To all the parents that attended Back To School Night last week–Mrs. Alberts, Mr. Raudenbush, Pastor Drew Ryall, myself, and all of the teachers and staff present–we say a collective thank you! If you really think about it, Back To School Night is one of the most well attended nights by parents all year and it is the most strategic event from an administrative stand point. If you were not in attendance, we believe that we missed a golden opportunity with you to communicate our hearts regarding this ministry and where it is headed. Let me try to at least answer the question I have posed here, “What makes ECA distinctive?” In short, we embrace a completely Biblical philosophy of education.

I spent the first 10 minutes of our time together last week emphasizing the fact that we are engaged in a culture war over ideas and values. Each side of this war possesses totally opposing views–ideas and values that are either God-centered or man-centered. The target of this war is our children and the major front of this war is fought on educational turf. The Enemy knows just how vulnerable our children are and how accessible they are in schools and he will do anything he can to take them down. The battle line for this war is drawn at the mind (Romans 12:2). What goes into our children’s minds will influence their thoughts, which help formulate their beliefs, which, in turn, shape their values, ultimately manifesting themselves into action called behavior. This is where ECA comes in.

We exist to partner with Christian parents to counteract this culture war. The stakes are high–the minds and souls of millions of young people hang in the balance. It is critical that we stop focusing so much attention on students’ actions and behavior and begin focusing on their beliefs and values. Luke 6:40 reads, “A student when fully trained will be like his teacher.” If this is true, and we believe Scripture is true, then who you choose to put in front of your children as teachers is of vital importance because your children will take on the beliefs and values of their teachers. Then, as truth is taught and modeled and we allow the Holy Spirit to transform students’ minds into the likeness of Christ, then we will be properly preparing students for this war. I would echo the words of Dr. Michael Catt, Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia, “Whoever wants the next generation the most will get them!” Our challenge to you is this, “Are you fighting for your children more than the Enemy?”

Mrs. Alberts and Mr. Raudenbush both spoke for several minutes to their respective parents on the Biblical mandate that parents are the primary educators of their children. This is a freeing yet sobering truth in Scripture. Professional educators everywhere, including some Christian school educators, have failed to adhere to this Biblical truth. Because some parents today in our contemporary society are missing it when it comes to this principle, educators have stepped in and have tried to fulfill this role. This will not work! This is not how God designed it and any substitute short of God’s standard will fail and is a usurping of the role of the parent as the primary educator of children. At ECA, we desire to partner with Christian parents in a very tangible way to equip you to fulfill your Biblical mandate and position ourselves to be most effective in the discipleship of young people.

Pastor Drew finished the evening with our role as parents and ECA staff to be disciple makers. After convening with members of his Discipleship Committee, they came up with this workable definition of discipleship at ECA, “Maximizing every opportunity to foster life change in the hearts of others.” He went on to share that every teacher is finishing a Professional Discipleship Plan designed to fit that teacher’s gifts, role, and daily/weekly opportunities to foster life change in the students in their sphere of influence. He is excited about the various plans the teachers are submitting. The intentionality of this approach is powerful and we are anticipating awesome things happening in the lives of students this year because of it.

Please know that ECA was established in 1973 to provide Christian parents in this community with a distinctly Christian education for their children. This distinctive starts and ends with a completely Biblical philosophy of education. We trust this is why you send your children to Elkhart Christian Academy–it is a decision that may be the difference between a student being prepared or not for a culture war that has eternal consequences.

The most frequent question that I have been asked this August aside from how my summer went was, “Why did we have to start school so early?” Of course, for many of us adults, school was a Labor Day to Memorial Day experience–but not anymore. You see, in the late 1980s, state legislators decided “more school was better school” for the school-age children of Indiana, so they mandated that all schools in Indiana attend school for 180 days (see Indiana Code 20-30-2-3). Whether public or private, all schools in Indiana must observe this requirement.

Before I came to ECA, I met with the administrators and leadership team to draft the 2007-08 school calendar. One of the key questions raised was, “When do we want to finish the first semester, before or after Christmas?” We did a critical analysis listing the pros and cons of each option. We decided then to try finishing the first semester before Christmas believing that it would be best for students, primarily high school students.

Following the first semester last January, we did an informal poll of students, parents, and teachers asking what they felt about finishing the first semester in 2007 before Christmas. The overwhelming response was, “We love it!” Overall, as a leadership team, we believe that finishing the first semester before Christmas is best for students. Thus, we chose to do it again this school year. Our last day of the first semester will be Friday, December 19. Consequently, we had to start school on Thursday, August 14 to make this work.

The primary evidence was found in three key areas. First, as a school, we were able to maximize instructional time by eliminating a week of review before exams. Following a two-week break, it was always necessary to spent a great deal of time reviewing to help students perform well on semester exams. Though finishing before Christmas makes December a bit frenzied, we believe that it is a better use of instructional time to complete the first semester before Christmas.

Secondly, we believe that students will perform better on their semester exams if the exam is given before a two-week break rather than after one. We have not done a formal assessment of semester exams to determine whether or not this is true, but informally, the teachers commented this year that it did not hurt student exam grades.

Lastly, and very important to our ministry, we believe that finishing semester exams before Christmas is family-friendly. We heard often how enjoyable Christmas was for our families because students did not have semester exams hanging over their heads. I trust this was true for your family. I hope this message helps provide better understanding as to where every one’s summer went this year!  As you plan ahead, we will more than likely begin school next year on August 13 (sorry)!

Today, I had the privilege of sharing in Chapel the passing of my father this summer. It was an incredible journey for me ministering to both my father and to my entire family who turned to me for hope. I trust God used my story to speak to our secondary students. My story goes….

“After receiving Christ as a student at Purdue, I was compelled to share Christ with my entire family. I had been given such a great gift in Jesus that I wanted to share that gift with those I love most–my family. My message was not well received. I even had an uncle kick me out of his house for sharing Jesus with him. Though my efforts appeared fruitless, I have been praying for years for my family members and thought that God would eventually grab them through the leader of my family–my father. This July, I learned that God sent me to Elkhart not to just lead this great school, but to help usher my father into glory and hopefully impact the rest of my family for eternity.”

“My mother shared with me in June that my father was not doing well and yet the doctors did not know what was wrong. She added that dad was scared. These were the key words for me–that if I could get my father’s undivided attention, I could give him a message of hope that would remove his fears of his own mortality.”

“On June 30, I went to see my father late in the evening. By God’s grace, my dad was awake and alert. I began by asking dad about his fears and that he did not have to be afraid if he was right with God. I showed my father something I got some years ago at a funeral called A Ticket to Heaven. On the back it had 1 John 5:11-12, ‘And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son, Jesus. He who has Jesus, has eternal life; he who does not have Jesus, does not have life.’” Interestingly, my father said that he believed these words!

“Yet on my way home that night, I did not have peace that my dad was right with God. A couple of days later, I went to see my dad in the hospital due to the fact that his condition had worsened. I revisited the Ticket to Heaven and challenged my dad with the notion that there is a difference between knowing and believing. I shared the story of the demon possessed man and how even the demons knew who Jesus was! (Luke 8:28)–but that did not make them right with God. So I challenged my dad to Admit he was a sinner, to Believe that Jesus was the Son of God who died in his place on the cross, and to Commit to this truth–for our salvation is only found in complete faith and trust in what Christ did for us. What an absolute joy it was to lead my father in this prayer of salvation at St. Joseph Hospital in South Bend! Six days later my father was unconscious and 48 hours later he was gone (due to liver cancer diagnosed three days earlier).

I challenged our secondary students to make sure that their knowledge of Christ was accompanied with belief (trusting something to be true) and commitment (living it out as true). Secondly, I asked them to consider those who God has placed in their lives that need Jesus. If what we believe about Jesus is true and we truly love these people, the time is now to share it. The thought of them living in a Christless eternity forever should motivate us to get at it! I am so thankful that in God’s infinite mercy that it was not too late for my dad–but being unconscious six days later is cutting it pretty close! Only God knows when we will meet Him face-to-face.

As another school year begins, I trust that we, as a school family, will keep the Main One the Main Thing. We do so many good things around ECA and that is good–however, with limited time and resources, we better make sure that we keep Jesus smack dab in the middle of everything we do–especially being right with Him. Because I loved my father so much and God willed it, I will see my dad again. May we too be able to say that about those God has put into our sphere of influence whom we love.

For His Glory,

Dr. D.

Jeremiah 29:11

This is the home of Dr. D’s new ECA Blog.  Check back next week for the first post.