McAlder Campus Blog
The Most Musical Time of the Year
November 19, 2025
Greetings from the music room at McAlder Elementary!
We are hard at work as we head into the final stages of preparing our Christmas performances to be shared with our community. The students are memorizing Scripture, learning to work as a team, and striving for excellence in all they do, say, and sing! Our goal is that the singing, speaking, drama, costumes, and motions will all impact our community by glorifying God.
We are blessed to be able to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas with all of you. As stated in one of our musicals: “We could sum up the whole Christmas story in one verse: John 3:16. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and anyone who believes in Him can have eternal life.’”
Please join us at one of our many performances, which will all be held in the gym on the McAlder Campus. We look forward to seeing you there!
Kindergarten & Grade 1 - Monday, December 15, at 10:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
KPrep - Tuesday, December 16, at 10:00 a.m.
Grades 2 & 3 - Wednesday, December 17, at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Grades 4–6 - Thursday, December 18, at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.
—Isaiah 9:6–7a (NKJV)
Director's Notes — You Can't Take It With You
November 11, 2025
As I write this, I am sitting in the Forum Deo Gloria PAC looking at an unpainted set that was lovingly built by many parents, students, and staff over the weekend. Our Production Workshop class and the cast will be painting it, bringing color and pattern to its bare, rough walls. As the week progresses, student actors will continue to rehearse and bring to life comedic characters written in the 1930s. Next week we will add lights, sound cues, microphones, and costumes. The following week, November 20–22, we will add the final element, the audience, who will experience the story for the first time and hopefully come to love its quirky characters and uplifting message as much as we have through this process.
This massive collaborative art form, theatre, brings together people from all walks of life. Among others, we need individuals skilled in construction who understand how pieces of raw material can come together to form a whole; visual artists who use their imaginations to envision another place and time and use their talent to transport audiences there; and actors who use their instruments of voice, physicality, and expression to embody another person’s experience and explore how humans interact with each other in times of conflict and moments of connection.
This whole process recalls the letter Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus (and likely other churches) in the first century. In Ephesians 1:10 Paul explains God’s purpose is to bring all things in heaven and earth together in Christ. As the letter goes on, he explores the multifaceted wisdom of God in choosing to do this through the story of the people of Israel, which culminates in Israel’s Messiah, Jesus. Through Him, God brought the gentiles into His chosen family. Now that blessing can extend to all humanity! Paul also describes powers, both physical and unseen, that separate and divide. He contrasts these divisive powers with God’s purpose to unify all things in Christ.
The story of the Bible, and a central theme in Ephesians, is about God bringing two different families together. How interesting that this could also describe the basic plot of our play! Moreover, putting on a play is a big project that brings together people with diverse backgrounds and abilities. God’s big project to heal the cosmos in Jesus unites people from different ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds into the one eternal family of our Creator. He planned before time how we would show His wisdom to the cosmic powers as we, His followers, grow together into a dwelling fit for His Spirit. We live out His calling as we represent Jesus to this hurting world, bringing healing and unity wherever we find brokenness.
Maybe this play appears to be just a sweet, little, old-fashioned comedy—but, in God’s wisdom, maybe the servant-hearted community that brought this project together and the unity our story points to as an ideal could really represent a tiny working model of new creation.
Called by Grace: A November Reflection
November 05, 2025
The winds of fall have blown our long days of summer into the past. With power outages and candles lit, I’ve found myself reflecting in the quiet—grateful for the still moments away from the hum of technology. As the first quarter comes to a close, I am filled with pride for the growth we’ve seen. From our kindergarteners marveling at the wonder of deciduous trees to teachers discovering new strategies to reach every learner; our days have been rich with purpose and progress.
This month, our spiritual theme is “Called by Grace,” drawn from Ephesians 2, which reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” What a beautiful reminder that grace is the thread God weaves through every part of our story. As we rest in that truth, we also give thanks for the gift of freedom—woven through the courage and sacrifice of those who have served our nation. We are especially grateful for our own Mr. Mitchell, and his faithful watch over our campus.
As Thanksgiving approaches, my heart overflows with gratitude for this community—for the laughter echoing in our hallways, the learning that lights our classrooms, and the generosity that will impact the kingdom for eternity. Thank you, families, for your abundant giving during GenWeek. Your kindness has been a reflection of Christ’s love, blessing others in ways seen and unseen. May this season remind us that every good thing is a gift of grace.
With gratitude,
Wendy Blocher, M.Ed.
McAlder Principal
Wave upon Wave: God’s Incomparable Grace
October 29, 2025
What comes to mind when you hear “incomparable riches”?
Maybe a stunning home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a bank account that never runs dry, or a household brimming with warmth and laughter comes to mind. If you’re like me, you might picture an endless table decked out with delicious food.
But in Ephesians 2, Paul doesn't refer to “incomparable riches” while describing material wealth or earthly comfort. He points us to something infinitely greater: the incomparable riches of God’s grace, culminated in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
It’s worth slowing down to let these words sink in.
Incomparable. Riches. Grace. Kindness. In Christ Jesus.
Each word describes a facet of God’s unmeasurable generosity toward us. We have received so much good from His hand; good that is unearned and undeserved. That is grace.
This November, Cascade Christian will dwell on the powerful truth that we are Called by Grace.
We were dead in our sins, but by grace, made alive.
We were children of wrath, but by grace, forgiven and restored to our heavenly Father.
In his book Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine (2014), Max Lucado paints this picture of grace:
Watch an ocean wave crash against the beach ... No sooner will one wave crash into the sand than another appears. Then another, then another. This is a picture of God’s sufficient grace. Grace is simply another word for God’s tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection. It comes at us not occasionally or miserly but constantly and aggressively, wave upon wave. We’ve barely regained our balance from one breaker, and then, bam, here comes another. (110)
God’s grace doesn’t just rescue us; it renews us! Grace is a force that propels us forward, transforming us to become people abundant in love and care for our neighbors.
When we grasp how deeply we’ve been loved and are being loved, we uncover a freedom and lasting joy that overflows into our relationships and everyday lives. Grace calls us. Grace transforms us. Grace shines through us.
