Serving Is Important

The vision of Conestoga Christian School is to work in harmony with the home and church to provide a quality education for our students that will develop critical thinking, nurture Christ-like character, and equip them for a life of discipleship and service.  Equipping our students for a life of service is important because that is why Jesus left heaven and joined humanity.  "For even the Son  of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).  The more we allow our students to serve, the closer they come to following Jesus' example.

October 21 marks the opening of our 43rd Annual BBQ & Auction.  The BBQ & Auction is an opportunity for our school to not only raise funds but to celebrate family, friends, and faith.  One unique way we are going to celebrate our faith at this year’s BBQ & Auction is by having a Service Day.  Friday morning, October 21, our students are not going to have school as "normal;" rather than being in the classroom, our students are going to be around campus and in the community serving.  Students in PS-2nd grade will stay on campus and help spruce up our campus and write notes of encouragement while most students in 3rd-12th grades will leave campus and be a blessing to businesses in our community.  (Tenth grade will stay on campus to assist with BBQ preparations.)  Some of our students will wash windows, some will weed flower beds, others will lead in worship at retirement communities, and some will play board games at those retirement communities.  On October 21 you will find our students at the following locations:

• Conestoga Christian School
• Sunny Crest Homes
• The Camp at Old Mill
• ReUzit Shops in Morgantown and New Holland
• Shoup's Gym
• Morgantown Community Church
• Hopewell Christian Fellowship
• Conestoga Mennonite Church
• Tel Hai Camp
• Tel Hai Retirement Community
• Zerbe Sisters Retirement Community
• Brethren Village
• Morgantown Village Library

I am excited that the Lord is allowing us "to go" and be His hands and feet to our neighbors.

It is a wonderful blessing to be able to go and serve, but there is a cost also.  The rental of buses and vans for transportation is a cost, and one of our goals in hosting the BBQ & Auction is to raise money for CCS.  The money raised at the BBQ & Auction offsets the cost of tuition and helps us keep tuition as low as possible.  A tangible way to support our students, school, and community is to sponsor our students for our Service Day.  How can you sponsor one of our students?  Sponsoring is easy; just click on the following link and you will be taken to our Service Day page:

CCS Service Day 2016

Another way to support our Service Day is to share the link to our Service Day page on Facebook, Twitter, or through email.  You can encourage your family and friends to sponsor your student on our Service Day.  Of course the most important thing you can do is pray.  Pray for a successful BBQ & Auction weekend, safety for our students, and God to be glorified in everything we do.

God is Faithful

August 29, 2016, marked the beginning of a new school year.  While we began the 2015-16 school year with 12 fewer students than we had budgeted for, we begin this new school year with 29 students OVER our budgeted number . . . praise God!  This year Conestoga Christian School begins with 261 students, which includes 78 new students representing 46 new families.  Whether we start the year with fewer students than expected or more than expected, we praise God for every student and family He allows us to partner with.

David proclaims that he will sing of God's steadfast love and justice in Psalm 101:1.  I pray we will always do the same.  No matter our situation, on the mountaintop or in the valley, God continues to pour His blessings out on us.  Alistair Begg shared a wonderful truth in his devotion, Big With Mercy:  “No trial we go through is as difficult as it could be, severe as we deserve, or as crushing as the burdens others have to carry.”  How true!  When I read those words, God immediately reminded me of the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4:6:  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  In all things we should be praising God and thanking Him for what He is doing in and through us.

The vision of Conestoga Christian School remains strong.  Our vision is to partner with the home and church to provide a quality educational program for all our students in an environment that develops critical thinking, nurtures Christ-like character, and equips students for a life of discipleship and service.  I cannot wait to see what God is going to do on our campus this year.  As the title of my blog states, God IS faithful, and all we need to do is look to Him in every situation.

Have a blessed year!

April 2016 Update

Today is April 25, 2016, and there are only 45 days left until Graduation 2016!  Last week several of our staff and many parents had the wonderful blessing of hearing senior presentations and projects.  Conestoga Christian's senior presentations and projects were opportunities for our students to share what the Lord has done with them during their time here at CCS or give a glimpse of where the Lord may be leading them.  Listening to our students share about struggles, victories, God's faithfulness, and a future with hope was a true joy.  God continues to use our students and staff to encourage one another and make a difference in our communities, whether those communities are around the corner or around the world.

In addition to senior presentations, April held three amazing activities: Grandparents Day, Elementary Musical, and the TSA State Competition.  Grandparents Day 2016 was another blessed event where grandparent and grandchildren were able to spend quality time together.  CCS hosted a special chapel for our grandparents, opened our classrooms, and catered a very special lunch - no grandparent went home hungry.  Please check our Facebook page to see pictures from Grandparents Day.  The Elementary Musical, Zeroes into Heroes, was our first presentation with our new sound system - what a difference good speakers and a modern sound board make . . . praise God!  Zeroes into Heroes was a glimpse into Gideon's life and a reminder to put our trust in God and not man.  Gideon was given an army of only 300 to defeat a Midianite army of over 3,000; Gideon learned that through God, anything is possible.  Finally, just two weeks ago Mr. Everhart, TSA Director, took 16 students to Seven Springs, PA, for the State TSA Competition.  Conestoga Christian School was by far the smallest school at the competition.  This year at TSA States there were 1,861 students competing from 139 chapters of TSA . . . and Conestoga Christian did GREAT!!  CCS had three students place in the top 10 of their category, two middle school students place third in Electrical Applications and Delta Dart (a glider), one high school student place third in Flight Endurance, and a high school team place first in Electronics Research and Experimentation - that's right FIRST PLACE!!

With the success of TSA, Zeroes into Heroes, and Grandparents Day, you may want to take a deep breath and just relax . . . not yet.  As I mentioned in my opening statement, there are only 45 days left until graduation, and there is a lot more to do!  Here is a list of activities you do not want to miss:

• Piano and Vocal Recital - April 29
• Open House - May 5
• Race for Education, Spaghetti Dinner, and Harley Davidson Auction - May 6.  Share our flier for the dinner and auction with a friend:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1eGQ58ITl4GcTlERmpDWFJITTg/view?usp=sharing.
• High School Musical . . . You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown - May 19, 20, and 21
• Evening of Science and the Arts - May 26
• Golf Outing . . . Drive Fore Education - June 4.  Share our flier for the outing:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1eGQ58ITl4GNnBvTkI4VjQ0N1U/view?usp=sharing and sign up to golf with friends:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1eGQ58ITl4GckhzSzk2ajBYRWs/view?usp=sharing.

Graduation will be held at Hopewell Christian Fellowship on Friday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m.

Christ is Risen

In just a few short days we will celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  This past Sunday, as my church celebrated communion together, the one leading communion read I Corinthians 15:55 as we prepared to eat and drink together. "O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?"  Death and Hades have no victory because of our RISEN Savior . . . praise God!!  Jesus went to the cross on Friday - for me, for you; Jesus conquered the grave and rose on Sunday for ME, for YOU!  As believers we can bask in God's grace and experience the power of the Holy Spirit.  I hope you will rest in His grace and in His power this weekend and for all eternity.

The past 3 weeks have been like a whirlwind here on campus.  Within the past 14 days our school has hosted 3 wonderful events: Ken Davis Comedy Night Out, Family Skate Night, and Duck Dynasty's Dinner with Willie Robertson.  What a crazy time it has been - what wonderful joy we have experienced!  The attendance at our 3 events was: 600 for Ken Davis, 165 at our Family Skate Night, and 550 for Duck Dynasty . . . how awesome!!  The best thing about all 3 nights, God was at the center and lifted up.  Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and we did just that.  As a family community we sought God and He was glorified through us!!  Thank you to all who helped with the various events, and thank you to all who prayed; your prayers were felt.

April is almost here, and there are many blessings coming our way before the end of the school year:

• Grandparents Day, Friday, April 8
• TSA States, April 13 - 16 (We have 15 students representing us at States.)
• Elementary Musical, Friday, April 15
• Senior Presentations, Thursday, April 21
• Piano and Vocal Recital, Friday, April 29
• Open House, Thursday, May 5
• Race for Education, Friday, May 6
• Harley Davidson Auction and Dinner, Friday evening, May 6
• High School Musical, May 19 - 21
• Evening of Science and the Arts, Thursday, May 26
• Graduation, Friday, June 10

Conestoga Christian School - Having Fun With Family

Family Skate Night

On Saturday, March 12, over 170 moms, dads, students, teachers, and administrators met at the Power Play Rink in Exton for 90 minutes of ice skating, food, and fellowship.  Everyone who attended Conestoga's Family Skate Night had a great time!!  On the ice were novice skaters (like me) up to some very competent, experienced skaters (like Mr. Hahn . . . he was flying around the rink).  This was a very special night where the CCS community was encouraged and blessed.  I heard from many people, "We need to do this again!"

Duck Dynasty Dinner at Shady Maple

This coming Friday, March 18, we are hosting our 3rd Founders Event -- dinner with A & E Duck Dynasty Stars Willie and Korie Robertson.  Willie and Korie will be at Shady Maple Banquets and hold a moderated conversation discussing questions submitted by attendees.  Anyone who has not purchased tickets can go to the CCS website, www.conestogachristin.org, and get tickets for the dinner and presentation or just the presentation only.

Grandparents Day

Friday, April 8, marks an inspirational day on the CCS campus; a day when over 250 grandparents will join us and see what their grandchildren are learning.  Grandparents Day will begin with a special chapel organized by the CCS Fine Arts department, followed by classroom visitations, and concluding with a special catered lunch where grandparents and grandchildren will eat together.

TSA States

CCS has the privilege of sending 15 students to Champion, PA, for the 2016 Technology Student Association (TSA) state competition.  Our students and their chaperones will be staying at the Seven Springs Resort in Champion and competing in multiple engineering categories.  Please pray for safety, success, and a powerful testimony as CCS is the only Christian school attending states from our region.

Elementary Musical - "Zeros Into Heroes"

On Friday, April 15, elementary students will present our annual Elementary School Musical.  This year our students will perform the musical Zeros Into Heroes, a look at the life of Gideon.  Circle this date on your calendar and join us in the CCS gym at 7:00 p.m. as God's Word is proclaimed.  As a special bonus, come and hear our students on our newly installed sound system . . . it is going to be AWESOME!!

Enrollment for 2016-17

In addition to the wonderful events identified above, enrollment for the 2016-17 school year has begun.  If you are praying about the possibility of sending your student to CCS, please contact Michelle Parris, Admissions Director, to schedule a tour or set up a day to shadow.  Mrs. Parris can be reached at (610) 286-0353 x402.

Integrity

Psalm 25:21

"May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you."

I was reading a devotional from Promise Press titled God Is in the Small Stuff.  The authors, Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz, make an interesting comparison of our character with that of a bridge.  Bruce and Stan share that at its root, character is defined by integrity and that at its heart, integrity can be thought of as wholeness.  A bridge has integrity when it is whole, not broken; likewise, we have integrity when we do not live separated lives.  What does that mean -- separated lives?  Living separated lives means you act one way while at home and another when you are at church, work, or school.  My prayer is that God grants me the strength to honor Him better in 2016 and that His integrity and uprightness protect me from sin.  Pray for me as I pray for you that God will develop our character and make us whole in 2016.

As God works on each of us individually in 2016, He will certainly continue to work on Conestoga Christian School corporately.  God has showered us with His blessings thus far, and I cannot wait to see what He will do from now until the end of the school year.  CCS has exciting and wonderful events planned from now until graduation on June 10.  Here is a snapshot of what you can expect:

• Pastors Luncheon . . . Thursday, February 11       
• Band and Strings Recital . . . Tuesday, February 16          
• Founders Concert, An Evening with Comedian Ken Davis at Calvary Church in Lancaster . . . Friday, March 4                  
• Family Skate Night in Exton . . . Saturday, March 12            
• Founders Dinner, An Evening with Duck Dynasty Stars Willie and Korie Robertson at Shady Maple Banquets . . . Friday, March 18                
• TCS Fine Arts Festival . . . Tuesday, March 22             
• Grandparents Day . . . Friday, April 8                    
• Elementary Musical . . . Friday, April 15                  
• Piano and Vocal Recital . . . Friday, April 29                  
• Race For Education and Harley Auction . . . Friday, May 6                     
• MS/HS Musical . . . May 19 - 21                        
• Evening of Science and the Arts . . . Friday, May 27                  
• Graduation . . . Friday, June 10                   

I hope you will be able to join us for multiple events.  Each one is going to be very special.  The only events that require tickets are the Founders Events and the Family Skate Night in Exton.  To order tickets to hear Ken Davis or have dinner with Willie and Korie Robertson, please visit our website, www.conestogachristian.net.  We are running a special promotion from January 15 - February 1 for the Duck Dynasty Dinner.  With every dinner purchased you will receive a complimentary Meet-N-Greet pass.  The Meet-N-Greet with the Robertsons will immediately follow the dinner and presentation.

These are exciting times in which we live.  I am glad God is in the small stuff!