A Community of Grace

During a recent professional development opportunity I was given a book that has deeply affected me and had me come back to the verse that our school has used for guidance: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ." II Peter 3:18. The book is entitled "Schools as Communities" and it is a compilation of chapters written by Christian education leaders around North America. The initial chapter of the book is entitled "Communities of Grace" written by Bruce Hekman.

On Friday, January 21st at the Staff Retreat, I again was lead to this "theme" verse as well as my reading of this book. And then again at our annual Gala event, I could not help but acknowledge the theme of our school being a community of grace. But perhaps, most consistenly - when I get to experience the learning that happens in our classrooms, and the environment that our students are engaged in - the verse echoes in my mind.

As Executive Director, it should come as no surprise that we aspire to see our school be a community of grace. But what does it really mean to aspire to be a community of grace? It sure is easy to say, and it definitely sounds profound. Interesting that the words grace and community are not all that prevalent (at least not overtly) in the strategic plan. Because ultimately, when we market our school against others; when we strive to convince people that ACS is the place to come; when we seek to be a "sought after Christian school for Christian families"; we are hoping that people will get a glimpse, just a sense of what a community of grace is all about. Perhaps we need to be more intentional?

Bruce Hekman does an excellent job of laying out some characteristics of grace-filled communities:

• places where visitors clearly see God at work in the way relationships are conducted
• the context of schooling is treated as important as the content of schooling
• it is more than togetherness - togetherness is the by-product of trying to be faithful to Jesus
• it is a grateful place that is thankful and celebrates God's blessings
• it is a place driven by its mission
• it is an inviting place
• it is an accepting place
• it is a loving place - seeing people love others authentically

To achieve a community of grace, there are not forty days of anything required, nor are there twelve step programs. There aren't even any specific initiatives in any strategic plan that will point to becoming a community of grace (as indicated above). It does however require hard, patient, and consistent work of an entire community to be committed to achieving the goal. Christian communities have Christ at the center as the members work out their commitments to be prophets, priests, and kings in the culture they find themselves in. If Christ is at the center, then grace will be the hallmark of the school.

The reason for what lead me to this theme during our staff retreat is that at the retreat we had three people lead the staff in reflective talks: one was Jack Boersma who not only was a student at the school, has also been a teacher in the secondary school for 32 years - his stories were filled with our school being that of a community of grace and how his life has been dedicated to serving our Saviour in togetherness and ultimately in community. The second talk was from parent and current board member, Monique Weir, who thanked the staff for how her family has been received into our community of grace, and how her children have truly been lead to seek Jesus at ACS. Monique told the story of how, the second she walked through the doors of the elementary school for the first time, she felt the Spririt of the Lord in the school, and she knew that this was the place for her children. Finally Julie Braun, our beloved Pre-School director spun a beautiful story about her experiences as both a staff person at the elementary school and a parent at the school. These stories gave us a clear sense that our school is a community of grace, a community that puts Christ at the center, that strives for shalom, that seeks to restore the brokenness of the world, and that aspires to the coming to fullness of the Kingdom on earth.

It is, of course, important to remember that we are all sinners saved by this grace and we have been called to serve in His Kingdom. As sinners, we often distort or fall short of a true understanding of grace and often fall into sin as we seek to provide communities of grace. Hekman again, has wise words as we sort out how to act when sin is so prevalent in our lives - and even in our school:

He says - some people replace the grace of the Bible with mercy, and let people off the hook for their sins. Some people want to see others get what is coming to them for breaking the rules. Others want to change other people by making examples of them. However, Jesus shows us a better way in the story of woman caught in adultery. Jesus turns the tables on her accusers by replacing the two categories of sinners: the woman and the righteous to two altogether different categories: sinners who admit their sin and sinners who deny their sin. And then after declining to condemn her, he demands that she "Go, and sin no more".

From my perspective, if we fail to confront people and speak the truth in love, we can ultimately do more damage to our grace-filled communities than what judgementalism can bring. This then becomes the challenging continuum that we find ourselves in, and we can only rely on the wisdom of Christ as we navigate through it.

In looking at the attributes that Hekman stated above: I would ask these questions:

• Is ACS a grateful place? Do we celebrate God's blessings to our school? Do people over-hear others talking about ACS in grateful ways? Are we grateful even in the face of challenging circumstances?
• Is ACS driven by its Mission? Are the things that you see and hear lining up with what our mission says? Are we attaining our mission like we often say we are?
• Is ACS an inviting place? When you walk into our schools do you get a sense that you are welcome or that you belong?
• Is ACS an accepting place? Do we practice love and discipline? Are we striving to restore broken relationships?
• Is ACS a loving place? Is our school characterized by God's love flowing through our relationships with one another? Do we confront people in truth and love?

I would submit that over the years at ACS we are accomplishing our desire to become communities of grace, with the full acknowledgement that we have miles to go. By God's grace we can continue to work together in attaining the Mission of our school. With 2011 still relatively new, may we re-commit to growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Julius Siebenga

Executive Director

Acknowledgments: "Schools as Communities" edited by James L. Drexler and published by Purposeful Design Publications - Colorado Springs, Colorado.