In the spring of last year our Kindergarten students planted some seeds in the flower bed in the front of the two story building. As the plants sprouted and began to flower the kids were excited to see the fruit of their labor and the wonder of God’s handiwork. Shortly after the marigolds began to bloom however, I came in one morning only to see that someone had uprooted many of the plants. Then, as I was replanting the flowers, someone walked by and said “don’t bother, they won’t live”. I brushed off their skepticism and replanted, nourished and watered the plants anyway. The kindergarten and Mrs. Baer continued to water and nourish the plants  and as a result by the end of the school year there were a number of small plants still growing and flowering.

Over the summer we continued to care for the plants. In June I took a couple of weeks off hoping that when I returned the flowers would still be growing, and without asking our teachers, staff and volunteers took care of the plants so that they were thriving when I returned. We all nurtured and watered the plants regularly so that they would continue to thrive in the hot summer months. And today they have taken over the entire planter box and have filled it with color!

This morning as I was watering the flowers, with only a few days before school starts, I was reflecting on Summit ‘s first year and about the years to come. It dawned on me that God was illustrating to me His handiwork at Summit. Some had the faith and planted, and some tried to uproot and discourage. But those who shared the vision for Summit watered and provided nourishment and encouragement in spite of the obstacles we faced throughout the first year.

The reality is however that it is God who has designed and planned for the growth and future of Summit. And it is God who designed the beautiful flowers that He has given us charge over! “If God be for us who can be against us?”

Our back to school BBQ was an exciting confirmation of God’s plan and hand in Summit. A beautiful group of dedicated families who’s desire is to see their children flower and grow in the love and knowledge of God. To produce students who do truly learn and live with Christian character and represent the beauty of the Lord in their countenance.

Each of us at Summit is committed to nurturing and watering the flowers planted by the kindergarten kids, but also those blossoming children He has placed in the charge of the Summit community who are our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, friends, relatives and teachers. What a joy to see our students blossom! And what a great privilege to care for them!

It’s hard to believe that Summit has completed it’s first full year of school. But first I must apologize for not writing more in the last several months. The usual excuse is true , I’ve been sooo…. busy! So this blog is to bring all of you that follow Summit or my blog up to date on what has transpired in the last several months, and to provide some reflections from my perspective as Principal at Summit.

The last several months have been a whirlwind of activities which began with the weeks leading up to our open house and the musical performance of that evening.  Our school community and many visitors came out to celebrate our year and demonstrate what is meant by out theme, “live and learn with Christian character”. Mrs. Andrakowicz, Tana McKuaghan, and the students treated us to a rich “patriotic evening” with song and skits to end the evening.  It is truly amazing to see how rich we are in Christ as a school community! It is He who has brought together each and every person that we call Summit and His provision is perfect.

Sometimes I hear people still saying we aren’t going to make it, or that we must have some rich uncle funding us because this just can’t happen otherwise. But the reality is we can proudly and unashamedly say it is our God that has provided for us every step of the way. And while we rejoice in the talents and gifts He has provided by placing each one of us in the position He has assigned to us, it is the Hand of God, not our works, or wealth, that has brought about our success.

People who believe in the mission of Summit have given their time, talent, money and prayer support to be used by God in raising up a new school. Each has given according to their ability a little over $80,000 this year in cash and untold hours of volunteer time. God’s plan is for us to be a community, His body, doing His will, using His gifts and talents for His glory, not our own.

We are a small school that is rich in Christ. Our smallness allows us to stay connected to each other, teachers with students and parents, me with all of you, all of us with our great God. Now this is not to say that we don’t have room for growth because the pragmatic reality is that we need to fill our classrooms to keep our budget in balance. But we don’t need to become too big either because we would then loose touch with one another. Our focus must stay the same, glorifying God! He will provide just what we need.

But I do believe he wants us to tell others about Summit and what God is and has done in our midst. In my next post I’ll share with you some of the things I have experienced personally this last year and what i think God wants to do in the future.

And thank you for your support of Summit, each and every one, parents, students, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends of all kinds! You contribution to Summit has been a testimony to God’s work in your life.

Probably one of the most difficult things for us to deal with are the results of the bad choices we’ve made in the past. God’s Word is complete and full of guidance that is designed to keep us from those bad choices but our disposition is to ignore God’s word and do the wrong thing anyhow. In the education of our children consider this passage from Deuteronomy 6;

¹ “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, ² that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. ³ Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’
⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

There is perhaps no decision that parents make that is more important than that of who teaches their children. Does any Christian parent really think that they are “teaching them diligently to your children” when they have their children exposed to six plus hours a day of amoral, evolutionary, secular humanistic public school education in overcrowded classrooms? Consider the most recent events in our state

Look at the chart below. What are your children being taught? And what will be the consequences?

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

For years I taught “apologetics” and was an avid follower of Josh Mc Dowell, a follower of the Bible Answer Man, and avid debater of atheists. I liked to present a “Ready Defense” as Mc Dowell suggests in his book to convince unbelievers. But over the last several years I have come to appreciate the position of presuppositional apologetics. The CARM web site describes the theology this way:

“This form of Christian apologetics deals with presuppositions.1 A Christian presuppositionalist presupposes God’s existence and argues from that perspective to show the validity of Christian theism.2 This position also presupposes the truth of the Christian Scriptures and relies on the validity and power of the gospel to change lives (Rom. 1:16). From the scriptures, we see that the unbeliever is sinful in his mind (Rom. 1:18-32) and unable to understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14).  This means that no matter how convincing the evidence or good the logic, an unbeliever cannot come to the faith because his fallen nature will distort how he perceives the truth.  The only thing that can ultimately change him is regeneration.  To this end, the presuppositionalist seeks to change a person’s presuppositions to be in conformity with biblical revelation.”

But more recently I’ve become aware of a condition with the Christian community that has been transformational in my walk with God. It is a rampant skepticism within the family of believers who are afflicted with a view of Christian life polluted with “scientistic” thinking. The arguments of secular humanistic science and philosophical materialism has polluted their thinking and caused these Christians to seek explanations or evidence to explain the supernatural miracles of God.

Recently I came across a passage in Romans that I’ve read probable hundreds of times,

“¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

What stuck me recently was in verse 21, “although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened”

They knew God, they DID NOT glorify Him as God, they were not thankful, their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. This was all the result of denial of the supernatural revelation of God all around them! And notice their thinking became “futile”, literally vain, selfish, empty or idolatrous in their reasoning.  Unfortunately I believe the church today has far too many skeptical Christians who see self recognition with vain and idolatrous thinking. They are preoccupied with arguments over words, “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” just like the pharisees, and drawing attention to themselves “They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’”

As God has taken me and others at Summit on this glorious journey I am only beginning to recognize and appreciate the miracles He performs every day.  It is as though the more we give glory to God, the more of His miracles He allows us to see. And I am so humbled that he has allowed me to witness His hand at work through so many people who don’t seek recognition for their hard work, intelligence, gifts, etc. but point to God as the one who is making Summit into His school. Everyday is a new miracle! What an exciting place to serve!