Jr High Campus Blog
Archives - February 2022
Joyce Blum, Director of Student Learning & Professional Development
February 24, 2022
These past two years have caused many people to feel hopelessness like they’ve never experienced it before. How about you? Have you had those hopeless moments? How do you regain hope? This month we are looking at the hope that only a thriving relationship with Christ can bring us—UNSHAKEABLE HOPE!
It is easy to allow our circumstances to dictate whether we will experience hope or hopelessness. During the pandemic, many of us have been influenced by the circumstances of lockdowns, masking restrictions, mandated vaccinations, illness, job loss, and even death—and have found ourselves feeling hopeless. If we allow our hope to be reliant on what we are experiencing, we are guaranteed to be let down and to spiral into hopelessness.
Throughout the month of March, our students will be getting to know people like Deborah (in Judges 4:14-15) and the bleeding woman that Jesus healed (in Mark 5:24-34), who both showed incredible hope in very difficult circumstances. Our students will also read about historical figures like Jeanette Li, Chinese evangelist to Manchuria, whose life was changed after she heard the gospel story while lying sick in a hospital bed. Finally, our students will be challenged to see that when we share this hope with others and not just keep it for ourselves, the lives of others can be changed and transformed as in the case of those with whom the Samaritan woman shared her story (in John 4:39).
So how do you have that unshakeable hope when things seem hopeless? Don’t look at your circumstances and allow them to be the determining factor of your hope. Look to Jesus and run the race He has laid out for us. Focus on the eternal, not the temporary. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV) states it so clearly:
Let us throw off everything that hinders.… And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Unshakeable hope is available for every believer. It is promised to those who look past their circumstances and keep focused on the eternal hope we have in Jesus. It is a daily choice—so choose hope!
OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE
February 23, 2022
We've had a great start to 2nd semester so far! Our students did excellently on their mid-year MAP testing. And we were able to celebrate our 1st semester Honor Roll and 2nd quarter 4 Pillars Award winners at our most recent assembly.
Of all the good happening, what is of utmost importance on campus is the faith and life transformation in the hearts of our students. God is bringing to light His truth, through both good and challenging circumstances, and we pray our students’ hearts are softened to the hope, love, and peace offered in Jesus.
One encouraging and inspiring story of heart change comes from the 7th grade Bible class, as told by Mr. Todhunter:
Liar, Lunatic, or Lord …
This argument by C. S. Lewis is being used in my 7th grade Bible/Leadership class this year. Either Jesus lied about who He was, was under a delusion that He was the Son of God, or He was in fact who He claimed to be.
It is a time of growth for students of this age, a time to stop relying on the faith of others and to make it their own. They are challenged to answer this question for themselves: Is He a liar, lunatic, or Lord? There can only be one answer.
Last week as I opened up my email during my planning period, I found that a student had emailed me about this very thing. “Mr. Todhunter, during your class today, I decided to follow Jesus and devote my life to Him.”
To say I was excited is an understatement. Teaching at a Christian school does not mean all of my students will be Christians, and I know that some of my students are looking for answers to very big questions. It is an honor to help them find those answers, to point to the Scriptures and walk beside them. For one student, the answer was clear. Jesus is Lord.
This is WHY we do what we do ... it is our calling and it is our joy. Please pray with me for the hearts of our students. As we journey into March, which will include Spiritual Emphasis Week and I-Term service, may the Lord use these opportunities to draw our students’ hearts closer to Him so they learn to trust and follow the Savior in deeper ways!
From Our Choir and Band Instructors!
February 16, 2022
From Bryan Botka, Band Director:
It has been a joy to join the team at Cascade Christian Schools as the band director this year. The instrumental music program strives to foster excellence through music and provides student with a variety of music ensembles and performance experiences to participate in. Student ensembles include the Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, and CCS Pep Band, which plays at football games, pep assemblies, and basketball games.
In December, the Jazz Band enjoyed playing Christmas music for students as they arrived in the morning and at the annual Christmas concert, where all the instrumental ensembles celebrated Christ's birth by presenting a musical offering. The students are excited to share their God-given talents and hard work again at this year’s Instrumental Spring Concert on March 1 as well as at the All-District Band Concert at the end of the year. This year, in addition to giving large ensemble performances, students have had the opportunity to rehearse and perform in smaller chamber groups, and this experience has helped develop their leadership skills and independence. I am so thankful to teach music in a place that seeks to glorify God in everything.
From Tegan Hinojos, Vocal, Worship, and AV Tech Director:
We have four choirs at CCS—beginning, intermediate, and advanced choirs, and a zero-hour jazz choir. I like to tell my kids, “By the time you leave, I want you to not need me anymore.” To achieve this, we focus on students using resources, learning independence, and leading sections and rehearsals. We perform for each other, the student body, and our elementary campuses, and we travel to vocal festivals. In fact, three of our choirs are traveling to Disneyland in March to compete at a vocal festival!
The worship team focuses on the musical aspect of ministry and more. In short, they lead musical worship every Wednesday, plan the songs for each chapel, run supervised rehearsals, and operate the behind-the-scenes equipment to create a distraction-free environment.
AV Tech is a job-training program. Students come in with little to no knowledge, and they leave with the ability to get a job with an AV company. We focus on the fundamentals of running cameras, learning ProPresenter (used for worship lyrics in churches), doing live audio mixing, and editing videos.
Reflection on Unshakeable Unity
February 09, 2022
As I reflect on this month’s spiritual theme of Unshakeable Unity, my thoughts go in a direction of visualizing what life at Cascade Christian would look like if we were able to achieve unity to the fullest extent. Not just unity, but unity that is steadfast and unshakeable. Unity so strong that we would not allow internal or external dynamics to create any form of division or conflict. How amazing would it be for us to be that unified as a community? My next thought, rather than just wondering what it would be like to be that unified, is to ask, What can we do to actually become that unified?
The simplest and most effective way to achieve the fullest extent of unshakeable unity is through prayer and intentional actions. Many times it boils down to making a choice to extend the benefit of the doubt and believe the best about someone. It also means being committed to not letting our differences overshadow what unites us.
Jesus prayed for us in the following manner: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23, NIV).
Similarly, I pray daily for the Cascade Christian community in the following manner: “Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing us, providing for us, and protecting us. Keep us from harm and keep us from doing harm. Protect us from evil, from injury, from illness, and from conflict and strife. Unite us in purpose so that we may achieve your best for our community and for your kingdom.”
Please join me in that prayer and in your intentional efforts to achieve and preserve a culture of unshakeable unity at Cascade Christian.
In His service,
Ken
Unshakeable Unity
February 02, 2022
Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to experience conflict with one another as a result of the things that make us different and unique? Maybe you experienced this the last time your family set out to agree on one thing to watch on TV together. Or perhaps it happened when your family tried to decide where to go out to eat.
Sometimes the conflict can be big. Other times it can be small. Sometimes conflict can even happen as a result of the things we have in common. Siblings fighting over the same toy is a good case in point.
Whatever the conflict may be, the things that make each of us different and unique, if left unchecked, can simply get in the way of our relationships with each other.
Luckily, the Bible has provided a way for us to be united with those who are especially different from us. Paul writes to the Philippians:
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion … (Philippians 2:1, NIV).
Being unified with others begins with Jesus. It begins with receiving the love of God through Christ, who overcome our sin so that we might be restored to right relationship with Him.
But it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t just happen when we receive. Paul goes on to write that unity can only happen when we share the love we have been given:
Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.… in humility value others above yourselves (Philippians 2:2-3, NIV).
Paul doesn’t promise that in Christ we will live free of conflict. But when conflict does arise, the calling is to practice humility by giving each other the same love that has been extended to us in Christ. When we imitate Christ by giving the love He has given us, our relationships will be so grounded in love that even the darkest powers of the world couldn’t shake them!
Throughout the month of February, our students will begin by learning how God in Christ overcame the distance that our sin separated us from Him, so that we might be restored in Him. They will read stories of how those in the early church, which was made up of many different people and ethnic groups, were united by this love to overcome their own differences and to share the good news to all nations, tribes, and tongues (Acts 4). Finally, our students will learn about historical figures such as African missionary/evangelist Samuel Morris, who once converted an entire ship of sailors as a result of imitating Christ’s humility.
I pray God’s blessing on us as this month we journey together deeper into the love God has for us in Christ. Blessings!