December Board Meeting

December's meeting was another valuable meeting. However it was different in that as Brandyn West brought the devotional. She had contacted alumni from last year's class and had them write how the Maranatha experience was serving them in their current endeavors. The ringing validation that the work being done through Maranatha is impacting lives and preparing our students for life after school was consistent and strong. We invested a half hour of our meeting celebrating the Lord's work through our students and contemplating how do we package these testimonials and these results and reach other families to consider Maranatha. What a blessing! I have asked Brandyn to get permission for me to post some of these quotes here and to use them on our web site.

After that enjoyable, encouraging time, we went through the Committee reports with the main action taken of accepting the 5 year plans for each Committee. The Facilities Committee will be focusing on significant projects that enhance the fundamentals of the North Campus: finishing the monument sign,adding a security system, reworking the bathrooms in the gymnasium, new air lock entrance to gym and enhancing the stage area with curtains and sound.

The Development Committee will be seeking to raise funds to make some other leaps in our facilities like additional gym bleachers, and making some athletic team rooms. They will also be looking for ways to keep bringing the international students to enrich our school and finding other ways to stabilize our enrollment trends.

The Finance Committee is seeking to keep moving the school to increased financial stability. We are adding more reserve funds for deferred maintenance, capital, and endowment. In addition we are committed to finding a way to unfreeze staff salaries which have been held firm for several years due to budget constraints.

Please continue in prayer as we prepare for the new calendar year. Specifically:
* That families will keep there kids at Maranatha and that new families will join us
* That we will be wise in handling the tuition rate for 2011-2012
* That our finances would continue to build some cushion and provide for some additional contributions to our staff
* That the Board will continue to crystallize our unity around plans, policies and guiding principles
* Most important of all...that God would be glorified in all that relates to Maranatha.

Merry Christmas!