Thank you to so many for attending our gala on Saturday evening. It was a memorable event that served as a great reminder of the legacy of CCS and a glimpse of things to come. If you were unable to attend, we missed you! In my latest blog, I have posted a transcript of my talk at the gala. It is brief, as I was not one of the primary speakers. Still, I hope you will find it meaningful. Check it out here:
Good evening and welcome to our 2017 Stars and Stripes Gala! We have a great evening planned for you. We were excited to schedule this year’s gala on Veteran’s Day. Honoring our veterans for their sacrifice, in many circles, has somehow faded in importance. This can never be the case at CCS. Let’s start the evening off right. At this time, I would like to ask everyone that has served or is serving in any capacity in the US armed forces to stand, and let’s express our appreciation. Thank you for your service.
I am currently reading a book entitled, “Know Your Why,” by Simon Sinek that has been a great refresher for me. It is critical that the staff at CCS never lose sight of the WHY – why CCS exists, why we individually serve here. The answer: to offer a Kingdom Education by partnering with the parents and church to provide an excellent education wherein we glorify God in all that we do; demonstrate excellence at every level of academic, athletic and artistic involvement; develop strength of character; and serve the local and global community. This all translates as education according to biblical principles – that is our goal. No man or woman has developed a better philosophy or system of education than God puts forth in His Word.
It is also critical that we, as parents, never lose sight of the WHY – why a Christian school education, and why at CCS? I will leave that answer to our speakers for the evening. Finally, our students’ It is critical that our students, as they develop and mature academically and spiritually, increasingly understand the why – that they see it consistently modeled in our homes, at CCS, and in the church – and that they embrace the truth in the form of Christ Himself and experience the adventure and joy of a life lived for Him. One of this generation’s highest values is justice – but often, it is justice as they define it without any authoritative source. God’s Word provides that source, and a Kingdom Education saturates every experience with God’s Word. This is the WHY.
We all have moments, sometimes even seasons, where we lose sight of the WHY. We live in a social media, selfie society, but the true WHY is to love God and love others. In Matthew 22, Jesus Himself is asked to name the greatest commandment. He says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” At CCS, we strive to offer an excellent education, but not because that is an end unto itself. We do not subscribe to education existing in a silo wherein the sole goal is the “best” college, the “best” job, the biggest house and nicest car, etc. All those things will happen for some of our graduates, but if they happen apart from understanding the WHY and knowing the One Who answers the WHY, these things will ultimately return void.
Many of you have been at CCS for many years and seen many changes – some good, some debatable. One thing that hasn’t changed in 27 years is facilities. Well, it is time. It is time for the facilities to match the educational product. It is time for the facilities to facilitate advancement in academics, athletics and the arts at CCS. Home for the foreseeable future for CCS is 6101 N Habana Ave. However, soon, people may not recognize what was formerly CCS on our campus. I am excited to announce that we have a contract for an entrance and exit onto Armenia that will eventually allow traffic to flow through campus. We have been working for over a year to finalize a master plan for the development of our current campus, and the plan will be complete when we close on that entrance. I look forward to sharing with you the steps that we will then take to execute that plan. Again, for clarity’s sake, tonight’s proceeds are for the Annual Fund – not the development of our campus (I promise’ your opportunity to participate in that will come). I just couldn’t allow one more event to pass without saying something.
