Today I am holed up in my office at school. Fortified by countless cups of coffee and a tasty school lunch, I am here to peck away at my next project, which is updating this “In the Word” column for the website. I am wracking my brains trying to figure out what to say and how to stretch it out into a column’s worth of text (much like my students).

The problem is just late last week, the glaciers receded and spring has a tenuous foothold both on the daily weather and my imagination. I keep looking outside. I keep finding reasons to go outside. This morning one of our St. Paul member’s who regularly mows our campus grass stopped in to talk to me about the lawn mower here at school. I felt compelled to go outside and check out the lawn.… what was up with that?  Must have been an excuse to get outside. I just can’t seem to get focused and motivated to write today. I must have spring fever but I know there is a devotion in here somewhere…

I wonder if that was how the Apostle John felt when he started to write his Second Epistle. He seems to have had a limited repertoire that day. He only got so far. Maybe John was distracted by the sunshine, a warm breeze or the smiles of other people enjoying those things and so he only writes 13 verses; very short, very to the point. 

John cuts to the chase in this letter. He says, “I ask that we love one another.” He shares an important key element of love; Stay connected to the truth of God’s word and His commands. Do not stray.

It’s easy this time of year to get distracted by other stuff. The winds of change are blowing in and the weather is changing in more ways than one. As we come to the close of our year, remember to hold on tightly to your children. Hold them close to the truth, knowledge and purpose of God’s word and commands.

Know that even though we might get distracted at times we will be here for you, helping along the way as you parent your children. 

Pray boldly, love powerfully and remember our mission and purpose, Leading Children in Their Christian Faith Walk.

Serving Christ,

Jeff Boehlke

Principal

I ask that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

2 John 5b-6

S-Spiritual Gifts

H-Heart

A-Abilities

P-Personality

E-Experience

Pastor Warren contends that God never gives us an assignment we are not ready for. Good teachers try and emulate this idea all of the time. Sometimes an assignment is easy! Homework can also be challenging, can stretch our abilities, and can be difficult.  Homework or assignments should be within the scope of what we are able to do with hard work, study and dedication.

I believe Pastor Warren is on to something. I also think CCLS is a place where SHAPE is … well…  shaping the lives of our students, staff and families each and every week.

Each of our children (like all Christians everywhere) at Christ Community have Spiritual Gifts from their Father in heaven. One of our implicit goals here is to help children identify them. We also encourage students to find their voice and share those gifts. According to the Apostle Paul, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” The key is we are all different, as are our spiritual gifts, yet we receive these gifts to build up the body of Christ.

Pastor Warren talks about Heart as where our desires, passions, dreams and ambitions lie. These heart matters are often what drive and motivate us. They give us wings and help us soar and explore. Once again, each of us is different. Just as our students all have unique footprints and their hearts lead them in special ways.  

The Apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” Our Abilities are diverse. Our students’ abilities in so many areas are a wonder to all of us. Will they earn a living some day? Certainly!   As a school, we also want children to see how their ability can be used positively in the Kingdom of God. They have the opportunity to grow up and use these gifts in service to others and to our Lord. Our country and the world desperately need Christian business people and civic leaders. Wherever they are led, our students will use those abiities in a God pleasing way.

Being who you are is important. As each of us grows, our Personality emerges. We are happiest when we are true to who we are. Sure we change and mature, but ultimately most parents can say they have seen consistent personality traits in their children all their life. Parents often say, “He was like that as a little child.” These personality traits are from God. At CCLS, we work hard to value each child as an individual, seeing in them the strength of character God has placed in him or her.  God uses all personality types! There is not one Biblical personality type that is lifted above another. God uses those who are precise (Luke) and cautious and those who are bold (Peter) and adventurous. God uses the quiet (Moses) and the loquacious (Paul). 

It is in Experience, I believe that Christian schools may best serve Warren’s model. At CCLS, students get to know and share their faith on a daily basis. Every year, students come to CCLS from public schools. I often ask them how often they prayed before a meal at their old school. I have never had one student tell me that they ever prayed at public school. At CCLS, faith life is not just respected, it’s lifted up and honored. Students experience everything through the prism of the Gospel.

• Academics? Prepared for high school? Absolutely!  The Valedictorian at W-M High School last year was a CCLS graduate! But our students also leave having learned through their experience that learning is a life long pursuit that never ends. Learning is about a lot more than grades, its knowledge that will provide us with the tools for the next step.
• Discipline issues? These are seen as opportunities to seek forgiveness, absolution and grow as a Christian.
• Athletics? Not an opportunity to put down an opponent or use offensive language during the heat of the game. No, instead we try and pray together with our opponents prior to every game. Our students lead the prayers.
• Technology? A great tool used to expand our understanding and appreciation of good things.
• Sharing the faith? Does a pastor, teacher or the principal lead Chapel? Sure! But the kids themselves often lead chapel too!  They pray together and worship together daily and weekly.

Over time, the faith formation experience begins to strengthen in students. We see it every year with our 8^th grade classes. They leave here experienced in Christian relationships, stronger in their faith, assured that they are redeemed children of God, ready for new challenges. Their experience here has helped shape that.

SHAPE, in a word, says so much about our Christian faith walk and about our school. I hope you see as much good in what happens at CCLS every day as I do! Serving as the principal here is a great honor and privilege.

As our school makes decisions about how we change and continue to provide the highest quality Christian education possible, I hope that you see what we are about and your passion and heart for this ministry will grow!

Serving Jesus with Passion,

Jeff Boehlke

Principal

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When we look at the Bible account of the birth of Jesus, this is exactly what we see. The Magi (often referred to as three kings, or wise men) brought three gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold was precious just like today, an appropriate gift for the birth of a king. Frankincense was rare incense, a valuable recognized gift of the time, which was much sought after. Myrrh was used for a variety of things as oil. It was commonly used when someone died to make his or her body less smelly. It was a tool for burial.

So why would these foreign men be so thoughtless as to give a baby a burial gift?

Perhaps, God led them to do such a thing, knowing as only he could the full extent of the future of His son Jesus. Today we can look back through the threads of history and see how everything is interwoven. God’s plan would be fulfilled. This little babe wrapped in swaddling clothes was meant for the cross.

There is a poignancy here that cannot be overlooked. God the Father, seeing and knowing this child’s future was filled with pain, directing these men through star lit nights to provide gifts that portended his future.

It is humbling to think about. That babe would go to a cross for you and for me. It was in so many ways truly a silent and holy night that redeemed each of us from the cross and grave.

So give thanks this Christmas for that Savior. He is the best gift of all!

In His Service,

Jeff Boehlke

Principal



Most of us have at least one thing in common about our Christmas celebration, the Christmas tree. Today they are everywhere but that was not always the case. In fact, Martin Luther, the German reformer was the first person known to promote the idea of the Christmas tree in Germany back in the early 1500’s.

Many people know the story about the Christmas tree and Martin Luther, but not as many know the reasoning behind the idea. After all, the idea of cutting down a tree and dragging it into the house probably seemed strange to many people. The truth is to Martin Luther, the tree symbolized the Tree of Life from the book of Genesis. You remember that tree,

22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

It was not the tree from which Adam and Eve had eaten. That was a tree that brought sin and death. This tree was a tree that provided eternal life. God as always had a different plan for man (first revealed in Genesis 3:15). He would send a savior, his very own son. How fitting it is that Jesus himself would die on a tree.

So today, while many view Christmas trees as non-descript, politically correct holiday trees, hopefully we see the Christmas tree as representing something greater than Santa Claus or merriment. Hopefully, we are reminded we have a God who loves us so much that he provides us with our own Tree of Life in Jesus.

Think about that when you hang your ornaments next time! Merry Christmas!

Serving the Christ Child!

Jeff Boehlke

Principal

Very soon our nation will take some time to sit down and “Give Thanks.”  So what does that mean to us?  We say… Thanks! Thanks a lot! Thank You! Thank you very much! Thanks for everything!  So often we say thanks to others in our lives and we say it quickly and efficiently. We don’t get too hung up on it nor do we think about it very often.

For me, the blessings abound. Health and food, family and friends, house and home, knowledge and … the list goes on. Thank you Lord for my family, a roof over our heads and the wonderful blessing of serving in a ministry that I love. That ministry is all about sharing Jesus Christ (my greatest blessing). I hope to see all my students in heaven some day with my family and me!

In the end, what we say or how we say thanks does not really matter all that much. The greater question is, are we truly grateful for the blessings we have been given? Have we communicated that to the Lord and to those around us? As Grandpa Harvey would have said, “remember to give tanks.”

What are you grateful and thankful for today?

“Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”

2 Chronicles 20:21b

In His Service,

Jeff Boehlke

Principal