drops in a Bucket' which they shared with us (JKCS came up to watch with us!!).  Their story of developing long term relationships, meeting the greatest needs, sustaining the support they've put in place has touched us in a HUGE way. The question of malnutrition, hunger, disease, medical needs seem so daunting from our corner of Ontario.  Geoff closes the video, though, by saying: "When we first started, we thought 'It's impossible, .... it's too big a task..... But now, I have extreme hope and I believe it can happen in our lifetime...."  How?  God is using them as His vessels.  "We aren't doing any of this.  God is simply using us and is doing amazing things."

What can one person do?  One small family from the Niagara Penninsula?  We are all drops in a bucket.  But together, many drops will fill the buckets of others worldwide.  Thank you, Geoff, Rita, Gabe, and Luke, for spending the day with us!!!  May God bless you as you continue to work with the people in Guatemala, and may your actions speak loudly into our lives and all those you touch to have the courage not only to know God's story, but to Take Hold of it!!!

The full-length documentary "Drops in a Bucket" has another limited showing on June 15 at the Mandeville Theatre in St. Catharines.  The film trailer is available at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aWSESeQoWY

Caring for their Community

One of our support organizations picked up the news of the Peach Bud Run in support of the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation last week.  They simply observed:  

"Students at Covenant Christian School caring for their community."

It was delightful to hear the cheers throughout the school when we announced to the students that they had together raised over $8000!  Wow.  God is capable of so much.  Our goal was to break $5000....  As we look over how these donations came in - many of them $5, $5, $5.... from neighbours, friends, people willing to support in small ways.  Many, many small acts of kindness add up like drops in a bucket.  And so it is in community.  Small works of kindness practiced minute by minute add up to days, weeks, months, years.  They form practice, habit, character, and identity.

In the lives of our students, this is one more communal act of kindness that will be swallowed up in a lifetime of service.  Was this great thing 'normal'?   I pray that it will become that.  As God continues to work through this school community in the lives of our students, we commit them to Him as he shapes them for a multitude of small things which will add up to His mighty work of redemption through His people.  Caring for our community is just one way we are Taking Hold of God's Story.

Caring for the sick...

It's our Peach Bud School Challenge Week!  Students have been busy raising funds for the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation.  I hear excitement from students as they get off the bus in the morning to tell of how their neighbour sponsored them, or their aunt/uncle, grandparent, or friend.

Events like this benefit our local community, and are important in and of themselves.  So much of God's law and Christ's example focus on caring for those who are in need - the poor, the orphaned, the widows, the foreigners.... God cares about physical need, and charges us to care for them.

Further, though, the habit and action of our students 'pounding the pavement' and 'drumming up support' for others is an important educational development in their lives.  I recall as a child going door to door in my small town gathering money for the annual 'Right to Life' walkathon each year.  There were those who did not want to support, but so many others thanked us for our efforts and for giving them the opportunity to help out.  Teaching our kids to become comfortable with bringing attention to the rights and needs of others, giving them a real outlet to make a difference, and to show them that a community is capable of doing great things through small efforts.....  that's when school can become education for a life of service.  

Let's take hold of this good work that God has prepared for us!!!

Interested in helping out?  We could use a few extra parent spectators to supervise the younger ones as they complete their challenge.  Call the office if you are able to hang around this Friday from 9:00-10:30 to participate in the fun!!

It's almost Field Day!

I've been watching our field day teams come together - groups of older and younger kids working to practice and prepare for our big day on Wednesday.  We are ready for the challenge!  As a matter of habit and practice, teachers have been working hard on the culture of these teams as well, and I'm pleased to say that it is bearing fruit!  The amount of encouragement and praise on each team is wonderful to watch.

Ephesians 4:29  "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

Historically, Track and Field day has been for student either the best day ever, or for some, the worst day ever.  In the spirit of friendly competition, of building one another up, of encouraging each other, and of offering up our best efforts ever, I am praying that each of our Covenant students can walk away from Wednesday saying "I am valued, I did my best, and I was encouraged!"  

Continue this conversation on at home.  If every student takes ownership of encouraging others, we will have lived in to one of our theme verses, and will be taking hold of God's story: Ephesians 2:10:  "For each of us is God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Encouragement

May has arrived and so has a frenzy of activity!!  There are so many things going on, and along with each comes opportunity to be a light and and example to others.  This will be a focus of chapel on Wednesday as we look to take hold of God's story in ways of encouragement.  Sometimes encouragement comes in the form of words.  We try to use those often.  Many other times, it comes through actions.  Paul encourages the Thessalonians in his first letter to them, not because they needed to be corrected, but because they needed to be reminded to continue....:  "Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each otherand build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thess. 5:10-11

A favourite quote of mine that embodies this notion has always been: 

"Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words."

As we look to do this in our school, in our communities, and in our region through our actions this month, keep this in front of you as we take hold of God's story.

Christian Education Week 2015

It's Christian Education Week at Covenant!! We are excited to invite you into our school and classrooms to see 'Christian Education' in action! Our pastors will be coming in on Wednesday morning to connect with our students, and Wednesday afternoon from 2:30-3:20, we are inviting parents and supporters to come through an 'Open House'.

Our Theme this year is 'Taking Hold of God's Story', and as a school we are being intentional about identifying and telling stories of God's faithfulness.  These stories take two forms:  looking back and looking forward.

Psalm 139 reminds us that God's story for us began even before we were born.  Ephesians 10:2 reminds us that our story involves works that God has prepared for us to do.  Grace and action.  Providence and response.  As beloved and redeemed of Christ, we are charged to 'Take Hold' of God's story and to own it!

Will you help us 'Take Hold' of God's story by sharing yours?

Around CCS, you will see around the school evidences of God's story.  We would love for you to add your 'stepping stones' on your journey through and experience of Christian Education.  

What does Christian Education mean for you and/or for your family?

If you come in on Wednesday, you will have an opportunity to write it down and add it to our supporters of Christian Education wall not unlike Joshua was commanded to do:

"When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?'  then you shall let your children know,...so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." - Joshua 4: 21, 22a, 24

If you are not able to come in, we would love for you to share your story anyway! By clicking on the link below, you will be able to share your story with us and encourage our staff and students with that witness! http://goo.gl/TUcw3i (If you plan to be here for the open house and want to do this as well, please do!!)

Mercy is Falling

The buds are coming, the grass is greening, the earth is waking up.  

I remember clearly from years ago the early (cold) spring rain pouring down on me as I stood laden down with spruce trees planting my way through a swamp in Northern Ontario.  On that day, about to feel grumpy and sorry for myself, my planting partner bellowed out in song across the clear cut:  "Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling. Mercy is falling like a sweet, spring rain,...."  Since that day, it is hard for me not to smile at the rain, to enjoy feeling it fall down and permeate everything, just as God's mercy does on us, his world, on everything.

As parents and educators, we are reminded that God provides for us goodness and mercy: for us, for our children, and growth and flourishing occurs! God does not wish it, he commands it:  Isaiah 45:8: Open up, heavens, and rain. Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness!  Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation; sprout right living.  I, God, generate all this."

Greet the rain this spring as it welcomes new growth, but just as importantly, greet the ever present mercy offered us in Christ.  Pray that together as a school community we welcome and receive his grace as we awaken to growth and becoming what God has intended us to be!!  It's God's story, for us to take hold of!!

Growing together in Christ

Maybe it's the spring weather.  Maybe it's the time spent playing outside.

Maybe it's seeing projects come together and seeing students proud.

Whatever it is, I'm feeling a distinct sense of growth around here at Covenant. 

School is such a wonderful place to be because you get to witness growth all of the time.  Sure, there are set-backs, there is hardship, there is struggle, there is conflict.  All of these things are part and parcel of a growing and learning experience.  When we can step back for a few moments and ask "What has happened over the past months to bring us to this point", we are so often amazed at the work that God is doing here in the lives of our students.

When we can support one another in that journey of academic, spiritual, emotional, and social growth, we all grow.  I think Paul was speaking to this very community effort in his letter to the Ephesians (4:15-16):

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

I love how Paul acknowledges that the whole body grows and builds itself up.  We aren't just watching students grow and learn, but are growing and learning as parents, teachers, and support community as well.

I want to invite you to come in and see some of this in action.  Our open house during Christian Education week is scheduled for 2:15-3:15 on Wednesday, April 29.  Come, be a 'fly on the wall' in our classrooms.  Watch as we grow and build one another up in love, taking hold of God's story.

When you practice something enough, it becomes a part of you.

In his book 'Outliers', Malcolm Gladwell puts forward that to truly master something, it takes 10,000 hours of practice.  People who spend that much time practicing not only love it, but end up 'doing' their task effortlessly; without even thinking about it.  As I walked through the front doors of Covenant this morning, I was greeted again with the theme for the year "Taking Hold of God's Story". Coming off of Easter celebrations, listening once again to the story which is the climax of our faith, I was struck at how that story is so infused in all we do.  The Easter story is the core of our faith, the core of our school, the core of our lives. Christ died for us so that we do not have to bear the consequences of sin, but can live in right relationship with God once again.  

Living as 'Easter People', how many hours have we practiced?  Do our lives bear the hallmarks of practice, or is our time spent on other things that detract from that story?  If we practice harsh language, pride, deceitfulness, ill-will, ungrace, they will become a part of us.  If we practice, practice, practice taking hold of God's story, it will become a part of us.

We are Easter People.  Pray that the Easter story may be practiced at Covenant every minute of every hour of every day.  By the time our students graduate, they will have practiced 10,000 hours, and they will have 'Taken Hold of God's Story', and can rejoice as Paul does in his letter to the Galatians (2: 20):

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Christ prayed for you!!

It's Passion week - the time after Palm Sunday where Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem to cheering, and before his crucifixion just days later. 

Just before his arrest, Jesus is distraught and retreats to the Garden to spend time with his disciples and alone in prayer.  The gospel of John records Jesus' prayers for them, and one of my favourite passages:  a prayer for all believers:

John 17: 20b-23 "I pray also for those who will believe in me through [my disciples'] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

At CCS, we believe that Christ was praying for us!  As we celebrate this unifying event for all Christians, we pray for increased unity going forward - that we may show the world God's love and good news!!!

Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again!

Grace and Justice

During staff devotions this morning, we reflected for a few moments on the paradoxical intersection of justice and grace at the cross.  As we work through the daily difficult work of finding restoration and reconciliation in community when hurt occurs, this continues to strike a chord.  In a world that is hungry for 'justice' in the form of punishment, we find ourselves at the foot of the cross baffled that we do not bear the weight of our sin, but that Christ bore it for us.

Often I hear in Christian prayers "Lord, help us to be Christ to one another....".  This is a calling that none of us is able to fulfill, but to which we must continue to strive each day.  It's important that grace and forgiveness and reconciliation and restoration become a habit of our mind, heart, and body.  If we choose otherwise, we become a community of 'un-grace' - (a term I first encountered in Philip Yancey's "What's so Amazing about Grace").  

Yancey writes:  "That, at least, is the vision of the church in the New Testament: a colony of heaven in a hostile world. Dwight L. Moody said, "Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety-nine will read the Christian." 

When the world encounters Covenant Christian School, what story will it read? Will it encounter a colony of heaven?  Thank God that we have the cross, where justice is intersected with grace to give us the strength to forgive and to restore!!!

Finish Well

Progress reports

Philippians 1:6-7a:  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace....

Our term two reports are coming home this week.  It's been a time of reflection for the teachers to look at what has happened in their learning communities over the past few months, and to look forward to finishing well.  For our grade 8 class, this is the second to last report of their elementary school career!

It is in a community of grace and encouragement that we look forward to finishing well.  A community of grace shares struggle together, and celebrates accomplishments together.  As you reflect with your child(ren) on their progress, keep in mind that the central purpose of the report card is to encourage growth in learning.    Develop a plan forward on how to finish well, how to challenge your kids in their learning, and how to encourage them and praise them for their efforts.  Parents magazine had a short but simple formula for setting goals with kids.  For a quick, but helpful read, have a look here: http://goo.gl/daO9BC (a few copies in the office if you wish)

One of the biggest challenges the spring holds is distraction.  As the weather warms up, new activities begin, and we look forward to all the summer holds. As a familial community of grace, keep celebrating the accomplishments your kids experience and stick to your plan to 'finishing well'.

Lent: road or intersection?

Lent is a difficult road... It is a road that we know ends well, and we live in hope of a risen saviour who pays for our sins.  It begins, though, with the acknowledgement of sin and of needing Christ.  The practice of 'giving up' something has its roots in meditation and focus on purification and enlightenment as we rededicate our lives in very real ways to Christ.

"Making things right" is a focus of reconciliation... "Reconciliation with God and forgiveness for our wrong-doings are major themes of Lent, but the focus during this season needn't be confined to our relationship with the Divine. In our heart of hearts, most of us yearn for a world where all human beings are reconciled to each other. We yearn for a healing of rifts, for lasting, deep-down, unshakeable shalom - Peace."  (taken from: http://goo.gl/iFRhzi)

Can we be productive when we continue to carry our burdens in the form of grudges?  Can we be productive when we continue to carry our burdens in the form of pain?

Taking hold of God's story becomes possible when we take hold of his forgiveness.  Taking hold of God's story becomes possible when we let go and forgive the wrong done to us.  Taking hold of God's story happens at the intersection of who God has made us to be, and the good works he has prepared in advance for us to do.  It's a cross-roads.  Perhaps lent isn't so much a road as an intersection.  

I pray for God's lasting, unshakable peace for you and for this learning community as we journey through the intersection of Lent.

On Display

Much of what we do at school seems to happen behind closed doors... the school day starts, students rush to their classes, and the day begins.  Each class has its own set of expectations and curriculum that it must discover, and often times that happens to the joy of those in the classroom, but not to the eyes of others.

My recent time spent in California and digging deeper into educational research has drawn attention to the fact that this is one of 'the problems' with education. Often, learning and the projects students put their hard work and efforts are 'for the teachers' eyes only'.  This needs to change.  Students need to do more work that has a real audience (and meet a real need... but more on that later).

This week is a time when we see more 'on display' than we do normally, and the results are evident in the student work.  When students know that their work will have an audience, their efforts and engagement increase exponentially.  

• Last Saturday's boys basketball tournament and the coming Saturday's girls basketball tournament are opportunities students get to test their skills in a real situation in front of real opponents, and a real crowd. Excellence results.
  
• This Tuesday is our annual science fair.  Grades 7 and 8 put their work out in front of judges for evaluation, but also to the public for browsing through that evening.  Top notch work is produced.
• This Thursday is the annual Fine Arts Festival.  Students put their best performance forward in front of a new audience to have them delight in spoken word and drama.  Beauty is created.

Be a part of our students' audience as we celebrate their learning. Encourage their efforts to uncover and develop their God-given gifts.  Applaud them for taking the risk to put their learning on display.  Give praise to our Creator who has blessed us with opportunity to image Him, and for the gift of growth and development of talents. Look for more work on display in the future as we transform the traditional educational models that hide our lights under a bushel.....

Good (mental) health in grace-shaped community

This Thursday evening, we will be joined by Andrea Groenewald, a partner counsellor with Shalem Mental Health Network (http://shalemnetwork.org/).  She will speak with us and whomever wants to join us about anxiety in children.  As parents, one of our greatest fears is the peril of our children, whether that be an injury, trauma, or stress.  It is near impossible to shield our kids from these, so our tactics need to focus on prevention and setting them up to meet risk and challenge in life and develop good coping skills for when they do experience hardship.

Dr. Syd Hielema is no stranger to stress in children and families having worked for many years as an educator and chaplain supporting students and families through difficulty.  He believes that Christian educational institutions, as communities shaped by grace, are positioned to develop the needed response to the crisis of increased mental health struggles.  "We need holistic treatment regimens that combine the wisest guidance we have for chemical, psychological, relational, and family history issues.... a touch of heaven arrives on earth when all of the above are enfolded within communities being transformed by grace." (CEJ, Feb 2015, p 4-6)

So what is a grace-shaped community?  He outlines two dimensions:

1) a community with an enhanced capacity for respect.  
This means seeing one another not in their present form, but as works in progress - as new creations in which Christ is at work... confident that He will 'bring it on to completion until the day of our Lord Jesus' (Phil 1:6)

2) a community that practices disciplines that unlock the 'Image of God'.   These practices include being transparent, noticing one another, giving voice to one another (listening well), and encouragement.  These four practices, Hielema says, begin to form a community that 'smells' like the aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2:14-15)

Pray that Covenant Christian School, in its daily activities, and in the activities of its parents and supporters, may become a grace-shaped community.

How do we 'make it right'?

Since 2010, NACE schools have been on a journey towards being schools of restorative practice.  Those words pack a lot of meaning, especially as the rest of society is beginning to learn more about this movement, and react to it.

"When hurtful behaviour occurs, the restorative mantra of talking about what has happened, looking at who has been affected or harmed and how, and what is needed to make things right, is similar in the Christian context to acknowledging our sin, confession, honest contemplation and reflection on the impact of our actions, reconciliation, and healing." (Bruce Schenk in "Restorative Practice in the Christian Context" - Christian Educators Journal, October, 2010)

This difference of approach is a departure from what many of us have grown up with. I certainly did not have the experience of restoration in my Christian School experience. Offenders were given punishments, the harm would continue quietly, the persons involved (victim and offender) were shamed, victims were silenced, and rarely was the situation 'made right'.

Mark VanderVennen (in the same journal issue of CEJ cited above) points out that "The shift to a restorative paradigm begins by asking this question:  when we are in the midst of conflict, how do we image God?  We are not permissive; we insist on accountability for behaviour and standards of relational practices..... Instead we are restorative; we hold people accountable in the context of nurture and support.  We honour them in their journey towards healing relationships."  Often this requires more work of those involved than a simple punitive approach.  It is work well worth the result, and certainly well worth the result for those affected!!

In community, that is our step toward making things right. 

I have made a number of copies of this issue of the CEJ available for NACE parents who wish to read more about how Restorative Practices align well with our mission as Christian Schools.  Please let me know if you would like to have one. 

And We're back....

After numerous destinations last week, we as a staff and learning community are now back to 'normal' to do the busy work of teaching and leading and learning. And by 'normal', I mean that we are running all separate ways from our 'centre' at Covenant to Pioneer camp (grade 7/8 trip this week Wednesday-Friday), hockey practices and games, basketball practices, field trips, preparing for fine arts festival, and the list goes on.  After viewing inspirational and innovative learning we return to ice rinks that need flooding, boilers that need repair (or replacement!), minor repairs, information evenings, committee work, planning work.......

It can be a difficult task to balance vision and the day-to-day needs of a school community.  What is our centre?  I've been struck again by this question as there are so many competing interests for our students, teachers, associations....

God's story is what pulls it all together and gives meaning to our work.  Unless we do our daily work, unless we look to the future, unless we manage our resources, unless we interact with one another with God's story in mind, we are left with a school that simply strives to grasp at great things in all directions.

So we return to our centre.  God is who formed and made us as image bearers of Him.  How now will we live in light of his promises?  It is this centre that gives all of the above meaning once more.  We are a school that can hang our hopes, dreams, ideas, work, teaching, learning, and growing all on Christ.

And that is worth coming back for!!

Big kids helping little kids

I've written about this in the past, and some of you will notice the above title "Big Kids Helping Little Kids" making its way into some posts on Facebook if you follow us there.

Covenant is a school that, even in name, seeks to make good on a promise.  God promises to be our God, just as he did with Jacob at Bethel.  As parents, we refer to our dedication or baptismal promises... we acknowledge that our children are covenant children.  I witnessed this again just a few weeks ago, and watched as a congregation affirmed their part and responsibility in raising that child up.  They promised to love, care and encourage them and to help them follow Christ.

Much of the research on moral education of children, of those who live out their faith, points to the importance of leading by example.  We can teach children why and how to follow Christ, to love our neighbour as ourselves, but unless they have that modeled for them, it does not always 'take'.

Practice is necessary in any discipline and lifestyle.  It's why at Covenant we ask, encourage, (and even require) our big kids to help little kids.  Without the practice of 'doing for others', we will not know how to live out our faith in a very real way to others.  Even the act of receiving help from others is important in community building.

Today was the first day of skating on our outdoor rink!  Skates are a difficult thing for young children to put on, to tie, and they need help.  For our big kids to come over and help little kids as a matter of necessity is one small step in building community and in having them practice the love of Christ in a real and practical way.  A few years from now, our little kids will be big kids - asked to tie the skates of others.  Our big kids will be adults, asked to love, care and encourage children and to help them follow Christ.  At that point, they'll know what that means, and how to go about it!!!

A new year, a continued story...

Happy 2015, and welcome back to the routines of this school year.  It's amazing how quickly we adjust and settle back in to classroom routines.  We are back to 'normal' here at Covenant.

New Year's celebrations come with their share of stories.  Stories of how the past year was with all of its high- and low-lights.  As time passes, so do people, events, relationships, institutions, hopes, and dreams;  realized or foregone.  The perspective that an entire year gives can be encouraging or bleak.  It's the same perspective, though, that can help us see God's faithfulness through it all.  A friend of mine, wrote the following as an introduction to this school year in his OACS blog, and it was as fresh to me today as it was when he wrote it then:

"...my prayer for all of us is that following the story comes with potent moments of joy in addition to the moments of suffering that we also know so well. I pray that our experience of the story is powerful enough to make meaning even out of suffering, and by doing so also allow us to experience unspeakable joy. We use vocabulary like shalom, culture-making, image-bearing, covenant, kingdom; and Christ's coming is concretely realised in Kingdom metaphors of feasting, vineyards, gardens, glorious cities, still waters… We want tastes and sights (spiritual fruit!) of his presence here and now; we want it to be tangibly experienced as we gather together: camping with friends, eating with our families, singing in church and school, coming together in June graduation ceremonies and August staff retreats. How do we personally and communally "hear the story?"..."

Blessings to each of you as we continue to 'Take Hold of God's Story' forward into 2015.