2011-2012 School Theme: Building Bridges

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:20

The Rehoboth Christian School theme this year is “Bridge Builders” based on II Corinthians 5:20. We are building bridges in obedience to our ministry of reconciliation. As I have reflected on the words of this chapter, the following ideas come to the forefront: reconciliation, love, messengers, and new creations.

We are in dire need of reconciliation. God’s Creation is groaning for Him – everywhere we look we can see how our world is in need of the healing power of reconciliation and relationship with God. I cannot tell you how many times I have been overwhelmed with the need for Jesus as I have worked in this ministry. So many situations have left me on my knees praying, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come.” Rehoboth is a ministry of reconciliation – between cultures, for Creation, between each other, and with God.

We are in the business of love. Christ’s love compels us – love that would lay its life down for others fuels us every day. Love that overcomes hate; love that pierces the darkness with pure light. My family went through Memphis, TN this summer and I came across this quote at the National Civil Rights Museum, built on the site where MLK, Jr. was killed:

Love is creative and redemptive. Love builds up and unites; hate tears down and destroys. The aftermath of the ‘?ght with ?re’ method which you suggest is bitterness and chaos, the aftermath of the love method is reconciliation and creation of the beloved community. Physical force can repress, restrain, coerce, destroy, but it cannot create and organize anything permanent; only love can do that. Yes, love—which means understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill, even for one’s enemies—is the solution to the race problem.

—Martin Luther King, Jr., 1957

We are preparing messengers. Rehoboth graduates are in every field of work and all over the world. Our task while they are students here is to tell them the Good News of the gospel and train them to be ambassadors for Christ. You may have heard the saying, “You may be the only Bible someone ever reads.” What an awesome responsibility and opportunity - to be a bridge builder between one another and to God.

We are becoming new creations in Christ. The transformational power of Jesus is astounding. During our new staff orientation this year, I was asked why Pastor Rolf Veenstra’s grave marker has three dates on it. I found out the answer: the first is his birthday, the last is the date on which he died, but the middle one is the date on which this passage about being a new creation – in full communion of the saints – was fully realized by him. Even though he had been a follower of Christ for years, the true meaning of being a new creation completely changed Rolf’s life and his sermons from that date on.

Join Rehoboth Christian School as we unite this year to BUILD BRIDGES and answer God’s call to be reconcilers, share Christ’s love, be ambassadors, and become new creations!