Are families who choose Christian education getting their money's worth?

YES! YES! YES!

The results of the long-awaited Cardus Education Survey, released this week, unequivocally show that Christian education makes a difference -- a big one!

The Canadian data show that graduates of Christian schools are faithful, committed and contributing members of their communities. Compared to graduates of public schools and Catholic schools, they are more faithful in church attendance, they enjoy more stable family lives, they vote, they give more time and money to charitable causes and their faith continues to be an important part of their daily lives.

But there's more.

Visit the Cardus website to read a summary of the research or to purchase or download (free) the entire report. You can also sign up for the Cardus Education Survey newsletter. See www.cardus.ca

We'll be sharing more info about these results soon, but it's exciting to know that for the first-time ever there is accurate, reliable and credible proof: choosing a Christian high school for your children is worth it.

 

Smithville Christian High School.

Belong. Believe. Succeed.

Nothing's better than a little worship in the morning

This morning's chapel featured Christian singer/songwriter Joshua Faris, who performed several of his own compositions. Faris testified to the power of Jesus in our lives.

Songs he performed include "Standing With Emmanuel," "Grow," "We Fall Down," "Gift," "They're Gone," "When It's Done," and the love song, "Before The Foundations."

Listen to Joshua Faris perform "Grow."

Visit Joshua Faris's website.

Together we're awesome!

Smithville Christian High School's spiritual life director Gord Park introduced this year's spiritual life theme at this week's chapel: Build the body.

Using the image of an athlete building strength in his or her physical body, Park told students that last year's theme was to encourage one another, taken from I Thessalonians 5: 11. "Therefore encourage one another."

This year's theme is from the same passage. It explains why we need encouragement and why we need to be encouraging, Park said: it's to build up the body. "Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up."

"We together are a single body," Park said. "You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it," he said, citing 1 Cor. 12: 12. "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ." Working together "we have the opportunity to be incredibly strong," Park said. "We can be the body God has called us to be."

But building the body is also about building up the individual man or woman God called you to be, he said, which takes discipline. And it's about letting God be at work in the lives of the people around us -- giving them the freedom to be what God calls them to be.

Quoting 1 Peter 2:5, Park said the reason for all this emphasis on the development of strength is to give glory to God. "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Park said throughout the year chapels will focus on various ways we need to build up our bodies -- both individually and as members of school groups, teams and the entire student body.

"Individually, we're okay. Together, we're awesome," he said. "What is bringing us together is not our interests, it's God."

This morning's chapel also featured worship led by a student praise team, who led students and staff in singing enthusiastic versions of My Redeemer Lives and Days of Elijah.

 Everyone is invited to next week's chapel, on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

We're glad to be back!

Over 200 excited students gathered in the gym this morning for the first chapel of the 2012-2013 school year, with Mr. Harris displaying his start-of-the-year nervousness as he sported new glasses. "I hope I look cool," he said.

Students applauded to warmly welcome new students -- those in Grade Nine, those transferring in from other schools, and those coming from other countries.

Mr. Harris said this school year will feature a focus on connections:

1) Learning: Connections between what happens in the classroom and what happens in the real world, with emphasis on project based learning and presentations of learning. "Tests and quizzes matter but we want to do things that have an impact outside school and on other people."

2) Lifestyles: Connections between students' behaviour in school and with their behaviour on Saturday nights or on lunch-time trips into town. "Do our lifestyles reveal that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives at all times?"

3) Relationships: Connections between students from all parts of the world. "How can you get to know people in this school that you don't know?"

4) Our worldview: Connections between our daily life and our citizenship in the kingdom. "How do we live like we are part of a kingdom that's already begun?"

Mr. Harris read from John 15:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit."

Board member Cynthia Buist prayed for parents, student Ryan Vermeer prayed for teachers, teacher Gord Park prayed for all the leaders and volunteers who support the school and parent Steve DeHaan prayed for the students.

Mr. Harris invited parents to stay for coffee and refreshments afterwards, and invited all parents to come back for weekly chapels, which he says will feature praise and worship led by student praise teams.

"Come back on Wednesday mornings as often as you like, and bring more parents with you," he said.

 At lunch time, Mrs. Spyker served free ice cream in the lounge! This is going to be a great year!

See more first day of school photos on Facebook!