Nehemiah 4

“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.⁷ Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, ⁸ and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. ⁹ Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.”

Closing the Gaps

Once again God has guided Summit to receive more blessings as we wait and watch Him provide. Attentive parents discovered the “little guys” chairs we needed in very good condition at an excellent price! And our CHP parent found more office supplies and directed me to the State of California Auction where I was able to buy LCD projectors (4) a copy machine, white boards, tables, chairs and 3 pallets of office supplies for under $1000! And once again B&G Delivery blessed Summit and provided the transportation!

Here you can see Debbie gleefully unpacking one of the office supply pallets! 

And while we were unpacking  Judy started painting our Summit mural in the office….

while Shelley was buzy fixing and painting our classrooms. I’m once again amazed at His hand in Summit and the way He continues to supply our needs! Be sure to come to our Pancake Breakfast on the 4th of July and rejoice with all of us all!

Meanwhile, back at the wall

It occurred to me that every great work of God that He has permitted me to participate in has faced criticism and adversity from people outside the organization. I’m sure there are many secular explanations for this phenomena but for believers it is simply explained as sin. In my earlier years I would spend a great deal of time trying to understand motives, personal histories, family backgrounds, personal trials, etc. etc. etc. but it always seems to have as its origin sin.

Unfortunate as it is for the Christian Community it often appears in the form of gossip. I’ve avoided talking about the “g” word in my blog just because it is so negative and takes attention away from glorifying God in His handiwork amongst us! But recently we’ve been under attack by those who for one reason or another desire to create confusion and distract the Summit community from the great task God has set before us.

In the passage above Nehemiah says,

“⁸ and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. ⁹ Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night”.

Nehemiah response to adversity was to pray and take action to protect the community from attack! His first response was to pray, but often our reaction when we hear of “rumors” is to become hurt, angry or discouraged. But when we pray first, and seek the heart of God, God’s word, that He has planted in us, will come to mind and His Spirit will speak truth into our life. He then causes us to have compassion and enables us to genuinely pray for those who seek to harm our community.

But Nehemiah also takes defensive action to protect his community by arming them. He doesn’t mount an attack on his enemies but rather sets up a defensive system. We also need to set up a defense as we arm ourselves with the Word of God. As we take up the Word as Paul suggests we will be able to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13b). He continues on with the armor and says,

^“14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

Dueteronomy 6:6-7

“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up”

One of my favorite places to eat is Fresh Choice. Last night my wife and I went to dinner there before the School Board meeting. I love the variety and the fresh veggies and fruits. I also love the clam chowder, breads, chili and ice cream.

I’ve often thought that Christian education should be that way as well, a wide variety of options for parents and students. So at Summit we will be offering a cafeteria approach to teaching young people. We will offer our excellent day programs as usual, but we will also offer on-line curriculum for 3-8th grade and a satellite school program for home schooler’s as well.

The basic idea is that the parents can decide which part of Summit they want their children to participate in. And what makes the Summit Satellite Homeschool and Online Program (SHOP) unique is the instructional support it will offer. For instance if a parent wants their child to come to school and participate in a science lab, they can. If they want to come get tutorial support for math they can. If they want the entire grade level curriculum on-line they can have it with teacher support on-line and/or on-site. And much more!

Keep an eye on our web site for details as we roll out this new excitine program!

Nehemiah 6

¹⁵ So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

From the beginning I have believed that God is the one who has opened the doors for Summit. He has provided people, resources, vision, faith and guidance to assure the future of Summit! At this point in time I am struggling to keep up however with the pace of our growth as I complete only my third week as Principal! That’s why this post is so late in coming, my apologies but I’ve been extremely busy! (Some of you e-mailed me wanting to know why I’ve not posted since June 11).

Nehemiah is a book of courage, leadership and commitment. It is the story of God’s people facing adversity, trials and overcoming impossible odds. The testimony of the Summit team, it’s Board, parents and volunteers, it’s donors, faculty and staff all shout of God’s direction, help and provision! And His plan has succeeded!

The Board of Summit

In one month we have been directed by our God to move from a steering committee with a great vision to a full eleven member School Board that has secured our property, established our Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Goals and Statement of Faith. In addition they have also developed and approved 90% of our school parent/student handbook! (which will be available in the office or online by next Monday) and have approved the establishment of the Summit Homeschooling program and the Summit Online School!

This remarkable, diverse, interdenominational Summit School Board is composed of  Rick Bannister, Jim Cosentino, Sherry Ehrhart, Development Director, Dr. Rick Gregory, Pastor of Grace Bible Church, Oksana Kamyshin, Dr. Kurt Clopton, Bill Krauss,  Dave Schmitt, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, Shelley Sharer, Chairman, Anthony Taylor and  Jenifer Zambrano, Volunteer Coordinator.

Campus Update!

In the last several days we’ve received a large portion of our curriculum at less than 10% of the cost budgeted! Tomorrow we receive over 150 desks and chairs of excellent quality, that, if we had purchased them new today they would cost us at least $15,000, but God provided them for under $900!

God has also provided numerous gifts and donations from people in and outside of our Fair Oaks school community as well as blessings and support from Grace Bible Church, Sunrise Community Church, Lakeside Church and other local churches.  And as in the Book of Nehemiah, He has provided remarkable volunteer participation in the rebuilding of the physical school as well as in the visionary development of Summit!

I rejoice in His establishment of Summit Christian School, this wonderful work of God! And I continue to be amazed at the manner in which God is directing the path of Summit through a diverse group of people (1 Corinthians 12) to accomplish His work in Sacramento!

Psalm 37

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Trust, Delight, Commit!

I knew getting into this Summit Principal role would challenge my faith but I didn’t realize how much God would use it to build my faith! In the last four days $7000 have been donated (thank you all!), we have won an EBAY bid for student desk, chairs and tables for about $3 each (thank you Steve!), and we were given 40 Jr. High/High School desk (thank you Sierra Christian!) I am learning to trust in a new way!

And people are serving as volunteers in amazing ways as well! For the last two days Debbie has been working with DS (I’de name her but I don’t have her permission) setting up the accounting and billing system. And DS is doing this on her vacation days! He has provided His people just the way we need them! Oh to delight in His faithfulness!

But to commit your way to Him! To trust Him and watch him prove His Word!

Yesterday I was in my office feeling a little sad because there were no children voices outside at recess, no teachers bubbling with the joy of seeing kid’s grow, it seemed so lonely not the way a school should be. As I looked out at the empty playground, suddenly I received a phone call from an administrator, who is now the Head of School in another Christian school in Minnesota. Being familiar with the former school district, he had called just to encourage me and assure me that the path of grace, which he could see we are on here at Summit, is the right path! The words of encouragement meant so much to me, they were further assurance of God’s faithfulness to us! Even when we grow weary or discouraged He provides encouragement at just the right time! And as His Word says…..

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun!

As some of my friends on Facebook may have noticed I’ve linked my edblog with my Facebook. If you read through the old posts you’ll get a short glimps of the amazing story of Summit Christian School from my perspective.

A short overview is as follows:

The Fair Oaks Campus has been educating and encouraging students in the Lord for about 30 years. Most recently located on Hazel Avenue at Grace Bible Church, this school has also resided at Sunrise Community and Redeemer Covenant over the years. On April 30th, 2009, parents, teachers, and administration were shocked at their annual open house  when the chairperson of the former school board announced the  pending potential Fair Oaks campus closure. At a question/answer session, led by the board, the parents and staff continued to learn that the leadership of the schools (another campus remains in the Carmichael area) were struggling with over three years of financial hardship and the only viable option remaining, in their opinion, was to close down our beloved school site.

A New Beginning

From this meeting, arose a group of parents who were inspired to breathe new life into the campus. Everyone agreed that with a little development and a re-structuring of the framework to become inter-denominational and appealing to believers from many of our local churches, we could rise above and be stronger than ever before. In the midst of today’s economic hardship and moral climate, it seems even more essential to offer a solid bible-based learning environment; one that is affordable to families and is consistent with the kind of  community Fair Oaks campus had come to embrace.

The Faculty and Students

This school has been blessed with highly-qualified teachers who have invested their time, energy, and love into these students for many years and desire to continue to do so. We also have a unique student body that is kind and compassionate to those around them and who enjoy the family that they have come to find at the school.

The New Leadership

Working together under the leadership of Sherry Ehrhart (the wife of Wes Ehrhart one of our Junior High teachers and new kindergarten parent)  the steering committee formed Summit Christian School as a legal private religious school (non-profit organization) and became a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. Shortly afterwards Summit asked me to become the new Principal and God spoke to my heart to take a step of faith (Hebrews 11:2 really hit me!) and trust Him to use me in a new way. Over the next several weeks God spoke to the hearts of the former teachers who also have taken a step of faith to join with Summit in the forming of a new work in Fair Oaks California at Grace Bible Church. As the development has continued a new School Board has formed to begin the hard work of establishing a solid school run under the authority of scripture and the “policy governance” model.

God’s Hand!

As God has continued to moved in the hearts of each person who has committed to Summit He has opened doors of blessing beyond what we could imagine! He has already restored teachers desks and office furniture better than before, provided free signage and printing, brought new students and families, provided unexpected financial donations and created a spirit of joy with all who have become involved in His school.

We look forward to what God is going to do next! Please pray for us and support this ministry in any way that our almighty, awesome, glorious God might lead you! He is our King!

The reality of the Disneyland was much different than the memory. I can remember thinking about being there the night before and asking mom and dad “are we there yet?” as we drove down the freeway with great excitement. But then’ after going through the main gate’ it took forever to get to the rides. Mom always had to stop for the restroom, and then she and my sister had to look in the shops before we finally got to the rides.

I came into our new offices on Monday elated by a call Sunday from Mrs. J who had decided to take a step of Faith and join us in our great adventure! But then I waited all day for the phones to be put in…. but they weren’t. I went for the sign approval with the County and ended up downtown for half a day on Tuesday. Then the carpet cleaning guys schedule changed at the last minute so I had to change my plans to accommodate them. It was like getting to the front of the line for the Matterhorn and finding that the ride had broken down!

But once again in God’s wisdom He had a better plan for me and Summit! We did have an awesome opening on Monday mornings with prayer in each classroom led by parents and students! A number of folks stopped in to lend their support while Shelly, Judy and their kids painted our office and entry hall. And at the end of Monday we had a free banner sign donated by a brother of one of our parents!

The previous Saturday I had received a call from Mrs. A’s son who had talked with a man who wished to donate some computers. On Tuesday I called him and he said “would 60 be enough?” And Tuesday night we were blessed to have Pastor Rick Gregory from Grace Bible Church open our steering committee meeting in prayer and share his heart, wisdom and the support of the church with us! And an excellent Steering Committee meeting followed where our official Board of Trustees was enlarged to eight and Anthony Taylor was selected to be the Chairman!

And on Wednesday we were offered enough office furniture to restore our office and teachers desks for free and then the phones were turned on! God was once again blessing us in ways I couldn’t have imagined in my most optimistic state of mind! I am beginning to feel like I have gotten into the toboggan car and it is waiting for passengers to load! So far the teachers and staff have gotten in, and some of the students. But we’re waiting on the rest so we can leave the station.

Philippians 4:4-9 (New International Version)

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

“Scale the snowy summit in your racing toboggan and then speed, screaming down the slopes, to a sensational splashdown. Get ready for a barreling breathtaking blast to the bottom. Plummet into an Alpine pond.” That’s the description of the bobsled ride down the Matterhorn at Disneyland

I can remember as a kid anticipating the trip to Disneyland, waiting in line for an hour then spending one of my “E” tickets to ride the bobsled! That’s just how I feel right now about Summit! We actually open tomorrow and I get to get into the bobsled!

The anticipation has been just like the night before Disneyland! I feel like God’s kid (Ephesians 5:1) one of His “dearly beloved children” beginning a wonderful adventure! If you have time come join us at the new Summit School tomorrow as we rejoice in God’s hand and pray for His guidance, presence and ministry in our lives!

Psalm 34:1-9

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

On my way to my new office that song came on the radio, “How great is our God, sing again how great is our God…” and the events that had led up to today flashed through my mind. He has orchestrated a number of miracles to bring about just this day! He has confounded the wisdom of men to perform His work through a group of willing servants who have the faith and the willingness to trust Him to do His work in their lives. And He has chosen me to serve Him according to His good pleasure! “How great is our God!”

Today I set up my temporary office. It had all the necessities, coffee, tea, soft classical music, and internet access. Peet’s Coffee was the perfect place to begin my first day as Principal of Summit, perfect annonymity I thought so I could get all my work done!

I had just sat down and opened my laptop to do some e-mail and a young man (thirty something is young to me) said, “excuse me I just noticed your shirt, Summit Christian, is that a new school.” I was a little surprised because I forgot I was wearing the new Summit shirt but, gathering my composure  I told him the amazing story of the last several weeks. During the exchange he commented that he was a former student of the old school in Carmichael and was excited to hear what God was now doing in Fair Oaks. “Sing again how great is our God!” played through my mind as he left.

A few minutes later one of the local church’s youth pastors walked in and I shared again the amazing story of Summit! After we finished our conversation the song returned “sing again how great is our God!” But now half of my morning was gone and I hadn’t got any of my important tasks accomplished.

I hurried over to the County offices to get some paperwork for permits expecting the worse but instead was kindly greeted by more people who noticed my Summit shirt and again allowed me to tell the amazing story for the third and fourth time in two hours! “How great is our God!”

By the end of the day I had retold the amazing story of Summit to six different people who I had never met before! I didn’t get my work done but was sure that I had done some of His! But perhaps the most amazing thing of all is that the story of Summit is all about God, not the people He has chosen to use! People wanted to hear about the amazing God we serve and what He is doing today in our community! Wow! “How great is our God, sing again how great is our God!

Yesterday I said goodbye to my daughter, son in law, and two grand kids from Pittsburgh. And I said goodbye to the classrooms that I had become so familiar with. Today I will say goodbye to Victory Christian Schools. But I can’t say goodbye to the teachers, students and staff because they are already gone. So if you are a former member of the Victory Fair Oaks community thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life!

As I thought about the teacher’s and staff it is amazing to consider their commitment to the Fair Oaks school over the years! They are all truly God’s servants and the fruit of their ministry will be continuing for many years!

Tomorrow I officially become Principal of Summit Christian School and will occupy our offices at 5010 Hazel Ave. Fair Oaks on Monday! I am excited to see what God is going to do next! He is going to fill the empty rooms. And He is going to bring all of the teachers, staff, students and parents that He wants in this new work, which He has begun. Praise be to God!