What are you pursuing?

Alumnus Lloyd VanOenen (class of 2010) was our chapel speaker today, sharing his post-graduation experiences as a student at the Center for Creative Media in Garden Valley, Texas.
VanOenen said when he started high school "God wasn't really real to me, because I didn't really make him real in my life." But when he was in Grade 11, he attended Teen Mania's Acquire the Fire and "I gave my life to God."

After that, VanOenen said his dream of becoming an actor changed into a desire to serve God.
Instead of focusing on himself, he said he focused on God "because you can't serve God and serve yourself," he said, quoting Matthew 6:24.
"You can't use the money you have to buy those things that make you feel good," VanOenen said. When trying to decide what to do with your life, you have to answer the question: "Who are you striving towards? Yourself or God?"
VanOenen said now that he has completed the two-year course at the Center for Creative Media, he is collaborating with a friend in making a movie.

We were also led in worship by a student praise team, who sang Mighty To Save, Grace Like Rain, and My Redeemer Lives. Scroll down to see photos and to hear the video.

Coming soon: Student Council's Christmas boxes for Rose City Kids. Fill a box and get a free dress-down day.

Here's the video:

Instant Gratification

Smithville Christian High School's Spiritual Life director Gord Park said he used to have a gym membership, but it didn't work.

"It was taking too long, there weren't any results," he told students at Smithville Christian High School's weekly chapel, patting his stomach.

 

"Plus, I was stopping for donuts on the way there and the way back."

It's human nature to resist putting in the time it takes to get results, Park said. Playing guitar, joining a sports team, auditioning for the play, doing your school work: none of these things deliver instant gratification.

What's worse, the world is sending us messages about "constant gratification," he said. As a result, none of us likes to wait -- for the vending machine, for an internet connection, for traffic.

But God asks us to take a different approach to life, Park said, one that requires commitment.  "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me," he said, quoting Philippians 3:12. This year's spiritual life theme, Build the Body, requires that kind of commitment, he said. Without the desire to commit to building your body, or to building the body of Christ, it won't happen, he said.

But God gives us the desire to be strong in him. Park said. Philippians 2:13 says " for  it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." 

"We are not perfect yet, but God is giving us the desire, and the very desire to be like him is a gift from him," he said.

"Commitment: is it being faithful to a direction as long as it works for you? Or is it being faithful to a direction, no matter what?" Park asked, issuing a challenge to the students.

"The world is looking for truth," he said. "I challenge you to be a generation committed to faithfulness in God alone."

Park said we have the chance to show hope to those around us, even those who are struggling to overcome mistakes they've made. We all need to know "there is hope someplace," he said.   "It is a lie from the pit of hell that you will forever be defined by a stupid mistake you made when you were young.

"Because the truth is, there is hope," he told students. "Your faithfulness to God speaks volumes to those around you."

The Grade 11 Drama Class presented a short dramatic scene about teamwork and one of our student praise teams led us in worship with "Came To My Rescue," "Desert Song (I Will Bring Praise)" and "Revelation Song (Worthy Is The Lamb)."

 

 

 

Nicknames

Imagine having a nickname that identifies who you really are.

Bible and civics teacher Neale Robb told students at today's chapel that his childhood nicknames were "Shorty," "Junior," "Alf" and "Red."

But Robb also told students about a Bible character named Joseph, who ended up with a nickname that identified the kind of person he was.

Joseph was a giving man, who sacrificed his possessions to serve others, said Robb. (Acts 4: 36, 37)

He was also willing to take risks for an outsider who could have hurt him badly. (Acts 9:26,27)

And he was an encourager, who didn't give up on someone just because he had failed once. (Acts 15: 36-40).

That's why Joseph became known as Barnabas, which means "encourager," Robb said.

"He was willing to sacrifice for others, he was willing to befriend the stranger and the outcast," Robb said. "And he was willing to give someone a second chance."

 

 

Robb said Barnabas exemplifies this year's student council theme -- Faith in Action -- and he encouraged students to put their faith into action too.

He said they can give money to good causes or they can give their time "to help someone who doesn't seem to have a lot of friends, or who is a bit of an outsider.
"Invite them to eat with you, to join your group, or stop and talk with them for a while," he said. Those kinds of actions will also exemplify this year's spiritual life theme: build up the body.

"Let me challenge each of us to be like Barnabas, the encourager," Robb said.

"Wouldn't it be good to have a nickname like that?"

Robb concluded his message with prayer: "Open our hearts and eyes to see those around us who might need a little encouragement."

 

Today's chapel also featured praise and worship led by one of the student praise teams.

We sang "Blessed Be Your Name," "Our God," and "I Will Follow."

 

 

"It is quite a joy for me to come to chapel each week and be led in worship by one of our student praise teams," said Robb.

 

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!