At the Core of a Christian Worldview

If you have a true Christian worldview, then you must anchor those beliefs in Genesis. Everything that is in the Bible finds it roots in Genesis. For example, no need for salvation if not for the Fall. The definition of marriage? Yep, it is right there in the first chapters.

However, there are a lot of people who are not well-armed to defend the truth stated in the first chapter of Genesis. And if you can't rest on the foundation laid there, the rest of the Bible becomes suspect. I am ardent believer in taking the literal-day creation account as recorded in Genesis as fact. If you are a Christian and are either undecided on your belief about creation and evolution, or if you lean toward evolutionary beliefs, I encourage you to take advantage of an upcoming opportunity to hear the literal-day creation view explained and defended. As I have said, it is fundamental to the Christian life.

Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis is coming to Lenexa Baptist Church on January 16 and 17th. You can find the location, and agenda at http://www.answersingenesis.org/outreach/event/6858/. Sunday will be focused on adults and Monday on children. Maranatha will be partnering with LBC to get the word out. Please go and take your kids. I am sure you will benefit from the insight that the Lord has given Ken.

Many Thanks!

As I talk to parents, especially those that interact with the school frequently, it is quickly apparent that it is to our teachers that we should direct our appreciation. They are the main messengers and personifications of our Mission. And from the accounts that I am receiving, they are doing a splendid job. Please express your appreciation to our teachers during this Thanksgiving time for the impact on your children and thereby on our world. And remember to pray for them for wisdom, patience, and understanding.

There are so many other things to be thankful for that I hope you will truly take the time and spend it alone with our Father expressing your praise, worship and gratefulness.

Finally, I want to thank each of you for your encouragement directed to me and the Board. Your kind words help us keep seeking God's face for the future of Maranatha in spite of our other many commitments of jobs, family and church.

P.S. Basketball is upon us. I hope to see you at our basketball games this season. I would love to meet you and hear from you(both about the school and cheering for our teams). Of course, during the High School girls' games, please wait until the games are over. I may not be able to give you my undivided attention if you come over and sit on the bench with me while I am coaching. :)

Progressive Dinner

At the school auction, I bought a slot for my wife and I to participate in a Progressive Dinner with other Maranatha families. And, wow, am I glad I did! It was a wonderful evening of fellowship with parents I had not met before, had visited little with and catching up with those I did know. We had elementary parents hearing perspective from high school parents, parents with kids only at the North Campus hearing from parents with kids just in the South Campus. It was a fun evening just enjoying each other's company when everyone had something in common - Maranatha. Plus I made some connections that may help my daughter as she looks at getting a job in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. You never know who you will meet and the new friendships you may start.

Of course the hospitality and food was incredible - we went to the Schneider, Raydo and Welch's homes for appetizers, entree and desserts respectively(there were other host families for entrees, which helped divide up the work). I highly recommend that those with the gift of hospitality consider helping draw the Maranatha family closer together, by offering more of these kind of events.

What can you do to encourage that closeness of family?

New Landscaping at High School Entrance

A big shout out to our alumni: Jonah and Bo Nelson and David Hamm for a beautiful new landscaped entrance into the high school. Mr. Beck asked if I could help do something to make the entrance to the high school look more inviting and more like, well, a high school. So I tapped into the small group that meets for Bible study that I am a part of and Lisa McCracken started drawing some designs. She then contacted the Nelson's for ideas and help. They jumped at the chance. Jonah became our lead designer, purchaser and job foreman.

So Saturday, a few of us and the 3 men from Nelson's Nursery came out and worked all day to provide a beautiful new entrance to the school. It was hard work, but very rewarding to see these alumni come back and give to the school with such a great attitude. Plus they surprised us with a huge eagle statue that we placed at the entrance. I will be placing pictures here on the blog tomorrow, but it is even more beautiful in person. So if you see one of the Nelsons: Eric, Lorrie, Jonah or Bo, please thank them for their contributions to our school.

November Board Meeting

The Lord's presence was very evident last night at the Board meeting. We started out looking at John 17:20-23 and Psalms 133 and discussing Jesus's desire for unity among believers. We believe that it is consistent with that desire to have unity on the board - not uniformity - but unity. God loves diversity and we are stronger when that diversity is united in its beliefs and action.

With that backdrop, we started tackling some key fundamental issues with the intent of attaining unity on these matters. We discussed the following issues: 1) are we a ministry or a business, 2) do we have a bias for action immediately, 3) are we carrying out our Mission Statement well, and 4) what is/are our point(s) of differentiation. We had unity about the first 3 points in a rather quick timeframe. There is an ongoing discussion about point 4. I believe we are close to agreement, but it warrants more prayer, thought and discussion.

I don't feel at liberty yet to share the position statements yet as several of our board members could not attend last night, but when we reach agreement, I will be sharing the statements here. Are there key, foundational issues that you would like clarity from the Board and the Administration about who Maranatha is, what are our priorities or where are we headed? Next up for us are 1) Financial priorities and actions and 2) What "growth" means...how would you define it?

- Enrollment is stable.
- We are on budget.
- We formally approved the budget for this fiscal year.
- We have completed the retaining wall at the North Campus.
- We are targeting to have the new monument sign in place in the next few weeks.
- We will start work on the roof at the North Campus next week.
- We are moving towards hiring a development director in the 2011-12 budget year
- We are thoughtfully developing succession plans for key personnel for that time when those plans will be needed.
- We reviewed reports from the administrators which were rich in content concerning our efforts to instruct with a Christian worldview, develop Christian character and achieve academic excellence.

MAP

I had the privilege of stopping by the North Campus and visiting this group of committed, engaged, energetic parents who are dreaming big and working hard. The more I circulate around the school, I am finding more and more people who believe in what God is doing at Maranatha and are bringing their talents, time and treasure to serve His mission. It is exciting to be part of it! Please don't miss out. Do a little investigative work and find out who is on this committee and see how you can engage. Hint: look for them at Maranatha events - big and small - you will find one - or two or three.

They are behind all of the events that build up the community and family of Maranatha and the efforts to provide funds for the projects and operations of the school. They link arms together in the spirit of many hands make light work. They make a difference and the more people who join them will only make our school a better place to grow young men and women who love and serve our Lord.

Being around them is contagious, so beware. I was so encouraged, I signed up to help with Upwards. More on that later.