Note: The following article is a line-by-line discussion of the mission statement of Calvary Christian Schools. It was first published in two installments on the cover of the final two school newsletters of the 2014-2015 school year.
When we say something was done on purpose, we mean it was not an accident, not a random sequence of mishaps, not an afterthought. It was planned. It was intentional. This can be said of creation itself, and it can be said of the institutions in place that help us carry out God’s plan in this world.
The following is an
abridged version of the CCS Mission Statement you see in all of our documents.
It is abridged because we have recently been encouraged to trim the 37 words
down to 18 words. This example is 6 lines with 3 words in each line to help us
remember them. The first part of this article covers the first three lines:When we say something was done on purpose, we mean it was not an accident, not a random sequence of mishaps, not an afterthought. It was planned. It was intentional. This can be said of creation itself, and it can be said of the institutions in place that help us carry out God’s plan in this world.
Partnering with parents
to equip students
toward personal excellence
and the pursuit
of God’s purpose
for their lives.
Line one: "Partnering with parents…" This joint
venture is based on the assumption that the responsibility of “training up a
child in the way he/she should go” (Proverbs 22:6) falls first and foremost to
the home. The
Christian home should not fully delegate this parental responsibility to any
institution, public or private, but it can choose to partner with educators who
humbly serve “in loco parentis.”
This Latin term literally means “in place of parents,” but it does not mean “instead
of parents.” It more accurately implies “from the place where parents stand.”
In other words, does it not make common sense to choose training partners who
stand on common ground?The average student spends over 15,000 hours under the influence and supervision of school teachers during his/her K-12 education. Imagine the educational advantage of having a like-minded partnership between the school and home. Imagine a school setting that purposefully integrates learning with life, science with conscience, facts with faith, theory with wonder, and wonder with belief.
Being like-minded is
not being “close-minded” to differing perspectives—it is agreement on essential
truths. It is as inclusive as God’s Kingdom but as limited as His narrow way. (Matthew
7:13-14)
Like-mindedness is best achieved through unity in essential matters,
liberty in deferential matters and charity
in all matters.
Line two: “to equip
students...” The word equip comes
from the Old French esquiper which
means “to fit out or outfit for a voyage.” The Scandinavian variant, skipa, means “to put in order and man a
ship.” The term “skipper” comes from this word. The word equip
strongly implies that a journey is ahead, one that requires forethought,
outfitting, training, direction, and leadership. For this reason, CCS often describes
our program as “life prep” rather than “college prep.” The objectives of
Christian education extend far beyond college (though college is the
next step for 85+% of our students.)
Line
three: “Toward personal excellence” is the process of striving for one’s
"personal best” in the formative endeavors of life. Scripture teaches that
we are not equally talented in all areas and that we must work together to truly
excel. Becoming a leader is simply helping
others strive toward personal excellence on the right path. Effective leaders are people whose character,
knowledge, and judgment command respect. They often lead not by taking charge
but by being an example. Striving toward
personal excellence in community is a more worthy goal than trying to “be the
best.” Thinking one must be “the best” will lead to either defeatism or
elitism. God calls us to neither extreme. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we
seek His help to do our best with the gifts and the circumstances He grants us.Part Two of the Mission Statement Article was in the Summer 2015 Newsletter. It covers the final three lines:
Partnering
with parents
to equip
students
toward personal
excellence
in the
pursuit
of God’s
purpose
for their
lives.
Let’s resume our discussion at the fourth line: “in the pursuit…”
“The pursuit of” are words etched in history and
our minds because of their use in Thomas Jefferson's “Declaration of Independence.”
These familiar words are part of what Jefferson
called “self-evident truths”: “That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness….”
In the Calvary mission
statement, however, we add an understanding of happiness that transcends the
feeling produced by favorable happenings and
leads to the more enduring state of joy.
The difference between
happiness and joy is similar to the difference between the word hopes (with an s) and hope (without the s). It is fine to have
hopes, dreams, goals, etc. in life, but it is more important to have hope
(singular) as Psalm 39:7 says, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” This thought rings out in an old hymn:
“My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Him-self for me
And paid the price
Of all my sin at Calvary”.
Who gave Him-self for me
And paid the price
Of all my sin at Calvary”.
And so it is our goal to
make sure CCS students understand that both passing happiness and lasting joy
will come not from pursuing happiness as an end in itself but rather from
pursuing God’s purpose for their lives.
Some may wonder if this part
of our mission sounds educational enough for a school. After all, shouldn’t a school’s
primary pursuit be high academic achievement? Please understand, that these are not mutually
exclusive goals. Calvary does pursue academic excellence. Our students do shine
on standardized test, in the community, and in the college placement process.
For instance, there is no
other school that comes close to producing the number of Law Day speech contest
winners that CCS has through the years. This contest is open to all schools in
Muskegon county; it is hosted by the Muskegon Bar Association; and for over ten
years, CCS has had won well over a dozen top winners in this highly competitive
public speaking forum.
Come to any CCS commencement
program and you’ll see first-hand the countless academic achievements our
students earn from various institutions beyond our walls
But good grades, high
honors, and a fine education are not ends in themselves. They are bi-products
of the equipping process (see second line of mission statement). Knowledge and
skill sets are tools meant to be used. Used for what task?
For what purpose are
we equipping students?
God’s purpose for their lives. That
purpose is not a point on a calendar or a map or an org-chart. That purpose is
an unfolding plan that students cannot fully understand at age 18… or age 38…
or age 58 because God is never finished equipping us for his service.
Knowing God’s purpose on a
daily basis involves striving to love God and our neighbor (as Christ
summarized Mark 12:30-31). Keeping the vertical relationship (with God) and the
horizontal relationships (with man) in order is part of God’s plan for
believers.
Career choices, college
plans, life partners, etc. are part of the unfolding pursuit--not of happiness as Jefferson said--but of the
joy, contentment, and happiness that
comes from seeking and fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. God has a plan for each of us. Our calling is to press on in His name.
Each summer we celebrate the 4th of July, the birthday of the document
mentioned above. Last May, CCS graduated its Class of 2015. It
was a blessing to hear the students share their hopes and plans, but it
was even more rewarding to hear them speak of their hope (without the “s”),
their hope in the Lord, their desire to pursue His will.
It is understanding the
difference between happiness and joy, hopes and hope, that will see our
students through the highs and lows of the long, rewarding journey shared by all who follow Christ.
Tom Kapanka
CCS Administrator
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