Message from Pastor Vergunst

Dear Parents

To have our own school is a great blessing which we ought not to take for granted. How good the Lord is to enable us to maintain this part of the ministry to the rising generation. Let’s not forget to acknowledge Him daily as we send our children off to our school. On the other hand, let us also be guarded. One of the greatest threats a Christian school will face once it is established, is the lessening conviction of the original vision for our school.

Original Vision

Many years ago Ponatahi Christian School was established as a Christian School. What stirred those original parents to begin this school? They must have had a real vision to begin such a ministry. Many volunteered their services and time to make their Christian school a reality. Listening to the history of that beginning stage, we are reminded of their enormous dedication. In some outward, material ways, it was a step back for the children to be moved from a ‘well-oiled and well-supplied’ state school to the primitive beginning of the new school. But they were convinced it was all well-worth it. The Christian environment and content of the school were more important than the various material and academic advantages other schools offered.

Refresh

Now we are years further down the track of our school. The wheels of our school are well oiled, the track isn’t quite so bumpy, the carriages are more in number but also more comfortable. But what about that original vision that propelled the action, the sacrifice, the commitment, the purpose? Is that still alive? To gauge the answer to that question is only possible when you and I would actually ‘put our vision for school’ in words. You are sending your children to our school or you are intending to do so. But why would you do so? Is it only to give them the best academic preparation for life? Are the good results of the NCEA alluring you? Is it because the school belongs to our church? Let’s push the ‘refresh’ button on this vision to see whether we are still on the same page.

Miniature Workplace

Is a school only for academic preparation? I hope you will answer “no” on that question. A school is far more than that. At school we learn to put into practice what we are learning at home and/or church. The school environment is like a miniature workplace. Our children are working along side peers. Their peers may not always be nice or considerate. They meet an authority structure besides the one they have learned to know at home. Here are people that are not ‘parents’ and they are to show respect to them. Even those authorities sometimes fail to act as they should. This is real life, however, in a miniature way!

Miniature World

A school is also a miniature ‘world.’ It is tempting to think that a Christian school is a better spiritual environment than a non-Christian school. A quick reality check should keep us from expecting that. Are they all ‘born-again’ sinners? Are all the ‘inhabitants of the school’ Christ-like people? Even if they would all be so, would that mean that we don’t meet with sin within our school-world? People will be mean, selfish, thoughtless, careless, proud, angry, jealous, unfair, rebellious and disobedient. Our children may face bullying and rejection even in a Christian school. I know it ought not to be so but it is simply so.

Christian School

Still, a Christian school is not to be like our ungodly society. Sins issues are to be dealt with according to Christ’s teaching: repentance, confession, forgiveness are to function in day to day life at school. The standards of behavior in a Christian school are high as spelled out in Christ’s teachings. In that sense, the Christian school is different than our surrounding world where those same standards are not upheld. In a Christian school a different handbook is used than that in the world: God’s Holy Word.

Preparation for Real Life

This makes a Christian school environment a very suitable preparation ground for the real combat zone of living in our society. One day our children will be working in our society as engineers, nurses, farmers, leaders, politicians or in law-enforcement. But whatever their position, it will be in a fallen world where sin exists; where accidents take place; where injustice are uncorrected; where rude behavior will be felt. Our task as parents and as teachers is to prepare them to function within this world as people according to God’s revealed will. That means far more than being competent in math, accounting, art, music or computing.

Support

Teachers are not given the task to ‘take our place’ as parents. They are given the task to ‘assist us in our parenting.’ Let’s give these teachers a continued sense that we stand behind them; that we support their work in helping our children to live out the Christian principles we teach them at home. If we fail to teach our children at home the principles of kindness, respect, love, serving, sharing, obedience, diligence, then don’t expect our teachers to do a miracle cure on our children. When our teachers need to point out our children’s failings, they don’t need to hear that ‘our child doesn’t do such things.’ Without our support they can’t do our task. Without their help, we can’t do ours either. We need each other. It is team work to raise the next generation.

Regenerating Grace

Ultimately the only thing that will change our child is God’s personal grace. A change of heart isn’t something we or teachers can bring about in our children. The Lord taught we all need to be born again or born from above. Only when the fountain (heart) is changed will the river (actions) change. For that our children need to be enrolled at the school of the Holy Ghost. Let our prayers therefore continue to be that God will bless all our teachings of His Word at home and at school to bring about that change of heart.

Soli Deo Gloria (All Glory to God!)

Pastor Arnoud Vergunst