State of the School Address

The ancient poet, Virgil said "fortune favors the bold."

To be a Christian in this increasingly godless culture will take extraordinary courage. Christianity is no longer the norm. The climate no longer suggests Christian principles. People no longer assume that they should do the right thing because it is what the Bible commands; it is all about getting ahead at any cost.

Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you tonight that we not only have an economic crisis, but we have a spiritual crisis. I strongly believe that this economic crisis was spurred by a spiritual crisis. Consider the divorce rate, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, dropout rate; consider the amount of foreclosed homes spawned by a combination of individuals living outside of their means and mortgage brokers who were quick to make a sell. This is not an economic crisis, but a spiritual one. I know we have heard this already, but I want to make it clear that we have been making sacrifices to the wrong gods. It is time that we become bold again and seek the righteousness of Christ.

Christians, we should not be surprised that our nation is in peril. We have been quiet far too long. We have adopted the non-biblical philosophy of "let go and let god," while all along God has been telling us to "go." We have glanced over the commands that we don't like, substituting them for what Oprah or what Dr. Phil has to say on the issue rather than listening to what Jesus has to say.

How have we gotten to this point?

I contend that we have not invested in our future. Ladies and gentlemen, what you do with your most prized possession - your child, will determine what type of future we will live in. Ladies and gentlemen, what we do with our children collectively will determine what type of nation we will live in. 40 years from now many will be laid to rest while our posterity carries on our name. What type of legacy will we leave? The answer to this question largely depends on what you do with the present.

Your child is your legacy. Reason with me for a moment: what would you rather have for your child 40 plus hours a week of instruction in a secular/godless environment, being taught secular principles which may be taught by secular individuals or worst off a Christian who cannot say anything Christian, or would you rather have your child instructed 40 plus hours per week in a Christian environment, being taught Christian principles in all subjects, by a Christian who can openly express their faith and how it applies to the subjects being taught? I believe those who are sitting here tonight have already made that choice.

To those who are not convinced that this is the place for your child. I ask you once again to look at the products of a Christian education. As you can see many of our graduates are back serving, and I qualify the word "serving" the Lord. These individuals feel a calling from God and they are all highly qualified enough to make more money elsewhere. They were not coerced to work here, but I can say without fear of contradiction that they enjoy what they do. And we have many more graduates serving in their communities.

Was the school perfect when we were here? Did our parents agree with everything the teachers, administrators, or coaches did? Were our sports teams always winning? Did we have all the fancy programs? No, but our parents were committed to seeing that we learned to love the Lord Jesus Christ with all our being while at the same time receiving an exceptional education.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are concerned about your child receiving a quality education, I challenge you to make a comparison to what our students learn versus other local schools. Again, I can say without fear of contradiction that your child, even if they are not at the top of the class, or a straight “A” student, they will be more educated than the majority of their contemporaries. I am that student.

Tonight, I ask you what you want for your child, and I ask you to take a longer view of your child's education. To parents of Kindergarten/elementary students, stick with us and support us and you will see your child blossom. To parents of middle school students, hang in there they will grow up, but allow them to grow up here; to parents of high-schoolers, continue to encourage your students to new height, but allow us to encourage them as well. To all our parents, be encouraged, I believe God will bless you richly for your sacrifice. We are committed to honoring that sacrifice.

Recently, we have heard promises of great things to come. Change has been the catch phrase. I know for certain that things will change, but how will they, for better or for worse? I cannot promise you that things will be better, I cannot see into the future. I cannot promise you that your child will become the next Rhode Scholar, Nobel Prize Winner, Oscar Winner, Grammy Winner, or Hall-of-Famer. But I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure your child is armed with a keen intellect and a heart on fire for God. I will not promise you fancy buildings, programs, or state championships, but I promise that our teachers and coaches will teach and coach with all their mind, body, soul, and strength. I cannot promise that you will love everything that we do or say or that we will meet your every need here at NCA, but I can promise that we will do our best to listen to your concerns and handle them in the most professional manner.

Do we have many improvements to make? Yes we do, but it is going to take a collective effort. If there is something that you think needs to be done, let us know. If you have a concern about the academic program let us here your suggestions on how to address them. Bottom-line: we cannot do this by ourselves. It will take the home, school, and the community in order to raise a generation for Christ and to take back what the previous generation has so easily let go.

We here at Northwest Christian Academy are one of many schools in this nation who have taken up the mission to produce leaders who are Christian thinkers and communicators. We are not only committed to your child, but to your entire family. We want to see everyone succeed. Again, I can tell you all the things that we plan to do, but I am reminded of two proverbs: Proverbs 16:9 "a man in his heart plans his ways, but it is the Lord who orders his steps." And an old familiar verse, Proverbs 3:5, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight. Matthew 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Tonight I leave you with my favorite verse of scripture, it happens to be the first Bible verse I learned at Northwest. Psalm 1.1 … "Whatever he does prospers."

If you have ever been unsure about the importance of a Biblical Worldview, mediate upon this verse.

Parents, thank you for your sacrifice and thank you for your support, give us an opportunity to continue in our ministry to your child and your family.