“KEEP YOUR HEART WITH ALL VIGILANCE”
Jonathan Winn
The engine light. Its presence, when lit up on the dashboard of my car, almost instantly causes my stomach to churn and my blood pressure to rise. When that light goes on nine times out of ten it’s a problem, and that problem means time, money, and hassle. I want so badly to ignore it, to pretend it will just go away on its own, but it’s only a matter of time before my wife or children see it and ask, “What are you going to do about it?”
Keeping our vehicles in good shape is a necessity. They are expensive, and they are necessary in our busy lives that require us to travel several miles every day. A broken-down vehicle places us in an interesting dilemma- we may not be able to afford to fix it, but we also can’t afford to live without it!
Proper maintenance of a vehicle requires discernment in recognizing the signs of an internal problem. Generally speaking, there are three ways we know there’s a problem. First, we might see the problem, as in noticing the engine or other dashboard warning light come on. We might see smoke coming from the hood, or a flat tire. Second, we might hear something. It might be a rattling noise when driving, or a squeal when starting the engine. Third, we might feel something. We start feeling more bumps or shaking while driving and wonder about the suspension or shocks.
Being vigilant about the condition of our vehicle is important, but how much more infinitely important is vigilance over the condition of our souls? If the stakes are high for ignoring the warning signs of a problem with a vehicle which will inevitably be replaced, how much infinitely higher are the stakes for ignoring the warning signs of a problem with our souls?
This brings us to the relevance of our theme at Oak Grove for the 22-23 school year: “Keep your Heart with all Vigilance.” This theme comes from Proverbs 4:23, and the full verse provides further clarity: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” The word “heart” here translated from the original Hebrew word לֵב (pronounced like “lave”) refers to the inner man, the soul, the seat of appetites, emotions, passions, the will, the character. Clearly, it is the source, the fountainhead, from which everything about who we are and what we do, flows.
The Lord Jesus Christ expands on this insight when speaking to his audience about discerning who is a true servant of God:
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:33-34, ESV)
Jesus uses the metaphor of the produce from a fruit tree to explain how to recognize the condition of the heart. Like a tree, you can discern the condition and health of a heart by the quality of what it produces.
Circling back to the vehicle metaphor, I believe that in Jesus’ teachings and throughout Scripture we are given clues for discerning the heart (the condition of our souls) from what we see (our actions), what we hear (our words), and what we feel (our emotions).
For the next three articles, we will take some time to carefully consider each of these clues. Certainly, we cannot afford to ignore these indicators for the condition of our hearts. There’s much more at stake than a broken car- there’s an eternal soul.
“WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO "FEAR THE LORD?"”
Jonathan Winn
“Who is God?” “What is God like?” Have you ever been asked this question by your child? How about a friend or acquaintance? How would you answer it? Consider, this is probably the most loaded question anyone could ever ask! Indeed, how you answer this question reveals the foundation for how you would answer (and see) everything else. Pastor and theologian AW Tozer put it this way: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. ... the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.”
People will answer the question, “Who is God?” in a variety of ways. For example, some envision God as a vindictive judge, while others see Him as a jolly grandpa or Santa Claus figure. Sadly, many who perceive God in this way are merely grasping at straws, basing their definitions on their subjective ideas, experiences, or the opinions of others. How dangerous it is to be fickle or uncertain in answering this most important question of life! To answer such weighty questions, we must not begin with subjective opinions, but with the most objective and authoritative source possible. In this case, it would be God’s revelation of Himself- in the Bible.
Now, as we ponder our theme: “The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom” we are led to another important question about God- “What does it mean to ‘fear the Lord’?” As with defining who God is, before one just starts asking for opinions on this, we must start with the most authoritative source, the Bible. Therefore, is this concept “the fear of the Lord” defined, or illustrated, in the Bible? Let’s see.
The exact phrase “the fear of the Lord” comes up dozens of times in the Bible, but the concept of fearing God hundreds of times. For the sake of clarity, we will look primarily at where the specific wording can be found and see if we can derive a definition grounded in Scripture.
Hatred of Evil
Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” This is a straightforward definition. The person who fears the Lord despises what God despises- evil, pride, arrogance, perverted speech, etc. If you tolerate or handle sin casually, you don’t fear the Lord.
Humility and Softness of Heart
Proverbs 28:14: “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 22:4 “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Again, this is very clear and straightforward- the one who fears the Lord has a high view of God and a lower, subservient view of self. Fearing God is contrasted with having a hardened or proud heart. It should be noted that Biblical humility doesn’t mean a debased, inferior view of self in comparison to others, but in comparison to God. We will revisit this critical virtue of humility in a later post.
Expressed by Obedience
Deuteronomy 10:12-13: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?” Psalm 112:1: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!” One who fears the Lord demonstrates reverence for His word and thus His commands. This person holds God’s words and instructions in high esteem, and their life reflects it in obedient action.
Expressed in Love and Enjoyment of God
Nehemiah 1:11: “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your name.” 1 John 4:18: “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because He first loved us.” Those who know the Lord realize that He is good and full of lovingkindness. The practice of reverencing Him leads to delight, for one then beholds the goodness and love of God.
Having said all of this, one may still ask, “Why use the word, ‘fear’? Why not say the ‘love’ of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom?” Many have contemplated this, and I would venture to say that the ‘fear,’ not ‘love,’ of God is the necessary starting point for grasping more completely who He is. To understand the enormity of God’s love and goodness, we first need to see those qualities in light of His holiness, and our sin. Paul put it this way in Romans 5:8: “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love is most manifested, and thus celebrated, in light of His sacrifice for undeserving sinners.
In conclusion and to further illustrate this point, I invite you to contemplate this helpful illustration from Pastor John Piper:
“I picture myself climbing in the mountains, say the Himalayas. And I’m on these massive rock faces, and I see a storm coming. It is going to be a massive storm, and I feel unbelievably vulnerable on these mountain precipices. And so, I am desperately looking for a little covert in the rock where I won’t be blown off the side of the cliff to destruction. And I find a hole in the side of the mountain, and I spin quickly, and suddenly the holiness, and justice, and power, and wrath, and judgment of God breaks over me like a hurricane, but I know I am totally safe, which means all that horrible danger is transposed into the music of majesty, and I can enjoy it rather than fearing it. And I think that is what the cross is. Jesus died for us to provide a place where we could enjoy the majesty of God with a kind of fear and trembling and reverence and awe, but not a cowering fear.”
In summary, the ‘fear of the Lord’ is cultivated in one’s life to the degree that they behold the awesome splendor of God’s holiness and power, followed by the magnitude of His love and grace, revealed most clearly in the saving work of Jesus Christ.
In the next article, we will see how this understanding of God lays the foundation for all learning and wisdom.
Archived Posts
THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM
June 05, 2023
THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM
Jonathan Winn
SEP 01, 2021
This past summer I read a book entitled Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp. The aim of the book is to challenge parents to view their teens through the lens of who God has made them to be, to encourage by reminding them of the daily transforming power of the saving work of Jesus Christ, which in turn will equip them to be the spiritual leader and mentor their child so desperately needs.
Early in the book, Tripp uses the experience of vacation planning to illustrate the importance of preparation to arrive at a destination. When planning for a vacation, most of us put considerable thought into where we want to go, how we are going to get there, what resources we will need, etc. He then challenges the reader to imagine how the vacation would be if we “sort of” understood what a vacation was supposed to be, or “sort of” knew where we wanted to go, or “sort of” knew how much it would cost, etc. What would be the chances of having a fulfilling and meaningful vacation with that kind of half-hearted or uninformed preparation?
In the same, but in a much more important way, what are the chances of raising children who are wise and “successful” if we don’t really know what that should look like, or what those words even mean? How will we know that our definition for those terms is even accurate, and not just shaped by our relative opinions or the ever-changing culture around us?
Here at Oak Grove, we are partnering with every family to cultivate wise and virtuous young men and women. Fortunately, in the pursuit of this mission we do not have to guess or stumble our way through a definition of wisdom and success. The Creator and Lord of the universe, who defines all reality (Colossians 1:16-17), has revealed to us what we need to know in His Word, and who we need to be through His Son!
One of the best places to begin in God’s Word when it comes to defining and understanding wisdom is the book of Proverbs. Biblical scholars have noted that in many ways, the book of Proverbs could be considered King Solomon’s treatise on education for the young man and young woman. Like most books and letters, the opening section of Proverbs gives us an outline of what the book is about. Let’s look at those verses:
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:1-7, ESV)
Does this not describe what we all want and need for ourselves, and our children? I recommend you read it again and personalize it for you, then your children. Now, note verse 7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This is a weighty statement, and if the thesis of Proverbs and all of wisdom were summed up in one statement, this is it!
The “fear of the Lord,” and it being the necessary foundation for all wisdom, is a concept that is repeated throughout the Bible, not just in Proverbs. We have chosen this to be our theme at Oak Grove for 2021-22 because it is a timeless principle that applies broadly throughout every sphere of life and learning. It is a concept that demands careful analysis and prayerful attention. If we want our children to be wise men and women, then we would be utterly foolish not to contemplate what it means to “fear the Lord.”
As you think about your goals and your destination personally, for your family, and for your children this year (and in the years to come), I challenge you to prayerfully consider these words “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Consider: is this reflected in your life, and your family life? Is the Lord prompting you to rethink or change something to better align your life with His Word? What would your children say if you asked and discussed this with them?
In the next article, we will look at how this concept is defined and illustrated in other parts of God’s Word. Stay tuned!
A DAD'S MOST IMPORTANT FUTURE INVESTMENT
June 05, 2023
A DAD'S MOST IMPORTANT FUTURE INVESTMENT
Jonathan Winn
SEP 21, 2020
“Dads, do not underestimate the significance of your influence on your children.” Those words have been fixed on my mind since the moment I heard them 5 years ago on a podcast while driving in a beautiful Colorado mountain pass. My eldest daughter was about to enter middle school, a time period I had been dreading as a Dad! Like other Dads, I have always had a strong God-given desire to fulfill my role faithfully. I have no desire to neglect my children, nor be passive in my interactions with them. Nevertheless, on my own I am weak, and there are major forces that constantly work against this instinct and desire in fathers- call it low cultural expectations, spiritual resistance, laziness, passivity, distraction, busyness, etc. There are many factors. Why is it so challenging to do what, clearly, we have been called to do? Why do mothers, generally speaking, tend to engage children more naturally than fathers?
There are many sources I could point to, but I will choose one that came at a turning point in both biblical and world history. It comes from the last verses recorded in the Old Testament, before the onset of the 400 year “Silence Period” in which there was no word from the Lord given to the Jewish people (that’s right, it was a period of time much longer than the entire history of the United States!). What was this last prophecy spoken through the prophet Malachi? Let’s take a look:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction” (Malachi 4:5-6).
Much can be said about the meaning and significance of this passage and its timing. I want to simply point your attention to the significance of the role of fathers as laid out here; specifically, the importance of the inclination of their hearts towards their children, and vice versa. This was both a promise, and an inherent warning. Dads, do not underestimate the significance of your influence on your children! God makes it clear!
A Call to Oak Grove Dads
Oak Grove- its mission and hence programs, curriculum, and schedule have been designed to reinforce the calling of parents to be the primary role models and teachers of their children. While Moms have been blessed with much significance as teachers and nurturers, scriptures such as the one above makes it clear that God has placed on husbands and fathers a unique privilege and responsibility to be the leaders of their families. As part of our strategic partnership with families here at Oak Grove, we want to do all we can to encourage and support the Dads in this role. We want to specifically equip and encourage them in the two most critical spiritual tools for leadership in the home: God’s Word and Prayer. Here are two opportunities I encourage all of us Dads to step up and take advantage of. Make no mistake, these are small commitments with potentially eternal ramifications.
God’s Word- Throughout the year, our entire school community memorizes passages of Scripture together. Additionally, students memorize the questions and answers of the New City Catechism- a learning tool that has been utilized by children and families for centuries to deepen and solidify their understanding of the essential teachings of the Christian faith. To read more about this, go here.
Action Step: We would like to send a weekly text to Dads that will include the Scripture and/or Catechism Question and answer for the week. The text may sometimes include some suggestions for further discussion. You might be surprised regarding the impact of a simple discussion with your children about God’s Word.
*If you would like to participate in this, just complete the quick form here. Texts will probably start going out next week at the latest.
Prayer: English poet and hymnodist William Cowper once wrote, “And Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.” In Ephesians 6:10-18 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 we see that the Lord has given us spiritual weapons for spiritual warfare; weapons that can “demolish strongholds.” Prayer is mentioned as a most critical spiritual weapon!
Action Step: 6am every Thursday morning (with the exception of school holidays) will be an OG Dad’s prayer time over Zoom. Last Spring several Dads in our community began fellowshipping in prayer in this way, and it has continued up until the present. The prayer time will usually include a short devotional given by either Mr. Winn, one of the Board members, or other men in our community. These are 15 minutes that the Enemy of your child’s soul hates!
*If you want to receive an invitation for the Zoom link, please enter your information here.
Men we have been given a great responsibility and opportunity to do something truly noble for eternity. Let’s make the most of every opportunity, for the days are evil.
For Our Children
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU BUILD: THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING
June 05, 2023
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU BUILD: THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING
Jonathan Winn
SEP 04, 2020
Some of us are dreamers, some of us are planners; others find themselves perhaps somewhere in the middle. The dreamers love to talk about the future- where they will go, what they will do, who they will see, etc. The planners will say, “That’s great, so how can we make that happen? What are the steps to bring this to reality?”
In the last article, I introduced our theme for the 2020-21 school year: “Be Careful How You Build.” As mentioned previously, all of us are in the midst of building or developing something, or someone, whether we are fully aware and intentional about it or not. Additionally, I shared that every building or development project of significance or substance includes several components for success. Last time we talked about the importance of vision. Now, we will look more closely into the next phase: Thoughtful Planning.
Thoughtful Planning
In Scripture, King David had a vision of building a great temple of worship to God Most High. This was a vision that God placed in him and also came from a heart overflowing with passion and zeal for God to be exalted in the hearts and minds of all the peoples on earth. David did not stop with just the dream or vision though, he then took care to record the detailed steps and plans, which the Holy Spirit had also given him, and share them with his son, Solomon, who would bring the vision to reality (cf. 1 Chronicles 28:11-19).
The vision for our Oak Grove students and community is a beautiful and noble one: “Learn for Life, Live for Christ.” However, without an intentional, thoughtful, and well laid out plan, these are just words. So then, how do we make this vision a reality? What is the plan for carrying this out?
An overview of the plan is captured in our Mission statement: “We strive to partner with parents in providing a Christ-centered, classical education utilizing a University Model. We seek to inspire our students to love learning, to face life’s challenges with courage and character, and to apply God’s truth in their spheres of influence.”
For the remainder of this article, I want to focus on just one phrase in the statement: “Christ-centered.”
Delivering an education and raising a family that is “Christ-centered” is a no small charge, and I want to make an immediate disclaimer that entire volumes have been written on the subject!
Let me share 3 simple analogies that I find helpful in thinking of developing or building a school and home that are Christ-centered. First, a target. This is a goal-orientation approach. The goal is similar to what Paul writes in Romans 11:36: “For from Him {Christ] and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” The purpose and goal in all we do and plan is that God is glorified, exalted, worshipped, esteemed. Regardless of one’s performance, reputation, experiences, suffering- if God gets the glory, then we have fulfilled our purpose.
The second metaphor is that of our solar system. This is a priority-oriented approach. All of the planets in our solar system are in orbit, and in order around the sun in the center. The sun is the fixed reference point, as well as the primary source of light and energy for the planets in the solar system. If the sun were to be removed, the planets would lose their harmony, balance, and life would cease to exist. In the same way, Paul writes to the Colossians: “He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). All that we have, and all that we are, and all that we strive to be is contingent upon Christ. Our very life, and breath, and everything else. We must train ourselves and our children, by example, that it is only when we place Christ as first importance in our lives, followed directly by our love and care for people in relationship, then everything else falls into its proper place. When we place personal ambition, possessions, power or comfort above God and relationships, our lives will begin to unravel.
Finally, a Christ-centered school and home is built like the process of putting together a great puzzle. This is an integrated approach. We recognize that each and every piece has individual significance, but only in relation to the whole. Every piece of knowledge, every concept, word, formula, algorithm, premise, historical moment, color, shape, sound, smell, emotion etc. finds its significance ultimately in what it relates and points back to. When putting a puzzle together, one must keep in mind the big picture in order to understand how each smaller picture fits. Like solving a puzzle, Paul writes about how Christ is the one who brings the mysteries of life to light. Like us educators and parents, he struggled “so that that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-4).
My prayer for our school is that we will continue, in God’s strength, to partner with one another to be a people who are Christ-centered in each of these ways so that we may have life, life to the full (John 10:10).
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU BUILD
June 05, 2023
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU BUILD
Jonathan Winn
AUG 21, 2020
“Be Careful How You Build”
An Introduction to the Theme for OGCA 2020-21
Jonathan Winn, Headmaster
August 20, 2020
When was the last time you built something? What was it you built? For many of us, this past spring and summer provided more opportunities than ever for home renovations and projects- and this may have included building, or rebuilding, something. Maybe it was a new partition in a room, a garden or landscape feature, a doll house, or if you’re me, some new shelves in your garage.
Have you ever considered that all of us are builders-that we are always building something, whether we realize it or not? Carpenters, craftsmen, and woodworkers aside, there are other building projects than those which are physical and tactile. For example, the family is the first and prominent place in which trust, faith, hope and love are built. Along with the home, the school becomes a place for the building of ideas, knowledge, skills, and most importantly, virtue.
This brings me to my question for us all: What are we building right now? What are we building in ourselves? What are we building in our homes? In our children?
To help think on this further, I propose a review of several components, or phases, in any building project that is done well. For the sake of brevity and depth of thinking, let’s look at one at a time. Here’s the first and critical starting point: vision.
Vision
Every successful building endeavor first requires a clear vision of what is to be built. This vision may be derived from a tangible model or template to imitate (like my garage shelves), or something more deep and profound, perhaps from our imagination. Whatever the case, the more significant your building project, the more important it becomes that your vision is grounded in truth, not opinions. For example, imagine with me what would happen if civil engineers were to construct bridges based on popular opinions or feelings, rather than solid mathematical algorithms and laws of physics?
More seriously, consider the building, or “development” (a helpful synonym in this case) of a person, starting with a child. Do you have a clear vision of what that person should look like? If you do, is your vision based on the opinions of others, the values of contemporary society, the feelings of the moment…or on unchanging, rock solid truth?
Now, where do we go to find reliable, immovable truth? The only eternal truth that is unchanging is God’s Word, revealed to us in the Bible, as it is based on the unchanging nature of God Himself. (If you as a reader are skeptical or curious about this claim, I would gladly refer you to this website for a helpful starting point.) We are often reminded in Scripture of the firmness and immutability of God and His Word. For example, in Psalm 119:89: “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Also, we can see Jesus directly affirming the truth of God’s Word as He prays to God the Father: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth,” (John 17:17).
In considering a vision for our children in education, philosopher Desiderius Erasmus once said, “Moral education is impossible apart from the habitual vision of greatness” (emphasis added).
The “habitual vision of greatness” captures well what classical education has always sought as the goal- for the teacher to embody and for the students to ponder, in all learning and instruction, the seeking of that which is ultimately True, Good, and Beautiful. Classical educators also call this the pursuit of the “Ideal Type,” partially and imperfectly seen in the characters in history and classical literature, and now clearly and fully revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. In his letter to the church in Colosse, the Apostle Paul writes, “And he [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together… For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” (Colossians 1:17, 19).
In conclusion, let us ponder: What are we building, right now? What is our vision for our lives and how is that manifest to our children? What is our vision for our family and children, and where does it come from? Is our vision grounded in ultimate truth?
The vision for our children, and truly our entire community here at Oak Grove Classical Academy is this: “Learn for Life, Live for Christ.” It is a vision which our founders before and staff today have contemplated deeply as grounded in the principles of God’s eternal Word. Over the next several periodicals we will dive more deeply into this vision as we consider this profound building project that is before us.
WHO'S IN CHARGE?
June 05, 2023
WHO'S IN CHARGE?
Jonathan Winn
JUN 21, 2020
This is an important question, profoundly important in fact. When you read the title, a variety of memories or feelings come to the surface. It may be a conversation with your child from this morning, a frustration you have expressed when watching the news, or working through an issue at work. However, our answer to this question is fundamental to how we approach EVERYTHING in life. Why do I say this?
During our Whole School Morning Meeting last week, I shared a quote from A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Contemplate that for a minute. Now, think back to the account of the Fall of Mankind in the Garden, Genesis 3. Note how Satan works to deceive Eve- he first puts into question God’s goodness, then directly challenges God’s authority. Interestingly, his strategy hasn’t changed from that first temptation until now. The temptation to sin was, and is, in essence, a question of who’s in charge. Our sinful nature will wage war in our hearts and minds against any notion of the answer being the God of the Bible (other gods are much more easily manipulated…). You should not be surprised to see this in your child, but also not in your heart as an adult. One of the primary roles that God has given parents is to teach children about submitting to authority. Of course, this is also why we must be very, very careful about the example we are setting as their authority- that of a servant leader, not a self-serving one. In the classical education philosophy, this virtue of submission and respect is also emphasized. Why? Because wise men and women over the centuries have identified this universal need to actively cultivate a heart of obedience and submission in children, especially in light of the vices that surface in its absence. Sadly, as our current society turns away from its Judeo-Christian roots, our basis for the importance and role of authority is also eroding…and the effects of this are devastating in every institution from the home to government.
For myself, I must consider how this principle comes into play in how I submit to the authorities God has placed over me. I think of our government, law enforcement, and the Board of Directors at Oak Grove. Even more to the point of application, what are my children learning about submission through my example? I will resist the temptation to write much more on the topic of application here. Rather, I want to encourage us all to contemplate this fundamental question and consider what our heart’s responses tell us about our view of God, and how it is impacting the discipleship of our children.
Finally, I have had some families from time to time ask about the Board at Oak Grove and how it functions. Since we are on the topic of authority, I thought I would go ahead and include this.
What is the purpose of the OGCA Board of Directors?
The School Board is composed of members who care deeply for the School Mission and Vision. By application, Board members serve the school and community by ensuring that the Vision and Mission of the school remains central and vibrant. Additionally, the Board provides strategic counsel and oversight for their sole employee, the Headmaster, so that he/she is fully equipped to carry out the responsibilities of leadership. New Board members are chosen by the current Board and serve on a voluntary basis for 2-year terms after a careful vetting process to determine alignment with school Mission and Vision as well as spiritual maturity. As in any organization, Board members only function as a Board when acting collectively. Members hold no school authority when acting as individuals.
Who is serving on the current Board of Directors?
The Board went through a transition period during the 2018-2019 school year, as terms expired and three couples decided to step off the board at the end of their terms. The current board members and officers are:
Miles Shiver (President)
Angela Shiver (Vice President)
Jay Rush (Treasurer)
Leah Rush
Kurt Sorenson
Dani Sorenson
Over the past few years, the board has worked to refine their on-boarding process for potential members, and is always on the lookout for individuals with a strong heart for the Lord, who are actively serving the school in various ways to consider as candidates for future board service. The Board is so grateful that after completing their application, interview, and 6-month candidacy period, Kurt and Dani Sorenson have agreed to serve for a two-year term which began on July 1. The Board is also in the interview process with another couple, and aim to maintain between 8 and 11 members at any given time.
When does the Board meet?
The Board meets once per month, together with the Headmaster, to discuss budget, projections, and look ahead at future plans for Oak Grove. They spend much time each meeting in prayer for the school, its Administration, Staff and students. They also hold one or two strategic planning sessions per year. This time is dedicated specifically to looking at the long-term plans and goals for the school, and discussing strategies with the Headmaster to move toward those goals. The last spring planning retreat was held in April 2019. Also, members serve on committees which meet at various times during the month.
The Board wants to extend a sincere welcome to all new families, and a welcome back to all returning families. They look forward to an amazing 2019-2020, and to serving the Lord and the families of Oak Grove in this unique way as Board members