Education
I am sure that you have, as I have, chuckled, marveled, been groused about, offended, or even inspired by some of the clever sayings, thoughts, and slogans that we find today on t-shirts and bumper stickers. For those expressions that are worthy of our consideration it is a real skill to reduce a complex thought to a few words. When we see a few well chosen words it can conjure up a much deeper and more complete image or idea, both for good and for ill. These condensed slogans can be insightful and informative or they can be rude and offensive. Occasionally two viewers might consider the same statement in two very different ways. However, with our ever-increasing pace of life we think less is always better when it comes to words and thoughts, and so these slogans become the norm and the replacement for complete sentences and ideas. It is in this zeal for brevity that important ideas can dissolve and be translated into pithy phrases. The advantage to this approach is that these phrases are more memorable and so they can stay with a person longer than a more complete statement. However, such a reduction for the sake of being cleaver can frequently diminish the strength and the richness of a thoughtful insight. Mission and vision statements for institutions and even individuals have gone through some of the same editing process. In most cases that has been a good thing. It forces one to give serious thought to the question, “What is really the most important purpose, the core beliefs, and values of an institution or a business or for me as a person?” These too can end up on t-shirts and bumper stickers and as words on plagues, walls, and brochures. For a mission statement to be valuable and impacting these words must come alive! Just knowing them or even wearing them is not enough. The real test is whether they make a difference. What is different about us today because this is our mission? What will be different about us tomorrow if this is our mission? Those are the questions we must ask everyday and in every situation. So I ask you, “Do you know the Holland Christian Schools Mission Statement?” If so, what difference has it made? Do you believe it is happening? Are you, no matter what your role might be with the school, actively engaged in moving this mission from words to actions? If you do not know it; why not? The mission, which is the chief purpose, of Holland Christian Schools is to equip minds and nurture hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ. But just knowing it is not enough. Writing it on your bumper sticker or t-shirt is not enough. We must commit to do what it takes to live it everyday. If you are a student, a teacher, a grandparent, a support staff member, or a parent each one of us must embrace our role in making these words have life, meaning, integrity, and truly make a difference in what an education at Holland Christian Schools is all about. For many of us we must find ways to support, encourage, and cheer on the students and teachers that are living out that mission everyday in the practical applications of learning and growing. It is good to be able to articulate what it is that guides your life, often called your world view, but it is best to live your life in such a way that people around you do not need to ask what you believe or what it is that guides you because they can see it and know it just by watching and interacting with you. This is true for each one of us as individuals and for Christian schools as a community. What do people see when they observe us at Holland Christian? Do they notice that the mission statement coming to life in you? In me? In our students? In our graduates? In our teachers? In our parents? Or do they see that our t-shirts, our bumper stickers, and our words on the wall are really just that, words?