Well, as you can tell if you are a faithful reader of my blog.  Gabby started school this year.  Kindergarten.  She is attending the Christian School with my other daughters, Riverside.

Well, when we heard at the end of last year that they would have a new kindergarten teacher we were overjoyed.  The current one, I did not feel was able to meet the needs of my youngest child, Gabby.  Gabby can be a handful.  Then we started praying for this new teacher.  We prayed for someone who would love God first and serve Him with all their heart.  Someone who was a strict in discipline and would not change the rules.  Would uphold what they believed in.  Someone that Gabby could not manipulate.  We got what we prayed for.  Then we started praying for Gabby.

Well, she made it three days before she had what I like to call a Gabby situation.  Each student is required to bring in a large bottle of GermX and a small travel size bottle.  Well, Gabby decided that her desk was covered in germs and began to smear her little bottle of GermX all over her desk and then she said the germs traveled up her body, so she continued to coat herself with the GermX.  The little boy sitting next to her must of also been covered in germs because she also coated him with it.  His response was that it felt good.  And that only added fuel to the fire.  The teacher was upset.  First of all little girls are not suppose to touch little boys.  There is a distance rule.  Unfortunately, Gabby is all about finding the rules and stretching them to fit her perspective.  So needless to say, Gabby now sits by a little girl and she is on GermX rations.  She says this is so unfair.

When my dh explained this to me, I thought if this was the only thing Gabby does in her first week of school than she is having a good week.  I spoke too soon.

The next day, Gabby had one of her accidents.  She does not like to stop what she is doing and use the restroom.  So she just goes where ever she is.  I am prepared for this and she has extra clothes, but I forgot about the shoe problem, where does pee run, downhill of course.  So my dh had to get up after working all night and take his darling daughter a pair of sneakers.  He was not happy.  Gabby was not happy that it was daddy that brought the shoes and she so innocently explained that it was not her fault, she couldn’t get her belt down fast enough.  Darn belt she said.

As I heard four different versions of what happened at the end of the day, I still thought to myself this time that Gabby was not doing too bad.

So we finished out the week with no further events that Gabby ended up in the center of.  And she is looking forward to next week.  I only hope her teacher and classmates are.

M

I recently interviewed the academic dean of our fair university about something called the Success Initiative. It is a concerted action by faculty and administrators to direct the efforts of students toward “success”–that is, their ability to become the adults they should be when they graduate. It involves CORE–a series of classes that intentionally establish their mindset and the university culture in the direction of spiritual, intellectual and emotional maturity.

That’s all well and good. I applaud the dean and the taskforce that is working on this Initiative. I do know that changing corporate culture is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, in most cases, an institution’s efforts to change its own culture usually fail. The only way they succeed is if the people involved–ALL the people involved–buy into the change.

That’s the thing about organizational culture. It’s organic. It consists of unwritten rules and mores established by those who consider themselves part and parcel of the culture. We had a university president who came to the school a few years ago (not the president we have now) who didn’t like the way things were done. He determined to change things–and it was duck for cover time for the rest of us. Three years later, he was being shown the door, and the organizational culture went back to being the way it had always been.

And so I tell the academic dean–and the Taskforce–”Good luck.” Their intentions are meritorious. I hope they succeed. I’ll do what I can to help them. But there are no guarantees.

One phrase that came out of the interview with the dean stuck with me. Maybe it did because it was one I liked, one I firmly believe in. He referred to the University supporting “unity, not uniformity.” Well said. <applauds>

I live in the Bible belt. I have always attended relatively conservative churches, some more conservative than others. Some of my fellow church members considered me liberal. My own children consider me conservative. And I consider myself a moderate. The reality is, like most everyone, there are some things I am pretty liberal about and others I am conservative about. I read science fiction, am a pacifist and listen to NPR, which some Christians would consider pretty liberal. I listen to classical music, own two shotguns and am relatively pro-life, which in itself can be considered conservative. And so, I don’t think it’s fair to peg me in one camp, just as I hesitate to label others “liberal” or “conservative.”

I have no problem with conservatives–or liberals. I do have a problem with closed-minded people. I feel sad for those who feel a certain way, and are so convinced that their way is right that they just know that anyone who believes otherwise needs to be corrected–or stoned. Maybe it’s my education that has taught me to be this way. It’s a term I call pluralism, a dirty word in some people’s vocabulary. But to me, it just makes sense.

I am a firm believer in unity, but not in uniformity. I don’t believe in cookie cutter religion, or politics, or education. I do believe in values. My wife and I are vastly different people. But we do share common values about the importance of family, and putting God first. We respect our differences. We cherish our commonality.

I’m glad we have an academic dean who can promote and proceed with a policy that establishes values for our school. I wish him luck and will pray for his success. In the meantime, I applaud the call for unity. Unity without uniformity.

Way to go, dean.

I love Texas. I will, however, admit that it took me a while to get to that point. Texas grows on you, which is saying a lot when you take a look at my lawn this time of year.

I took a teaching job here in 1998 and moved here with my family from Idaho. My wife was happy to leave snow far behind us and welcome (relatively) warm winters. Of course, we moved here in June, and it was 105 degrees at 10 p.m. the night we arrived. So the change in climate was pretty much the first difference we noticed.

The second difference was a change in attitude about the environment. Coming from the Northwest, we had gotten used to recycling, not littering, and being careful about pollution. Despite the slogan “Don’t Mess With Texas,” I haven’t gotten the same attitude here. I couldn’t hardly believe it when I saw the car on the road in front of us roll down their window and dump a bag of litter onto the side of the road. Do that in Oregon and you are likely to be shot.

Here’s where it hits close to home. I teach at Southwestern Adventist University, a place you’d expect to see recycling bins, work bees to pick up trash along the road, and rallies to recycle oil and other toxic liquids. In 12 years, I haven’t seen any of those things. Why?

Further, this is a Christian school. I have always associated caring about the world we live in with Genesis 2:15 where it talks about God putting Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. I figured we have an obligation not only to our children, but to God, to take care of the only home we have in this lifetime.

But maybe my mistake was making that association. Maybe it falls into the same category as assuming all good Christians are Republicans, or all Adventists are vegetarians. It would be nice, but it just doesn’t work out that way.

I’ve been thinking about what this issue for years. I’ve meant to speak up for a long time. And, to be honest, the reason why I haven’t is because of something I learned long ago about committees. Never bring up a problem in committee unless you have a solution and you are willing to work on fixing the problem.

Well, I’m willing to work on fixing the problem. But I think the issue is bigger than one person.

How about it? Is there anyone else out there that thinks we need to be doing more at Southwestern–and in the state of Texas–about the environment? Maybe the old saying is true. Maybe together we really can make a difference.

Michael Margolis recently wrote an article for Fundraising Success magazine challenging fundraising professionals to thoughtfully focus on several major questions and how we frame our story around those questions.   Story telling is as old as the Scriptures.  In the Scriptures every story has a purpose which often calls us to an action.  

Michael Margolis believes our story must do the same. Here are the three questions he posed and some brief comments.

Do I belong here?

From the donor’s perspective does your mission fit with the values and goals he or she considers essential?  The key message here is you must know how to tell your story so increased numbers of donors will not only believe in your cause but choose to see your charity as fulfilling this basic need.  You must also be able to focus on parts of your story that will connect to a specific donor during a personal visit or when writing that special letter.

What do you stand for?

In hearing your story the donor does not just want to know numbers and statistics.  He or she wants to know you have the same core values.  There must be an emotional pull to your story.  Donors want the charity they associate with to be memorable as a ministry they passionately feel makes a difference in the world.

Most important, are you for real?

There are many charities.  Donors are asking, “Are you worthy?” You must tell your story in such as a way to convince others of how you stand out from other charities in what you do, how you are perceived as being trustworthy, what are your outcome measures and how can you show proof of these measures.  You must tell a story that inspires donors to join you. 

Story telling is a powerful way to communicate your case for support when it is done well with much thought focused on the donor, not on your organization.  To download a copy of an e-book by Michael Margolis entitled Believe Me go to http://www.getstoried.com

Sunday night news on our local Fox affiliate, and a couple stories received more in-depth treatment than usual. One such was a story about a Christian school that “fired” eleven employees because of their doctrine. (Inwardly I groaned. Another story bashing Christians?)

As it turned out, the school’s sponsoring church made the decision to become more involved in the school’s operation and to change a perceived lax hiring policy that allowed others with differing doctrines to work in the school. Consequently four teachers did not have their contracts renewed and seven other staff were let go.

The news show interviewed a number of people involved, including the principal. The staff members themselves were not the issue, she said repeatedly. Rather it was the doctrines they and the churches they attend espouse in a couple key areas.

After this thorough (for television) treatment of the story, the news program then had three guests to discuss the issue (should a school fire teachers who don’t believe the same way as the sponsoring church).

The first was one of the teachers who lost her job. Second was a clergyman from one of the churches that disagree doctrinally with the sponsoring church, and third was a representative of a religious school system in the same community (the particular school/church at the heart of the discussion declined an invitation to have a representative included).

The teacher was articulate and described the situation without rancor. She said that the changes were first presented to the staff back in January. She didn’t know at first if the new policy would apply to her. If I remember correctly, she’d been on staff for fourteen years. Another teacher had been with the school for twenty-two years.

The clergyman was equally well-spoken. He presented a case for unity and for not letting non-essential doctrines divide Christians. The representative of the religious school system said they have no doctrinal requirements of their staff. In fact, they would hire a Hindu or a Buddhist as long as they were committed to accomplishing the school’s core mission. (And what would that mission be, I wondered.)

In the end, after the teacher had answered another question and the clergyman had answered another question, the anchor who was doing the asking said, It’s all about whether Christ is preached, isn’t it? It’s all about whether Christ is preached.

OK … I sat there unsure I’d heard him correctly. But he repeated it. What a very Christian thing to say (“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice” – Phil. 1:18), and it came, not from the Christian teacher or the clergyman or the religious school system spokesman. It came from the TV anchor.

Now I’m wondering what kind of feedback he’s received.

Michael Margolis recently wrote an article for Fundraising Success magazine challenging fundraising professionals to thoughtfully focus on several major questions and how we frame our story around those questions.   Story telling is as old as the Scriptures.  In the Scriptures every story has a purpose which often calls us to an action.  

Michael Margolis believes our story must do the same. Here are the three questions he posed and some brief comments.

Do I belong here?

From the donor’s perspective does your mission fit with the values and goals he or she considers essential?  The key message here is you must know how to tell your story so increased numbers of donors will not only believe in your cause but choose to see your charity as fulfilling this basic need.  You must also be able to focus on parts of your story that will connect to a specific donor during a personal visit or when writing that special letter.

What do you stand for?

In hearing your story the donor does not just want to know numbers and statistics.  He or she wants to know you have the same core values.  There must be an emotional pull to your story.  Donors want the charity they associate with to be memorable as a ministry they passionately feel makes a difference in the world.

Most important, are you for real?

There are many charities.  Donors are asking, “Are you worthy?” You must tell your story in such as a way to convince others of how you stand out from other charities in what you do, how you are perceived as being trustworthy, what are your outcome measures and how can you show proof of these measures.  You must tell a story that inspires donors to join you. 

Story telling is a powerful way to communicate your case for support when it is done well with much thought focused on the donor, not on your organization.  To download a copy of an e-book by Michael Margolis entitled Believe Me go to http://www.getstoried.com

Summer vacation is spent.

In parts of  mid-West US  leaves begin to fall.

School begins again.

With the new school year we will re-focus our blog to aim more directly at the desired target audience:  smaller, private institutions that can benefit from the implementation of distance learning.  Emphasis will be on Christian organizations which, in this writer’s opinion, need to leverage the benefits of distance learning if they intend to continue to keep any sort of presence in the United States or anywhere else.

“Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: An Approach to Distinctively Christian Education” by Douglas Wilson

This book, published in 1991, has become an incredibly influential book. In fact, an entire association of schools exists largely because of this book. In it, Douglas Wilson, a pastor in Moscow, ID, lays out his educational philosophy and a vision for Classical Christian schools. He relies heavily on examples from Logos School, which he founded in the early 1980′s to implement his educational philosophy.

The title of the book comes from a Dorothy Sayers essay entitled “The Lost Tools of Learning”, published in 1947. It is available for free online here. Sayers, disappointed in the direction that public education was heading in the 1940′s, wrote about the “classical” style of education, by which students had been taught for thousands of years. She compared this against the “modern” style of teaching in this way. In a nutshell, modern education focuses on teaching “subjects” (math, reading, science, etc) whereas classical education concentrates “on first forging and learning to handle the tools of learning.” Rather than simply learning facts and charts, classically-trained students learn how to learn. Once equipped with these tools, they are able to more quickly and thoroughly grasp the subjects taught by modern education.

Wilson’s philosophy takes this a step further, using the biblical mandate for parents to teach their children as a foundation, and building upon that foundation using the classical “Trivium”, a system of teaching consisting of three stages: Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric. The result is what he calls “Classical Christian Education”.

The book is divided into four sections. The first, called “The Failure of Modern Secular Education”, is an effective and devastating critique of public schools. Many of the statistics in this section are outdated (things are actually much worse twenty years after the book was written), but the concepts are the same. He also addresses many reforms suggested by both Christians and the secular establishment, and points out reasons why they won’t work.

The second section is called “An Approach to Distinctively Christian Education”. In my opinion, this is the strongest section of the book. Here Wilson shows from God’s Word the indisputable mandate that Christians have to educate the next generation — and specifically their own children — according to God’s objective standard of truth. Because all “true truth” is God’s truth, every possible area of study hinges on a proper understanding of the biblical worldview. There is no such thing as an education which is “worldview neutral”; children are either being taught to live and learn according to God’s Word, or they are being taught to live “by bread alone”. Therefore, education is truly a ministry, and something which Christians must take seriously, both individually and corporately.

One common objection to Christian education which Wilson addresses is the sentiment that Christians must enroll their children in public schools to be “salt and light” there. He argues first of all that, despite the fact that millions of Christians are in these school systems (and have been for generations), “we would be hard pressed to show that Christian kids are making a difference in the public schools.” It is not fair for children to be expected to contend for a faith in which they have not yet been sufficiently instructed, particularly when the entire system is formulated around a worldview that is antithetical to Christianity.

Section three is titled, “An Approach to Distinctively Classical Education”. Wilson expounds further upon Sayers’ essay, and explores and details the content and methods of teaching the Trivium. He addresses some specific problems that every classical educator must overcome, whether teaching in a private school or a homeschool. Things such as television, video games, and other social and cultural distractions keep students from their books and studies, contributing to an anti-intellectual society.

One of the most interesting problems he addresses is that of money. He points out that, because churches and Christian parents have for so long abdicated the responsibility of teaching to the State, there is a price to pay to begin to set things right. Since all citizens are paying taxes to support public schools, those wishing to give their children a Christian education must actually “pay double”. Wilson is optimistic, though, that once a “mature Christian school system” reaches nationwide prominence (essentially returning education to the free market) there may be an opportunity from permanent relief. He is adamantly against school vouchers or any type of government involvement with private schools.

In one final chapter from this section, Wilson shows why he believes classical private schools to be superior to classical homeschooling. The argument here revolves primarily around two things. First is a “division of labor”. It is rare that a husband and wife will be equipped to teach every subject excellently, whereas in a private school teachers can excel within their own field. A practical example: One teacher trained in Latin can instruct 20 students. For 20 homeschool students to learn Latin, 20 homeschool parents must first learn Latin.

Second is the social aspect of learning. Much of the dialectic and rhetoric stages of the Trivium depend upon students learning to debate, defend, and articulate their beliefs. These things happen best in a community of students in a classroom setting. Wilson does say that homeschooling is the second best option after a private Classical Christian School (i.e. – better than traditional non-classical Christian schools), and would have been his choice had a good private school not been available.

The final section of the book is labeled, “Conclusions”. This is basically a short summary of everything previously stated, with a few points of emphasis and clarification.

Overall, Wilson’s arguments are very well-written and persuasive. Many skeptics (and particularly homeschoolers) will say rightly that an extreme minority of schools fit this description; that Logos is an exception rather than a standard that can be matched. However, this is a tough argument to make against Wilson, who has shown in his own personal experience that, when no suitable educational option exists, one can endeavor to create one from scratch as he did. It’s certainly not easy, but when education is a priority, a parent will do whatever it takes to get the best possible education for their children. “The proof is in the pudding”, as they say. Not only has Logos thrived over nearly three decades, but the organization that grew from it — the Association of Classical Christian Schools — now has nearly 250 schools and continues to steadily grow!

This book ought to be considered a must-read for every Christian parent, but particularly those who are teachers in the public schools or those who homeschool their children. You may not agree with everything Wilson says, but he will definitely have you thinking about vitally important things you may have never considered before! Buy it here.

During normal economic times it is difficult for many of us to ask others for money.  I believe it should be hard.  This difficulty usually means you have a strong relationship with this person and you don’t want to do anything to damage it.  Asking a friend for money for a specific project is serious business.

When you pick up the newspaper or hear the news, all the talk is about how bad things are with the economy.  Such news may give you one more excuse to avoid making the ask for a major gift, especially when a friend is involved.

What I would propose is that you acknowledge the fear and even tell your friend how uncomfortable you are in asking for a gift in times like these.  However, don’t stop there.  Individuals are still giving generous gifts to charities with an urgent cause, a clearly defined mission and the ability to show the difference they make in the lives of those they serve. 

What stands in the way is our own fear.  Here are five ways to overcome our fear:

1. You are not asking for yourself.  You are asking for a great cause you know will touch lives for the glory of our Lord.
2. Express the importance of the gift and what can be accomplished only with this size gift.
3. Ask for a specific amount of money.  Don’t ask the donor to just make a gift they can afford.  When you do this it conveys to the donor that there really is not a real urgent need.
4. Express what will happen if this project is not funded.  If possible, tell a story about someone who was blessed by your ministry and what would have happened if the ministry program was not funded.
5. Finally, pray before going to meet with the person.  Meditate upon this Scripture from 2 Timothy 1:7  “But God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and of self-discipline.” 

God is an awesome God and you are asking on His behalf for a ministry project that will touch many lives.  If you don’t believe this is true, you will probably not be successful in your solicitation for the gift.  Ask for the gift because it will help change a life.  You will be blessed by overcoming your fear.