But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies. Jude, v. 20-23, NRSV
As a Christian educator, the small, short book of Jude provides a lot of wisdom and a lot of inspiration. In a ministry where a diverse variety of Christian practices come together in one place to provide a practical education in a Christian atmosphere and environment, where the truths of scripture are integrated into the core subject areas of the curriculum, and into the instruction itself by teachers who bring their own salvation experience into the classroom, Jude's words speak truth from the reality that Christians faced in that time, right into the reality that we face today.
Christian schools have put themselves on the front lines of Christian discipleship. We have almost eight hours a day, five days a week to be the Christian influence our students see as teachers, role models and who have the responsibility to lead students to a recognition of and understanding of spiritual conviction, and to help be the way their minds can see and hearts can respond to the truth.
By every means of measuring academic success, MCA as a school community experienced it this past school year. We've been moving in this direction now for a while. We achieved full accreditation in 2022, which is an outside, peer evaluation of excellence. One measurement of progress is the annual academic assessment for which we primarily use the Iowa Assessments. This year's scores were one of those "knock it out of the park" kind of success. Along with the NWEA testing done by some of our middle school students, we can be very proud of our academic success this past year.
In partnership with each local church where our students are engaged with their families, we see spiritual growth as well. We support the ministry of the local church with our Bible teaching, where every student is engaged in a Bible study every day, and where we worship together corporately once each week. One of the achievements that was instituted this school year was the recognition of "Cougar Values," as each student received recognition of one of these biblically based attributes their teachers recognized in their growth and character development.
We Work Together as a School Community
We deeply appreciate the parents who make the sacrifice to send their children to MCA. That indicates a deep desire to put their children in a school environment which will contribute to their spiritual growth and development as well as to their academic success. Spiritual growth, including recognizing the spirit's conviction and responding in repentance, is affected by multiple factors, including home, church influence, friends, and by the culture itself, but it is an observable fact that students who are enrolled in a Christian school reflective of their family's faith tradition are much more likely to remain faithful, and to strengthen their commitment to Christ through adulthood
Over the past eight years, Midwest Bible Church has contributed over $500,000 to the school's operating expenses, and private donors, some with connections to the church, others with a desire to support Christian education, have given an additional $500,000. The church also provides a lease-free facility for the school's use, something that is rare in Christian school education, where most schools pay a lease for the use of church facilities that would normally stand empty six days a week.
But the biggest sacrifice made for our students comes from the faculty, administration and staff who come to work every day to make each school experience a success for the students. Core subject teachers at MCA, because of the school's accreditation standards, must have the same credentials that state certified teachers have, and in addition to this, must have at least six credit hours in Biblical studies and a course in the Philosophy of Christian Education. But what they receive in salary and benefits makes a major difference in our ability to offer what is among the lowest tuition rates for private, religious based schools in the city. They do this because, as Jude says, they are motivated by keeping themselves in the love of God and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Most of our teachers come to us in the early years of their educational experience, straight out of college, or in some cases, early in a career change to education. But we have a very low turnover rate, because, over the last eight years, the average tenure of teachers at MCA has increased by an average of eight years. Noting that the key words in our experience as a Christian school ministry are mercy and grace, we appreciate the patience of parents when working with younger teachers, but I have to say that the results certainly speak for themselves. MCA has come a long way over the past eight years, and it has made that journey because of the work that each teacher has invested in the school. Thank God for those he has called and sent our way.
The willingness of this particular teaching staff to remain committed to this ministry, and to your children, comes from what they know is the value of this school. They know what is out there, and what is being taught, in a public school system where the basic philosophy of education is based on the belief that the human intellect is the highest power in the universe, that moral values are self-determined and that human beings have the power to resolve their own problems. Nor is every school with a religious label in their name or affiliation teaching Biblical truth. The bigger picture is that the students at MCA have teachers who love them, and who are not just casual observers of their spiritual growth and development. And they have worked hard to make every dollar you have sacrificed to place your children here worth it.
A Diverse Office Staff Wearing Many Hats
There are two people who are part of the school's administrative staff that I must commend, because without their experience, knowledge, sense of ministry and commitment, we would not have made the progress that has been achieved.
Mrs. Libby Stack is not just the school registrar and secretary, she is the expert on all things MCA. Her expertise as a parent of three former MCA students, and in various jobs in the office have made her invaluable in the process of administration. She has the discernment to sense how certain decisions will go, and how parents will respond, and is sensitive to each family's needs. She is the first contact that most parents have with the school, and when she gives a tour, she is able to answer everyone's questions. Most of what I learned about MCA, and its families, came from her experience and knowledge. And she is a prayer intercessor, so you can count on your needs being lifted up to the Lord when she knows about them.
Mrs. Daniela Poenar is also not just the finance administrator. She is certainly that, and has been the main reason why MCA has been able to get through some trying financial situations and make sure that our bills are paid on time. The school was operating in the red when I came in 2018, and the first couple of years were a struggle, with low enrollment numbers and expenses left over from past school years. But we turned the corner in 2020. One of the conditions of our accreditation was the financial independence of the school from the church, which was making up for cash flow shortfalls, and we achieved this through Mrs. Poenar's careful budgeting.
She also handled building maintenance liaison with the church, especially during the renovation of the main building, and has been uniquely positioned to monitor contingent funding produced by budget surplusses over the past few years, which led to the art room renovation, completing the gym renovation, putting a new roof on the main building, and some practical steps to improve the appearance and the wear and tear on the middle school suite upstairs above the fellowship hall.
As things now change, both of these ladies leave big shoes to fill. The value of their contribution goes way beyond their salaries.
MCA as a Part of the Christian School Ministry
Over the past two and a half decades, since the latter years of the 1990's, Christian schools have been closing. Affordability and financial issues are the main reason, as the cost of school operations increases, while tuition and fees also increasing, enrollments are declining. This mirrors the decline in attendance and membership that the Evangelical branch of the Christian church in the United States has been experiencing over the same period of time. The number of families with school-aged children who are members of Evangelical churches has declined by more than 40% according to researchers like Burge and the Barna Group. As a result, almost half of the Christian schools which existed in the United States in 2000 are closed today.
Factors that have contributed to MCA's continued existence as one of the oldest Evangelical Christian schools in the city of Chicago include the church's steady, faithful commitment to MCA and a continued vision for the value of Christian school ministry, and the sacrifices made by every person on the staff doing what is necessary to keep the school viable. We have teachers who work two jobs to make ends meet, who take employment over summer break, who share home with a roomate, in order to live on the salaries that the school can afford to pay. And yet, when the outcome of each year is evaluated against the mission and purpose of the school, I think it would be difficult to find the kind of excellence and commitment we see in the results we get.
Other Christian denominations are closing schools in the city every year. There are just two Catholic schools left in our general area, down from six just eight years ago, and only one of four Lutheran schools is left in the same general area. So our thanks goes to our faculty and staff, who have been provided by God's grace, at a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult for the kind of sacrifice that sustains us to be made. Of course, we do have an enemy who prowls about, seeking whom he may destroy, and it does not suit him to have children, who represent the future of the church, being strengthened in their faith every day in a Christian school.
I am so blessed to have been a part of this work here for the past eight years. I am grateful to every teacher and staff member who have made MCA part of their own ministry, and for the dedication which goes way beyond expectations, and which has made my job much easier. I am thankful for a church which has gone above and beyond what is considered "normal" in its sustaining this school and moving it forward. Parents, I don't think you can do better than to enroll your children at MCA, because they are taught with mercy, grace and love,
No comments:
Post a Comment