November 1, 2005
Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with
us, do not send us up from here.” Exodus 33:15
Dear CCS Parents,
The preceding verse illustrates a conversation that Moses
had with God on the way to the Promised Land.
This passage also exemplifies a man who understood his dependence upon
God. To explain, Moses understood that
unless God went before them, they were better off staying where they were. The same principle is true for God’s people
today. We are dependent upon God for our
success, and unless He builds the house, the workers labor in vain.
Over the past five years, CCS has been wrestling with the
issue of a high school. When is the
right time to move forward? How will
this program impact what God has already built? How will we afford a high school program? Who will lead us there? What kind of a high school will we
have? How will this impact God’s work
at CMCS? Does this fit within our
mission statement? Is this what God is
calling us to do? If so, when? How?
All of these questions and many more have been asked and debated at the
Board level and among our families.
In essence, we have asked the same questions that Moses and
the Israelites asked in the desert on the way to the Promised Land. Like Moses and the Israelites, we needed to
know that God was going before us. We
did not want to “build this house in vain.”
One year ago this November, the Board voted to begin a high school program by adding 9th grade in the fall of 2007. We believed that God was leading us in this direction and that this was the time to step out in faith even though we did not have all the answers. What we did not know at the time was just how quickly and how powerfully God was going to move before us.
A high school committee was quickly formed, and work began
in order to find answers to the many questions and obstacles that lay before
us. Meetings were set up with CMCS to
explore all possibilities of a joint program.
The committee traveled to a variety of schools that were known to have
successful and God-honoring programs.
The Lord led the committee and the Board to an educational program
called the Principle Approach. (You
will be given much more information regarding this established and proven
method of Christian Education as God continues to move us forward.)
We were just beginning to feel comfortable as God was
confirming that, indeed, He was moving before us when He moved in an unexpected
direction. A group of current 8th
grade parents came to the Board meeting on October 10, 2005, and expressed an
intense desire for their children to continue their Christian education at
CCS. These parents communicated a
passionate interest and willingness to be the pioneers of a high school program,
joining with us to complete the tasks that need to be done to make the high
school program a reality for their children.
Our initial thought was, “That isn’t enough time. We had our plans arranged, and it was going
well. This doesn’t make sense,
especially in the middle of a campaign.”
We humbly
went before the Lord and asked Him if this was His plan, knowing that God would
provide the answers if it was.
Additional time was spent fasting and praying to determine if this was,
indeed, God moving forward. The high
school committee met, and a special board meeting was called for October 24,
2005, to discuss and determine where God was leading.
The result of that meeting was a unanimous decision to begin a pilot high school program for the fall of 2006. We believe that God is moving forward and we desire to be in step with Him. God has brought us a core group of parents that are willing to entrust their children to a program that is in the infancy of development.
There are
still many questions that need to be answered.
The board and administration are working on developing the high school,
which will be a pilot program for the 9th grade in the fall
of 2006. What this means is that we
will offer a 9th grade program next fall, and it will be an
exceptional program, spiritually and academically. It also means that it will be a year where some of the programs
are still being developed, but rest assured, it will be a quality program in
the things that really matter.
We know that there is much to do in order to be ready for the fall, but we are more confident than ever that our Lord is going before us leading the way. We also know that just as the Israelites moved forward with the Lord and still encountered difficulties that tested their faith, we, too, will experience difficult times that will stretch us and grow us as we journey with the Lord.
We have taken some additional steps to keep parents informed of all that is going on in relation to the development of the high school. We have added a high school link to the CCS website. This link contains information regarding student outcomes and the qualities we will be looking for in administration and teachers as well as a couple of additional links that provide information on the Principle Approach. We encourage you to check this link frequently as we will be adding additional information, including a section of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the high school. We have also been working on a high school newsletter, The CCS Patriot. The first issue of this newsletter is on the school website and has also been mailed to all of our parents.
Thank you for your continued support of CCS as we venture forward with God. It is an exciting time to be involved in the leadership of our school. We are living in a time when God is moving us forward and is building on the firm foundation for which past leadership and families have sacrificed greatly. Continue to pray that we would have faith to see where God is leading, the courage to step forward, and the wisdom to know how to accomplish it in the strength and wisdom that the Lord provides.
In
Christ,
CCS Board,
Administration and
High School Committee