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!

Celebrating the Class of 2012

Award-winners from the class of 2012

See the August issue of Echoes, coming soon, for more about the accomplishments of the Class of 2012.

Athletic Plaques
Kurtis DeVries, Sarah Duck, Crystal Elmers, Alex Feddema, Travis Feddema, Jazmine Hogeveen, John Kamphuis, Jocelyn Klompmaker, Alanna Pot, Jillian Prinsen, Josh Scholman, Nathan Snippe, Ariana VandenDool, Matthew Veldman, Tom Potac.

Activity Plaques
Tallia Bezemer, Melinda Bouwers, Mariah Hoekstra, Sarah Huurman, Jillian Prinsen, Julia Smit, Bethany Stuive, Christina Teeuwsen, Ariana VandenDool, Brandon VandenDool, Lucas VanGeest, Justin VanHoffen, Kaitlyn VanRyn, Taryn Vermeer, Janae Vlaar-Philbrick.

School Plaques
(awarded for outstanding performance and participation in school athletics and school activities)
Tallia Bezemer, Natasha Buys, Sarah Duck, Crystal Elmers, Sarah Huurman, Brad Kerkhof, Jocelyn Klompmaker, Jillian Prinsen, Julia Smit, Christina Teeuwsen, Ariana VandenDool, Lucas VanGeest

Ontario Scholars
Kaleb Antonides, Tallia Bezemer, Natasha Buys, Scarlett Cheng, Tyler Couperus, Cassandra DeBoer, Chris Dekker, Sarah Duck, Crystal Elmers, Morgan Feddema, Sydni Hanemaayer, Ivan Heeg, Mariah Hoekstra, John Kamphuis, Brad Kerkhof, Jocelyn Klompmaker, Emily Monster, Phume Ngampornsukswadi,  Alanna Pot, Jillian Prinsen, Josh Scholman, Julia Smit, Bethany Stuive, Christina Teeuwsen, Brad VanBuuren, Ariana VandenDool, Shannon Vanderhout, Erin Vanderlaan, Shannon VanderVeen, Lucas VanGeest, Matthew Veldman, Taryn Vermeer, Janae Vlaar-Philbrick, Amelia Wang, Darren Wierenga, Leah Witteveen, Kiko Yang, Seth Zantingh.

West Lincoln Citizenship Award - Justin VanHoffen
Canadian Citizenship Award - Justin VanHoffen and Natasha Buys
Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award - Janae Vlaar-Philbrick
PoutryFest Niagara Scholarship - Janae Vlaar-Philbrick
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 393 Poppy Fund Bursary - Chris Dekker
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 393 Bursary - Janae Vlaar-Philbrick
Groff's Photography Bursary - Mariah Hoekstra
A.J. McCarthy Scholarship Award - Tallia Bezemer
Smithville Garden Club Scholarship - Randy VanGeytenbeek

Governor General's Award - Janae Vlaar-Philbrick

Congratulations to the Class of 2012

May God bless you all as you continue to be "rebels" for God's glory.

The Class of 2012

Below are more scenes from the photo shoot and from the graduation ceremony at Mountainview Church in Grimsby. For hundreds more photos, check out the school's Facebook page.

Valedictorians: Phume Ngampornsukswadi, Shannon VanderVeen and Adrian Kuipery.

Student praise team leading in worship. 

Go-Karts

This semester six teams of students from two Grade 10 Small Engines classes designed and built Go-Karts as part of their cumulative assignments.

Most of the parts were fabricated and welded in the school's fully-equipped metal and machine shop. The team leaders were Joe, Mark, Jordan, Marcus, Jaco and Dean.

Referee at OFSAA tells us what he really thinks...

This letter, below, came by email to Mr. Harris, from the referee of the Girls soccer team's gold medal game at OFSAA on Saturday.
Winning gold is great, but this is a prize that lasts.......
Way to go, girls: you've made us so proud!

Hello Ted

My name is Paul Dobson, and I had the honour of officiating the Gold Medal game at the recent OFSSA tournament in which Smithville Christian High School won the Gold medal.

I would like to take this time to share with you a few thoughts in hopes that you will share these with the staff and students of your fine school. 

During the tournament I officiated the semi final and Gold medal games both of which your Smithville girls played in. I was extremely pleased with and impressed by the way they presented themselves both on and off the field. During the pregame, the game, after each game and any time between games that I observed your team players, they were what I would call a true team. They were the most cordial winners I can recall seeing in any tournament (either school or club) in my 30 years as a referee. I truly enjoyed every minute of the games I officiated that they were involved in. They showed respect to the game, to the referees, their opponents and most importantly to themselves. 

You should all be extremely proud of each and everyone of these young ladies as well as the coaching staff for both the accomplishments on the field and how they represented you and your school during their time in the Elgin/Portland area. 

I wish continued success to your school and especially to these fine young ladies in their pursuit of their goals in life. 

Respectfully Yours,

Paul Dobson

Referee and Vice President of the Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association