From the Desk of Someone

From the Desk of Someone is purposed as a monthly blog post shared by a BCCS staff member. It will include general school information and updates as well as quotes and other thoughts to spark reflection.

What did I Hear?

Last week, as devotions began in the middle school hallway, a staff member and I heard a trendy pop song from one of the nation’s most popular artists blaring from one of our classrooms. After identifying the artist incorrectly and being corrected by my more hip and musically-informed colleague, my curiosity remained and I paused in the doorway to listen. 
Stepping back, I am often asked what type of school BCCS is, and part of my answer always includes that we strive to provide an authentic, reformed Christian education. While that is a larger topic and conversation, what I observed that morning is a great example of what it means to be reformed as we prepare students for life in God’s Kingdom. 

Now let's get back to my classroom observation from the doorway. At the conclusion of the song, the teacher asked students to think about the message they heard from the artist (it was not a positive one about who she felt she was). Looking at the lyrics, you can almost hear and feel the pain. Maybe you cannot relate to this, but I know I am guilty of the same feelings when looking at my own struggles and failures. However, immediately following that conversation, the class listened to “Love Me Like I Am” by For King and Country. The message is a stark contrast to what is heard in the first song. It talks about pain and brokenness, but also how God meets us there. The pop song leaves the listener with that pain. It does not offer a solution to or remedy for it, compared to the For King and Country song, which leaves the listener with hope and love. 

This message is so important for middle school students who are continuing to ask and discover who they are. The message of God’s provision of grace and love amidst our own brokenness is vastly different from the worldly message of value found in one’s own self. Our value comes from our God. He claims us as His own. He gave his life for us regardless of our brokenness. He is the source of our hope and love. These are important and freeing truths. These are truths we must remember and rely on despite the messages found in pop (or any other) culture.

The Christian education we are blessed to provide includes excellent learning rooted in God’s Word, but it also includes preparing our students for what lies ahead. Having real, honest conversations about false narratives contrasted with the messages of Christ is just one small example of this. Teachers can even use a trendy song to spark a discussion about God and His story for us. Through the lens of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration, we can walk through real and difficult topics with students to help them develop discernment amidst brokenness. We believe it is incredibly important to practice seeking AND living in God’s truth now in order to truly prepare our children for the future. We do not expect (or allow) master electricians to enter the field without having completed years of practice as an apprentice. Here at BCCS, it is no different for training disciples of Christ. 

A morning devotional is a great example of Christian teachers sharing their own faith stories! The best part is that is only a small part of the work they are doing each day to help our students. Want to know more about what that looks like on a daily basis? Click here!

Andrew Reidsma

Director of Operations and Family Relations


From the Desk of Someone

From the Desk of Someone is purposed as a monthly blog post shared by a BCCS staff member. It will include general school information and updates as well as quotes and other thoughts to spark reflection. This writing is to be the first of many! 

February Updates

Winter and spring are busy times here in the hallways of BCCS. School events abound (dances, concerts, Family Fun Night, winter break, 3 on 3 Tournament, parent meetings, and parent-teacher conferences), and we encourage you to attend what you can as we work to intentionally foster community!

Our teachers continue to develop and deepen their Teaching for Transformation practices and grow as we fully adopt the framework for learning. We are on a continual journey as we look to improve the school experience of learners and invite them to discover what their role is in God’s story. 

Enrollment season is upon us and many of our preschool classes have already been filled for next year! We also expect a record kindergarten class when our doors open in the fall of 2023. Please continue to share with your neighbors, church families, and co-workers about this place as we seek to expand the Kingdom work happening here. 

The winter months also allow us to reflect on the support from our parent community. We are blessed with families who serve this school in so many ways, including recess duty, organizing special events, running the school auction, serving on the school board, and supporting classroom teachers. We are grateful for you! 

I will close with a quote for reflection. Nicholas Wolterstorff shared, “It is nothing but a pious wish and a grossly unwarranted hope that students trained to be passive and non-creative in school will suddenly, upon graduation, actively contribute to the formation of Christian culture.” 

Today, consider your own school experience. Was it passive, or were you engaged? Also, reflect on what you desire school to be for your children. What is your hope for them?

I encourage you to review the TfT portion of our website as part of your wondering and learning. 

Andrew Reidsma 

Director of Operations and Family Relationships

Tassels

Why is a tassel so important? In Biblical history, priests wore tassels as a visual representation of putting God on display in everything they said or did. It was their job to reflect God to the people around them, and tassels served as a reminder of that important role. Today, God calls us to be a reflection of Him as we live our lives. We are to put Him on display with our actions and words. We are to do God’s will, meet the needs of others, and be bearers of His presence. In the context of our school year, we are to see God’s story and also live that story as image bearers. Unfortunately, we fail more often than we would like, but we should always remember our role. Thankfully, God extends His sovereignty and uses broken people!

At BCCS, we help students understand that Kingdom call, no matter their age. Recently, our first-grade teachers shared about the duty of priests and the reminder role of the tassels. Each child was then given a tassel to place on their backpack. 
There is nothing special about a tassel itself, but our hope is that it is a visible reminder to our students of who they are called to be. Specifically, in first grade, they are children of the King, invited to spread God’s love. Teachers connect learning in all subjects to God’s story and provide learning experiences in which students have the opportunity to practice living His story. Just like the priests of old, we are to recognize our call to bring God into the world. We are to live in such a way that others catch a glimpse of Him!

6 Reasons to have a Will

A will is a legal document that lets you decide what happens to your assets (called your estate) when you pass away. According to a recent survey by Caring.com, nearly two thirds of Americans do not have a will or estate plan, and 40% cited procrastination as a reason they do not have a plan.  
So, here are six important reasons you should have a will:

  1. You decide who gets your assets and who does not. The most common and simple reason to make a will is to decide who will (or who will not) get your property when you die. Without a will (or other plan, like a trust), your state laws determine how your property will be distributed—usually to your closest relatives, like your spouse, children, or parents. If you want someone other than a spouse, child, or parent to inherit from you (perhaps a grandchild or close friend), then you need a will to make those wishes known. 

  2. You decide who gets your personal property. Again, most people recognize that their estate plan will determine who gets what. But your will can be specific about the personal property you want to give away. Often it is the personal items—the antiques, heirlooms, and pictures—that cause a lot of arguments because they are sentimental. Bonus: You can also specify who gets your pets!

  3. You determine who is responsible for carrying out your instructions. Choosing the right executor is one of the most important elements of creating an estate plan and should not be overlooked. If you choose the wrong executor, you jeopardize efficient execution of your plans. You should also designate a second choice in case the first executor is not willing or able to carry out your wishes. 

  4. Your will can name charitable organizations as a beneficiary. According to data collected by Giving USA 2022, only 9% of all charitable gifts made in 2021 were bequests from an estate plan. Without a will, you are not able to preserve a legacy that could benefit your favorite charities for decades to come. 

  5. You decide who takes care of your minor children. An estate plan is the only place to nominate a guardian to care for your children. If you think you don't need a will for any other reason, but you have minor children, you should make a will just to name a guardian. If you die without a will, a court will decide who should care for your kids. 

  6. Having a will saves time, money and stress for your loved ones. A clear estate plan leaves no ambiguities in regard to your wishes. Without a clear plan, you create opportunities for costly arguments and contests which often fracture a family. 


BCCS partners with The Barnabas Foundation, which provides free estate plan services to member partners. To find out more, please call Ron Fles at BCCS at 616.878.3347 or email Ron at fles@bccs.org.

Storytellers

To begin their year, third grade welcomed a storyteller. Sue is a community member who writes and tells stories. She shared a compelling story about a boat captain who gave instructions for passengers about the importance of staying in the life rings that were attached to the boat. Gradually, the passengers played and swam farther and farther from the boat. This led one passenger to get lost at sea. As the missing passenger was sinking for what she thought was the last time, she heard the captain calling, “Swim toward my voice. I will not leave until I find you.” The passenger knew that the only way to be saved was to swim to the captain. When the swimmer thought she couldn’t possibly go any farther, she felt the captain’s strong arms reach down and pull her to safety. Students were captivated by the guest storyteller and the symbolic story she delivered.  

This learning experience was an invitation to the third-grade storyline, Be a Storyteller, Tell Your Story. We are called to use our lives and stories to point to God. He will use the stories of our lives to bring His love and hope into the world.
The students later learned that Sue’s friend was very sick with cancer and made cards to encourage her. When Sue came to class to thank them for the cards, she told them that the cards had been a light in a dark place for her friend, and had even brought her smiles and laughs. Sue also shared with her friend a video of the class singing a worship song. This was a blessing to her friend as well. One small act to share God’s love on the part of the class was a bright light for someone else.  

Be a Storyteller, Tell Your Story. This storyline presents our third graders with a beautiful challenge. Take your knowledge, your discoveries, and your personal stories, and share them with the world. Bring Jesus to a world that is craving true love and hope.

Teaching for Transformation

Since 1917, BCCS has worked to provide an authentic, Christ-centered education. Six years ago, we began the implementation of a framework called Teaching for Transformation (TfT) that allows us to be even more intentional about the integration of faith and learning. 

TfT helps us provide an excellent Christian education and incorporates two important principles. First, TfT ensures that our school uses best practices in the classroom. Rather than simply delivering content, teachers create learning experiences to engage students inside and outside their classrooms. Students can be found collaborating on a project, role-playing in a simulation, or participating in a formational learning experience. The deeper we engage our students, the more they will grow! Learners may be harvesting and selling honey in science, running a Greek court in social studies, walking the community in prayer, performing in orchestra, partnering with a local food bank, or designing a house in geometry. Whatever the lesson, we want our students to be able to practice the things they learn. 

Second, TfT helps us foster the connection between faith and learning. While Bible, prayer, and chapel serve as obvious times for faith formation, we want students to connect all subjects to God’s story. Curriculum is structured so that we have student-focused learning targets. Some are academic-specific, while others are long-term targets for the most essential learning. We ask ourselves what type of people we want our students to become. In this way, in all subjects, students see why their learning is important and also see who they can become. Every school shapes the values and worldviews of its students, but at BCCS, we are intentional about using curriculum to shape disciples. We are passionate about our students using their gifts to play their role in God’s much bigger story. 

We celebrate the awesome work of our teachers and staff on the TfT journey, and we look forward to years of continued growth and learning!

Storyline!

The staff at BCCS has the privilege of working with one of God’s most precious gifts to us – children. Students here are loved, respected, cared for, challenged, and supported so they might grow closer to God and live into whom He has created them to be. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We all fall short on our own, but because of God’s grace, forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit we can do good works.

Our storyline or theme for this year is See the Story, Live the Story. Seeing the story is important. At BCCS, that means studying God’s Word, commiting Bible passages to memory, doing science experiments, practicing math equations, learning about different countries and cultures, and exploring new ways of learning. We use a Biblical lens to see God’s story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration in the world and people around us.

See the Story, Live the Story. What a calling! God desires us to see His story, but also to live it. We are called to engage with people, learn creation’s patterns, understand formulas, study the details of nature, identify rights and wrongs, and help our community flourish. As such, we design learning experiences that allow our students to practice and use what they have studied. We work with real people, discover real needs, and do real work. We want to go beyond the walls of our building to do good works which God has prepared in advance. 

We desire to offer an excellent education, equipping our students to be agents of change, faithfully serving a world and people that need restoration. 

May this school year be a great one where we focus not on ourselves or even our students, but on helping each other see and live God’s story.