Jr High Campus Blog
Archives - September 2021
GOOD GIFTS, GODLY MEN
September 29, 2021
God, who is always faithful and gracious, brought us two amazing new junior high Bible teachers this year. These men love Jesus and desire to serve Him by sharing the good news of the gospel and pouring into the next generation of students. Both men have served as pastors, mentors, teachers, and leaders in this community. They each have children who attend CCS and count it as great joy and blessing to teach God’s Word at Cascade Christian.
These men are incredible examples of what it means to live UNSHAKEABLE with their eyes focused on Christ.
Please join me in welcoming John Todhunter and Ryan Peterson to our CCS faculty, and take a moment to read a short word from each of them as they share thoughts from their first weeks here at school.
RYAN PETERSON
.jpg)
.JPG)
I have to admit, a year ago I didn’t think I would be teaching 8th grade Bible! I was serving as an associate pastor, but God was working in my heart and life and starting to open my eyes to the idea of changing careers. I got into the pastorate because of my love of God’s Word and the incredible joy of seeing it transform lives. I’m so thankful that God has directed my path toward Cascade Christian Schools, where I have the joy and privilege of continuing to teach the Word and see how it works in students’ hearts, minds, and lives. At a time in life when so much is changing, it’s so important for students to be asking big questions about the Bible, about God, and about what it means to have a relationship with Him. The Old Testament points us to Christ and the work He did on the cross for our salvation. I can’t wait to see how God uses His Word to draw us closer to Him over the course of this year!
JOHN TODHUNTER
.jpg)
.JPG)
Sometimes identifying with God can be hard, especially as a junior higher. Jesus was perfect, the Holy Spirit is mysterious, and God the Father is so big! I love taking specific aspects of God and helping students get a better handle on them. I told students recently about the day I had my first kiddo, how having my son revealed a little bit more of who God was to me. He is a father who gave up His son ... for every one of my students! I told them how incredibly difficult this must have been and that I was sure I couldn’t do what He did. I think they understood. As big as God is, as powerful as He is, He is equally as personal. I can’t wait to see how God reveals Himself this year!
Why CCS Athletics?
September 22, 2021
The WHY Behind CCS Athletics
The Cascade Christian Athletics Department strives to use the vehicle of sport to teach our student-athletes to be servant-leaders. Just as Jesus did not come to be served but to serve others (Matthew 20:28), we encourage our student-athletes to lay aside their selfish ambitions and instead serve their teammates. Christlike servant-leaders …
- are motivated by love to serve others (John 13:1),
- possess a security that allows them to serve others (John 13:2-3), and
- initiate servant-leadership to others (John 13:4-5).
Fall Sports
Fall sports are in full swing! On the high school side, we have six sports currently running. This is the third week of competition, and it has been an absolute joy to see parents and family members back in the stands this year to support their Cougar athletes!
In the junior high, this week marks the start of competitions for our four fall sports. What an exciting time for our younger athletes! We hope you can make it out to support them.
Unshakeable
This past school year was completely unusual in the world of athletics. Seasons were delayed/shortened, spectators were limited, and HS basketball games were played AFTER graduation! I’m incredibly proud of the way our athletes, coaches, and families adapted and overcame that adversity—talk about being unshakeable!
This year, I’m hoping for a whole lot more of “normal”; but even still, there are few environments that create adversity like athletic competitions do. I’m thankful our student-athletes will be taught all year how to be unshakeable—in faith, in sport, in life.
GO COUGS!
WELCOME, CCS COUGS!
September 15, 2021
We have had a fantastic start to the 2021-2022 school year, and the energy and excitement on campus has been amazing!
.jpg)
INCREDIBLE GROWTH
We have welcomed more than 50 new students to our junior high, in addition to our CCS 7th grade students joining our campus. We now have some of the largest CCJH grade levels on record with over 220 students in 7th and 8th grades. What an awesome blessing to see the amazing growth God has given CCS! We are so grateful for the opportunity and privilege of educating and discipling this incredible generation of students.
.JPG)
UNSHAKEABLE GOD
We serve a God who is unshakeable, and my hope is that our faith will flourish as we grow deeper in God’s truth and love. Regardless of the circumstances in each of our lives, we can find ultimate safety, satisfaction, and peace in the firm foundation of God’s redemptive promises.
My prayer is that we find hope and joy in the words of our key verse for the year, Psalm 16:8 (NIV):
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
.png)
Looking forward to all that God will do in the lives of our students, families, staff, and entire CCS community this school year.
LET’S GO, COUGS!
Convocation 2021 was a blast!
September 08, 2021
Welcome back!
Joy was in the air at last week’s Convocation as we came together to start off the year with prayer. New faces connecting with familiar faces created a magical evening. Even during these challenging times, the CCS community continues to rely on the unshakeable nature of our God to shape our character.
I anticipate moments this year when our students experience Jesus in the classroom, in chapel, in athletic venues, on the stage, and in every aspect of CCS. In faith, we look forward to making room for growth on our secondary campus by adding classrooms to our new junior high building and taking first steps toward upgrading our athletic fields. The path ahead is exciting!
Speaking of exciting, I’d like to introduce the newest member of our Advancement Team, Morgan Utley. Morgan has served the CCS community in a variety of ways—most recently as McAlder’s amazing campus enrollment manager. She is now following the Lord’s call to step into the lead role for continued development of the Cascade Fund and alumni program. Welcome, Morgan!
I look forward to sharing many moments of joy with you. Happy start to a new school year!
Rob Mitton
Director of Advancement
We had so much fun seeing everyone and praying over the school year at Convocation last week. Keep a lookout for more pictures on our Facebook page, coming soon!
If you have not yet done so, you can purchase CCS merch from our temporary store here! You can also find our Spiritual Theme shirts here. This store, which closes tonight at midnight, offers limited edition merchandise for lower prices than our year-round store. Shop now!
Come back next week to check out a blog post from your campus principal!
Unshakeable
September 01, 2021
Ever wondered how to not be shaken, especially in life’s most difficult circumstances? Watch this video to learn more about this year’s spiritual theme and how you can join us this school year as we discover together how to live life being Unshakeable.