May 18 Home Communicator –The Little Things
In a school year with big changes for parents, teachers, students, and leadership, we all continued to find many opportunities to rejoice in the ways we saw God at work at HCS. There are so many things that point to God’s faithfulness. Technology made it possible to join our hearts virtually in worship, a deep community developed in each classroom, a full year with face-to-face learning, and increased unity has developed around a mission that is unstoppable: the Christian education of our children.
As the end of the school year draws close, I wonder if the school community is aware that the school’s prayer this year was that our children all learned one important thing and that was the number 1. In fact, we spent the whole year focusing on it. And if there’s one prayer we have as we close out the school year and head into summer, it is for the children to remember that number. It sounds simple, but it will actually be a struggle. I know it has been for me.
Policies, politics, and a pandemic really tried to fix my gaze on other numbers this year such as how many times I was right, how many people disagreed with me, and how many criticisms, complaints, or circumstances were piling up in favor or against my view. Looking back it is the Lord’s perfect timing that this school year would be the year our theme was focused on the number 1–One Body–and our theme verse focusing on many members and many functions coming together in a united mission. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”.
Praise God that the circumstances of the year did not stop God from moving at HCS. The praise from His people, as One Body, glorifying Him through Christian education. Beautiful and intentional communities were formed in classrooms; students were able to be the hands and feet of Jesus through service in and outside school walls; hearts, minds, and lives were challenged and nurtured; praise and worship rang through the halls. We are so thankful for a community that—despite a year full of twists and turns–joined us in focusing on the number 1. We have so much to celebrate and praise Him for this year and as we slide into summer, I challenge us all to keep focusing on that number and how we can unify in praise to Him for all He has done this year.
In a couple weeks you will be receiving a newsletter entitled, “One Body Praising God Together”. It will be a newsletter filled with just a few of the many ways we have seen God at work this year at HCS. When you receive it, please join your hearts with ours as One Body giving praise and glory to God for how He has worked in our HCS community and in the hearts of our children this year. All praise and honor and glory be unto Him who has done more than we could ever ask or imagine this year and will do, Lord willing, for years to come.
Rachel Landstra, Mission Advancement
